BA: 

20000313403

ET: 

Physiology of seed germination in marjoram (Origanum majorana L.).

AU: 

Thanos, C. A.

AA: 

Department of Botany, Faculty of Biology, University of Athens, Athens 15784, Greece.

SO: 

ISAFA Comunicazioni di Ricerca dell'Istituto Sperimentale per l'Assestamento Forestale e per l'Alpicoltura, 2000, No.2000/2, pp.31-36, 13 ref.

AB: 

Tests were performed on 16 seedlots of marjoram, Origanum majorana , belonging to 4 cultivars (Aegyptischer, Erfo, Marcelka and SAIS), stored at room conditions after a storage period of 6 (reproduced seed) or 18 months (original seed). The original seeds were sown in Villazzano (Trento) in spring 1997 and their progeny were harvested on three dates, September, October and November 1997. The average seed (nutlet) weight was ca 0.20 mg and did not differ significantly among the 16 seedlots studied (0.18-0.23 mg). The germinability of all the 12 seedlots produced in 1997 at Villazzano was sufficiently good (70-90%). However, germinability (viability) of the 4 initial seedlots was very poor (due perhaps to unknown but obviously detrimental storage conditions). Only slight germination differences were observed among seeds from the three harvest dates, but the 2^nd harvest (October) seemed best. A study of the temperature dependence of germination (in the range 15-25 deg C) showed an optimum at both 15 and 20 deg C while at 25 deg C a certain (but not dramatic) decrease occurred. The role of light seems rather minor.

DE: 

seed germination; cultivars; harvesting date; seed testing; viability; temperature; essential oil plants; culinary herbs

OD: 

Origanum majorana

GL: 

Italy

UP: 

Origanum; Lamiaceae; Lamiales; dicotyledons; angiosperms; Spermatophyta; plants; Southern Europe; Europe; Mediterranean Region; Developed Countries; European Union Countries; OECD Countries

PU: 

Istituto Sperimentale per l'Assestamento Forestale e per l'Alpicoltura, Trento, Italy

CC: 

FF003;
FF060;
SS230

LA: 

English; Italian

DT: 

Journal article

SC: 

Crop Physiology Abstracts; Horticultural Abstracts; Seed Abstracts; Review of Aromatic and Medicinal Plants