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Home → Publications → Tree Planters' Notes → Tree Planters' Notes Volume 22, Number 2 (1971) → Gibberellic Acid Induces Germination and Growth of Dormant Black Cherry Seed

Gibberellic Acid Induces Germination and Growth of Dormant Black Cherry Seed

Chemically induced germination of unstratified black cherry (Prunus serotina Ehrh.) has two possible uses. First, by eliminating stratification one might obtain seedlings immediately after seed maturation. Second, wide familial variation in germination time might be reduced by chemically treating either partially stratified or unstratified seed. Gibberellic acid (GA3) has been used as a substitute for stratification with horticultural cherry species (Fogle 1958, Fogle and McCrory 1960, Nekrasova 1960, Pillay et al. 1965) and forest trees (Bachelard 1967, Burns 1967). In cherry it is necessary to remove the seed endocarp before treatment. Huntzinger (1968) obtained negative results with whole black cherry seed, and Nekrasova (1960) noted that ineffective treatment of whole seed was probably caused by poor GA3 penetration. Fogle (1958) and Fogle and McCrory (1960) noted that GA3 applied to seed did not overcome the rosetting tendency of resulting plants, but subsequent treatment of these seedlings with foliar sprays of GA3 reduced this tendency. Zagaja (1962) also noted that GA3 stimulated growth of dwarfed cherry seedlings. The objective of this study was to induce germination of dormant black cherry embryos with GA.


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Author(s): Robert E. Farmer, Jr., G. C. Hall

Publication: Tree Planters' Notes - Volume 22, Number 2 (1971)

Volume: 22

Number: 2