A method for improving the germination rate of equisetum arvense seeds

Abstract

This invention discloses a method for improving the germination rate of *Hippophae rhamnoides* seeds. The method involves first soaking the *Hippophae rhamnoides* seeds in an ethephon solution, and then soaking the ethephon-treated seeds in a sodium nitroprusside solution. This solution solves the problem of low germination rate of *Hippophae rhamnoides* seeds in existing technologies.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to a method for treating plant seeds before sowing, specifically a method for improving the germination rate of *Hippophae rhamnoides* seeds. Background Technology

[0002] In legumes, the inability of seeds to absorb water and germinate is common due to dense, impermeable, or poorly permeable seed coats. This phenomenon is influenced by various factors, including genetics, mother plant environment, storage conditions, and harvesting methods. In agricultural production, low seed germination rates lead to prolonged emergence time, missing seedlings, uneven emergence, or even gaps in the rows, directly impacting production and increasing labor and material costs.

[0003] *Indigofera pseudotinctoria*, a perennial shrub belonging to the genus *Indigofera* in the legume family, grows in grasslands, slopes, and thickets at altitudes of 100-2000m. It flowers from August to September and fruits from November to December, producing oblong seeds. *Indigofera pseudotinctoria* is a densely branched plant that thrives in arid and semi-arid environments such as slopes, making it widely used in urban greening, wetlands, parks, and slope protection. It is also a high-quality, high-yield forage crop due to its palatability and rich nutritional value. However, *Indigofera pseudotinctoria* is primarily propagated by direct seeding, and seed quality directly affects the quality of the forage. Wild *Indigofera pseudotinctoria* seeds have low vigor, a very high hardness rate, and a low germination rate; therefore, improving seed germination rate is crucial for the cultivation and production of *Indigofera pseudotinctoria*.

[0004] In agricultural production, there has been extensive research on methods to improve the germination rate of horsebuckthorn seeds, such as soaking in hot water, treating with sulfuric acid or sodium hydroxide. However, the method of using growth regulators to soak seeds to improve the germination rate of horsebuckthorn seeds is rarely reported.

[0005] Ethephon acts as an endogenous hormone in plants, releasing ethylene to regulate plant growth and development, maintain intracellular homeostasis and normal physiological activities, and enhance stress resistance (reducing seed damage under adverse conditions) and promote seed maturation. Studies have shown that ethephon can promote seed germination and seedling growth in various plants, such as maize (Zea mays), cucumber (Cucumis sativus), and ginger (Zingiber officinale). Sodium nitroprusside, as a NO donor, has been widely used to improve seed germination rates and enhance stress resistance; for example, sodium nitroprusside can increase the germination rate of maize (Zeamays), oat (Avena sativa), and sorghum (Rubus lambertianus) seeds under salt stress.

[0006] Chinese patent document CN1907030A discloses a seed soaking agent for woody plants, which relates to a method for improving germination rate. Specifically, the method involves diluting a seed soaking agent composed of 5%-10% gibberellin, 0.1%-0.2% triacontanol, 72.8%-84.9% potassium nitrate, 8%-12% α-naphthaleneacetic acid, and 2%-5% paclobutrazol 200-1000 times before soaking the seeds to improve germination rate. While this method demonstrates that soaking seeds with a seed soaking agent can improve germination rate, the agent's complex composition makes rapid preparation inconvenient, and it does not explicitly demonstrate its effect on improving the germination rate of *Hippophae rhamnoides* seeds. Summary of the Invention

[0007] The purpose of this invention is to provide a method for improving the germination rate of horsebane seeds, so as to solve the problem of low germination rate of horsebane seeds in the prior art.

[0008] To achieve the above objectives, the basic solution of the present invention provides a method for improving the germination rate of horsebuckthorn seeds, which involves first soaking the horsebuckthorn seeds in an ethephon solution, and then soaking the ethephon-treated horsebuckthorn seeds in a sodium nitroprusside solution.

[0009] Preferably, the concentration of the ethephon solution is 50-200 μmol / L, and the concentration of the sodium nitroprusside solution is 25-100 μmol / L.

[0010] Preferably, the concentration of the ethephon solution is 150 μmol / L, and the concentration of the sodium nitroprusside solution is 25 μmol / L.

[0011] Preferably, the soaking time for the *Hippophae rhamnoides* seeds in the ethephon solution is 10-14 hours, and the soaking time for the *Hippophae rhamnoides* seeds in the sodium nitroprusside solution is 10-14 hours.

[0012] Preferably, the soaking time for the *Hippophae rhamnoides* seeds in the ethephon solution is 12 hours, and the soaking time for the *Hippophae rhamnoides* seeds in the sodium nitroprusside solution is 12 hours.

[0013] The present invention has the following beneficial effects:

[0014] This invention utilizes a combination of ethephon solution and sodium nitroprusside solution to soak horsebuckthorn seeds, which can significantly improve the germination rate of horsebuckthorn seeds. Furthermore, only two soaking treatments are required, and the total soaking time is about one day, thus simplifying the soaking process and shortening the processing time, thereby significantly improving processing efficiency and reducing labor costs. Detailed Implementation

[0015] The following detailed description illustrates the specific implementation method:

[0016] Examples 1-16

[0017] Prepare horsebane seeds: Use horsebane seeds collected in December 2022 as the material to be processed.

