How to treat Astragalus seeds? A detailed introduction to common methods
What methods are there for treating Astragalus seeds? Please introduce the methods. Astragalus seeds have hard seed coats, with a hard seed rate generally of 40%-80%, and the emergence rate after sowing is low. Before sowing, seed treatment must be carried out to break the impermeability of the seeds and increase the emergence rate. There are three seed treatment methods; you may choose any one. 1...
What methods are there for treating Astragalus seeds? Please introduce the methods
Astragalus seeds have hard seed coats, with a hard seed rate generally of 40%-80%, and the emergence rate after sowing is low. Before sowing, seed treatment must be carried out to break the impermeability of the seeds and increase the emergence rate. There are three seed treatment methods; you may choose any one.
1. Soaking seeds with alternating water temperatures: A few days before sowing, soak the seeds in warm water at 40°C during the day, then switch to cold water at night, and treat continuously for three days and nights. After removing them, put them in an earthen jar, cover with a wet cloth, and place in a warm spot to germinate. They will sprout in 3-4 days and can then be sown. Alternatively, place the seeds in boiling water and stir rapidly for one minute, immediately pour them into cold water, adjust the water temperature to 40°C, soak for another 2 hours, pour off the water, cover with a wet hemp sack, and let them sit for 12 hours. Sow when the seeds swell or the seed coat cracks.
2. Mechanical damage: Mix 1 part fine river sand with 2 parts seeds evenly, place on a medium-sized millstone, spread to a thickness of 3-4 cm, and grind until the seed coats become burred. After grinding, sieve out the seeds, soak them in warm water at 20°C for one day, pile them in a warm place to ferment, and they will germinate in about 5 days, after which they can be sown. Be careful not to grind or rub the seeds excessively, otherwise the embryo will be damaged, the seeds will be susceptible to pathogen infection, many seeds will rot after sowing, and the emergence rate will not be high.
3. Sulfuric acid treatment: For old, fully mature hard seeds, soak them in a 70-80% sulfuric acid solution for 3-5 minutes, then quickly place them under running water to rinse for half an hour, or wash the residual sulfuric acid off the seeds several times with clean water. Sow after they are slightly dry, and the germination rate can reach over 90%.
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