Journal of Environmental Biology

Seed germination of three Ulmus species from Turkey as  influenced by temperature and light 

 

Emrah Cicek¹ and Fahrettin Tilki*²

¹Faculty of Forestry, Abant Izzet Baysal University, Duzce-81620, Turkey

²Faculty of Forestry, Kafkas University, Artvin-08000, Turkey

(Received: August 11, 2005 ; Revised received: December 20, 2005 ; Accepted: December 30, 2005)

Abstract: The effect of temperature and light on the germination performance of Ulmus minor, Ulmus glabra and Ulmus laevis were studied in this research. Seeds were germinated under constant temperatures of 20 and 25 ^oC and alternating temperatures of 25/15 and 30/20 ^oC. Within each temperature regime, seeds were subjected daily to the following photoperiods: total darkness and 8 hr photoperiod.  Temperature and light affected seed germination percentage (GP) and germination rate expressed as peak value (PV) in Ulmus minor and 25 and 30/20 ^oC under light gave the highest GP (>95%) and PV (>23).  The temperatures of 25/15 and 30/20 ^oC gave the highest GP (>89%) in Ulmus glabra and light did not significantly affect GP. But the highest PV in Ulmus glabra was found at these temperatures under light. Germination percentage of Ulmus laevis was not affected by temperature and light, but the alternating temperature of 30/20 ^oC produced the highest germination rate under darkness.

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