Planter's Notes, Volume 41, No. 1 (1990) 24/Tree Planters' Notes

Pregermination Treatment and Stratification of Silverberry

Greg Morgenson

Manager, Lincoln-Oakes Nurseries, North Dakota Soil Conservation Districts, Bismarck, ND

They were then stored at 4 °C until At the end of each treatment period, Cold stratification treatments for removed in October 1985 for use in the corresponding seed lots were optimal germination of silverberry this study. allowed to germinate at room ( commutata L.) were found The were counted into 28 temperature, which ranged from to be 30 to 90 days at 4 °C. Water lots of 100 seeds each to be used in approximately 20 to 30 °C. soaking in place of the cold stratification seven treatments, each of which was Germination counts were made weekly period was the least effective of the replicated four times. A cutting test of for a 4-week period. treatments applied. Tree Planters' an additional 400 seeds revealed Notes (41):24-25, 1990. 97.25% filled seeds. Results and Discussion

For three of the treatments, seeds Silverberry (Elaeagnus commutata were stratified in damp peatmoss in All treatments resulted in seed L.) is a native, stoloniferous, polyethylene bags at 4 °C for 30, 60, or germination of 73% or better, but thicket-forming useful in 90 days. In three other treatments, speed of germination varied widely reclamation of strip mined lands in the seeds were soaked in water at room between treatments (table 1). Western United States and Canada. The control treatment resulted in Successful spring germination of temperature for 2, 4, or 7 days, and the zero germination the first week and silverberry seed can be water was changed daily. The seeds over 88% the second week, with accomplished by late fall planting, but were then placed in damp polyethylene germination continuing into the third situations occur in which stratified bags. The seeds that were soaked in and fourth weeks. The water soaking seed is required for spring planting. water for 2 days were then stratified at treatments resulted in decreased Recommended treatments for 4 °C for 30 days after soaking. Seeds in cumulative germination rate (82 and germination range from 10 to 90 days the seventh treatment, the control, were 73%) at 4 weeks. Seeds that were of cold stratification (3, 4), endocarp placed in peatmoss in polyethylene soaked in water for 2 days and then removal (2), and a 2-day water soak bags with no treatment. stratified for 30 days showed 78% to remove a germination inhibitor (1). germination in the This study was conducted to determine specific seed treatments that would give optimum germination for spring planting.

Materials and Methods

Fruits of silverberry were collected in September 1985 from 5 of accession ND628 at the SCS Bismarck Materials Center evaluation planting at McKenzie, ND. The were cleaned by wet maceration and the seeds allowed to air dry.

Winter 1990/25

first week with almost no germination No evidence of a germination Literature Cited in the second through fourth weeks. inhibitor was found within this North 1. Fung, M.Y.P. 1984. Silverberry seed The cold stratification treatments Dakota silverberry seed source. pretreatment and germination techniques. Tree Planters' Notes 35(3):32-33. gave excellent first week germination Water soaking is not recommended 2. Hartmann, H.T.; Kester, D.E. 1975. Plant of 87% or greater and minimal second as an aid to germination. When propagation principles and practices, 3rd through fourth week germination. The planting silverberry in the spring, cold ed. Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice-Hall. 60- and 90-day cold treatments were stratification for at least 30 days and 595 p. superior to other treatments in total up to 90 days may be used to obtain 3. Olson, D.F. 1974. Elaeagnus L. In: Schopmeyer, C.S., tech. coord. Seeds of germination percentage (95 and 96%) quick initial germination with optimal woody plants in the United States. Agric. and in speed of germination. There germination percentages. Handbk. 450. Washington, DC: United were no elongated radicals in storage States Department of Agriculture: 376379. in any of the treatments. 4. Vories, K.C. 1981. Growing Colorado plants from seed: a state of the art. Gen. Tech. Rep. INT-103. Ogden, UT: USDA Forest Service. 25 p.