Primary investigation on seed dormancy and dormancy breaking of Hordeum jubatum

Seed dormancy and the effects of seven treatments including removing seed stalk, pre-chilling, pre-heating, potassium nitrate (KNO3), gibberellic acid (GA3), soaking in distilled water and soaking in boiled water on breaking seed dormancy of Hordeum jubatum collected in Linze County, Gansu Province, China were investigated. The results showed that the dormancy percentages of tested seeds were 73%~77%. Treatments of pre-chilling, pre-heating, KNO3, GA3 and soaking in distilled water significantly improved (P<0.05) germination of tested seeds and pre-chilling and GA3 treatments had the best effects. After pre-chilling and GA3 treatments, seed germination percentage and germination index reached highest which were 92%, 89% and 42.99, 39.80, respectively, mean germination time were the shortest which were 2.43 and 3.10 d, respectively. Both treatments of removing seed stalk and soaking in boiled water did not improve seed germination anyways. The tested seeds had non-deep physiological dormancy.