Journal Of Applied Horticulture ISSN: 0972-1045



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Balcha Abera, Legesse Negash and Jochen Kumlehn

Department ofBiology, Faculty of Science, Addis Ababa University, P.O.Box 1176, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia; Leibniz Insti?tute of Plant Genetics and Crop Plant Research (IPK), Plant Reproductive Biology, Correnstrasse 3, D-06466 Gatersleben, Germany

Key words: Echinops kebericho, Kebericho (globe thistle), rootstock, seed-based propagation, Asteraceae

Journal of Applied Horticulture, 2003, volume 10, issue 2, pages 164-168.

Abstract: Effects of seed sterilization, storage time, and temperature as well as extent of seeding survival and establishment under glasshouse versus nursery conditions were studied for E. kebericho. Seeds sterilized for 9 and 5 minutes in 70 % ethanol and in 10% sodium hypochlorite, respectively, germinated best (95.2 ? 1.2%) on Murashige and Skoog medium, supplemented with 10 g L-1 phytoagar. Further increases or decreases in sterilization time decreased germination percentage and increased contamination, respectively. Unsterilized seeds (control) were completely contaminated before the emergence of radicle as a result of fungal growth. Seed germination percentage declined with increasing storage time and dropped from 94.6 ? 0.4 % to 32.2 ? 1.2% in 15 months. 25 oC was an optimal temperature for best germination (94.6 ? 2.4%) of seeds. Seeds sown in pots containing a mixture of sand, nursery soil, and animal manure in a ratio of 0.5: 2.5: 0.5 respectively, germinated significantly (P< 0.05) compared to other soil ratios. Increase in sand or animal manure ratios decreased germination, while increase in nursery soil increased percentage and rate of germination. High percentage (96.0 ? 0.5%) germination was obtained with the seeds sown in nursery soil-surface mixed additives compared with the control. Seedlings of nursery bed origin survived best compared to those in vitro or pot origin seedlings. Ultimately, seedlings growth with vigorous and orthotropic developmental pattern was obtained under nursery conditions, compared to those in the glasshouse, which showed stunted and plagiotropic developmental pattern. The study found that seeds stored for less than 5 months, and at 25 oC, were the most suitable for in vitro and ex vitro propagation of E. kebericho.



Journal of Applied Horticulture