[0018] Before being treated with ethephon, the seeds of *Hippophae rhamnoides* were first sterilized by soaking in 75% alcohol for 3 minutes, then rinsed 5 times with deionized water, and placed on a sterile workbench to air dry at room temperature.

[0019] The seeds of *Hippophae rhamnoides* were subjected to combined soaking treatments using ethephon solutions of different concentrations (50 μmol / L, 100 μmol / L, 150 μmol / L, 200 μmol / L) and sodium nitroprusside solutions (25 μmol / L, 50 μmol / L, 75 μmol / L, 100 μmol / L). The soaking time for the seeds in ethephon and sodium nitroprusside solutions was 12 hours each.

[0020] The treated *Hippophae rhamnoides* seeds were placed in an intelligent light incubator for germination experiments. The number of germinated seeds was counted daily, and the germination rate was calculated after the germination period. The specific concentration combinations and corresponding germination rate statistics are shown in the table below:

[0021] Table 1 Germination rate of seeds soaked in combinations of ethephon and sodium nitroprusside at different concentrations

[0022]

[0023] Comparative Example 1

[0024] Prepare horsebane seeds: Use horsebane seeds collected in December 2020 as the material to be processed.

[0025] Before being treated with ethephon, the seeds of *Hippophae rhamnoides* were first sterilized by soaking in 75% alcohol for 3 minutes, then rinsed 5 times with deionized water, and placed on a sterile workbench to air dry at room temperature.

[0026] The seeds of *Hippophae rhamnoides* were soaked in five groups of ethephon solutions at concentrations of 0 μmol / L (control), 50 μmol / L, 100 μmol / L, 150 μmol / L, and 200 μmol / L for 24 hours.

[0027] The treated *Hippophae rhamnoides* seeds were placed in an intelligent light incubator for germination experiments. The number of germinated seeds was counted daily, and the germination rate was calculated after the germination period. The specific ethephon concentrations and corresponding germination rates are shown in the table below:

[0028] Table 2. Effects of ethephon soaking treatment on the germination rate of *Hippophae rhamnoides* seeds.

[0029]

[0030] Comparative Example 2

[0031] Prepare horsebane seeds: Use horsebane seeds collected in December 2020 as the material to be processed.

[0032] Before being treated with ethephon, the seeds of *Hippophae rhamnoides* were first sterilized by soaking in 75% alcohol for 3 minutes, then rinsed 5 times with deionized water, and placed on a sterile workbench to air dry at room temperature.

[0033] The seeds of *Hippophae rhamnoides* were soaked in sodium nitroprusside solution at five different concentrations (0 μmol / L (control), 25 μmol / L, 50 μmol / L, 75 μmol / L, and 100 μmol / L) for 24 hours.

[0034] The treated *Hippophae rhamnoides* seeds were placed in an intelligent light incubator for germination experiments. The number of germinated seeds was counted daily, and the germination rate was calculated after the germination period. The specific sodium nitroprusside concentrations and corresponding germination rates are shown in the table below:

[0035] Table 3. Effects of sodium nitroprusside soaking on the germination rate of *Hippophae rhamnoides* seeds.

[0036]

[0037] Conclusion: Based on the statistical results of germination rates in the above examples, Comparative Example 1, and Comparative Example 2, it can be seen that treating *Hippophae rhamnoides* seeds with ethephon and sodium nitroprusside solutions alone has a small effect on improving the germination rate. However, when ethephon and sodium nitroprusside are combined to treat *Hippophae rhamnoides* seeds, the germination rate is significantly improved, especially when the ethephon concentration is 150 μmol / L and the sodium nitroprusside concentration is 25 μmol / L, the germination rate of *Hippophae rhamnoides* seeds is 82.00%, which is significantly higher than the 33% germination rate without treatment.

Claims

1. A method for improving the germination rate of *Hippophae rhamnoides* seeds, characterized in that: First, soak the horsebuckthorn seeds in ethephon solution, and then soak the ethephon-treated horsebuckthorn seeds in sodium nitroprusside solution. The concentration of the ethephon solution is 50-200 μmol / L, and the concentration of the sodium nitroprusside solution is 25-100 μmol / L.

2. The method for improving the germination rate of *Hippophae rhamnoides* seeds according to claim 1, characterized in that: The concentration of the ethephon solution is 150 μmol / L, and the concentration of the sodium nitroprusside solution is 25 μmol / L.

3. A method for improving the germination rate of *Hippophae rhamnoides* seeds according to any one of claims 1 to 2, characterized in that: The soaking time for the seeds of *Hippophae rhamnoides* in the ethephon solution is 10-14 hours, and the soaking time for the seeds of *Hippophae rhamnoides* in the sodium nitroprusside solution is 10-14 hours.

4. The method for improving the germination rate of *Hippophae rhamnoides* seeds according to claim 3, characterized in that: The ethephon solution was used to soak the horsebuckthorn seeds for 12 hours, and the sodium nitroprusside solution was used to soak the horsebuckthorn seeds for 12 hours.

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