Abstract

In Olive (Olea europaea L.) a critical balance of concentration and time was necessary to achieve high germination percentages without loss of viability of the seeds. Therefore olive cvs. Coratina and Pendolino seeds were subjected to chemical treatment with HCl, GA₃, NaOH and water for two dips time (12 and 24 h) to determine the most appropriate treatment to improve seed germination and to reduce seed germination time. Among studied treatments (GA₃ 500 ppm for 12 h dip, GA₃ 500   ppm for 24 h dip, HCl 1N for 12 h dip, HCl 1 N for 24 h dip, NaOH 1 N for 12 h dip, NaOH 1 N for 24 h dip, Water 12 h, Water  24 h, Control) tested, the best results were recorded in both cultivars with GA₃ 500 ppm for 12 h dip as compared to control in both the cultivars suggesting that this treatment could be most the effective to enhance of seed germination and minimize the seed germination time.

Key words: Seed germination, scarification, olive.