Breaking Seed Dormancy in Some Selected Sunflower Accession using Pre-Germination Techniques

Pre-germination techniques are essential for breaking seed dormancy in sunflower accessions. This study focuses on the use of indole-3-acetic acid (IAA), gibberellic acid (GA), hot water treatment, and potassium nitrate (KNO3). These techniques have been extensively studied and proven effective in promoting germination in dormant sunflower seeds. IAA and GA, as exogenous plant growth regulators which plays a vital role in stimulating the synthesis of germination-related enzymes, thus breaking seed dormancy. Hot water treatment involves subjecting the seeds to specific temperature regimes, leading to the weakening of the seed coat thereby facilitating germination. Additionally, potassium nitrate treatment enhances seed germination by promoting water uptake and activating germination enzymes. The results revealed significant differences among genotypes and treatments for most parameters studied, highlighting the genotype-specific nature of dormancy treatment responses. Treatment of the SAMSUN 1 genotype with potassium nitrate yielded the highest germination percentage of about 98%, while the SAMSUN 3 genotype without seed coat showed the lowest percentage of about 77%. The hot water treatment emerged as the most effective method for breaking sunflower seed dormancy, followed by GA treatment. KNO3 treatment showed moderate effectiveness, while IAA treatment had limited impact. Seed coat removal exhibited mixed results. Based on the findings mechanical scarification and auxins indole-3 acetic acid soaking were found to be effective in overcoming seed dormancy, while seed coat removal did not yield satisfactory results. These findings provide valuable insights into selecting appropriate methods to break dormancy in sunflower seeds, thus facilitating enhanced agricultural productivity