Vegetos
(An International Journal of Plant Research & Biotechnology)
Effect of abiotic factors on germination and seedling emergence of a threatened medicinal forest tree: Nothapodytes nimmoniana (J. Graham) Mabb
Research Articles | Published: 14 April, 2025
First Page: 1256
Last Page: 1260
Views: 1071
Keywords: Burial depth, Germination, Heat-shock, Salinity stress, Temperature
Abstract
Nothapodytes nimmoniana (J. Graham) Mabb is a forest tree, naturally a rich source of potent cytotoxic quinoline alkaloid camptothecin. In this study, the germinative response of Nothapodytes nimmoniana seeds was investigated under laboratory conditions about some of the main abiotic factors like temperature, salinity stress, pH, heat-shock, and burial depth. A significant germination response (96.33%) was stimulated at an optimum temperature of 25 °C under a 12 h photoperiod. Salinity stress was shown to have a more inhibiting effect at different concentration levels. Further, pH values had no considerable effect on seed germination, and more than 80% of seed germination was obtained over a broad pH range from 4.0 to 8.0. Seed germination was influenced by heat-shock, with germination of 91.88% at 40 °C and 38.27% at 60 °C, respectively, and completely inhibited at 80 °C for 5–7 min. The highest seedling emergence was 92.7% when seeds were implanted at a soil burial depth of 2 cm. Knowledge of germination biology and the importance of multiple abiotic factors on early seedling recruitment could predict tree line dynamics under climate change.
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Author Information
Department of Biotechnology, National Institute of Technology, Warangal, India