FACTORS AFFECTING GERMINATION OF DALMATIAN SAGE (SALVIA OFFICINALIS) SEED

Increasing interest in growing and using medicinal and aromatic plants has recently led to the extension of production areas under Dalmatian ("true") sage. Information on the seed germination and viability is important for selection of methods (direct sowing or transplants) for crop establishment, since they can influence further crop uniformity in the field. The aim of this study was to determine favorable conditions for germination of variously aged sage seeds. A series of assays were carried out in growth chambers wherein germination was observed for 14 days. When the 5-year old seed was tested at temperatures of 20, 25 or 30°C under continuous light or in dark, the highest germination rate (63%) was observed at 25°C with continuous light. Seeds of 0 to 15 years old were tested at 25°C under constant illumination, whereas the highest germination rate and viability were observed for 3 and 8 years old seeds (81 and 73%). Possibility of dormancy elimination was tested in fresh and one-year-old seeds at 25°C under constant light. Seed was leached with running water (24 or 48 hours) followed by drying or without drying for 24 hours at room temperature. Although the total germination was very low (less than 20%), germination viability of one-year-old seed was positively affected by rinsing, and negatively by subsequent drying, while dormancy of fresh seed persisted. The effect of leaching with running water (for 24 hours before sowing) and sowing depth (2, 5 or 10 mm) on seedling emergence of 5-year-old seed was tested under Israeli summer conditions in a net-house. It was not influenced by leaching, but significantly decreased as the depth of sowing increased.