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Germination Stimulation of Kentucky Bluegrass Seed Permeated with Plant-Growth Regulators Dissolved in Acetone¹

Freshly harvested Kentucky bluegrass (Poa pratensis L.) seed generally fail to germinate rapidly. Such seed germinate poorly under warm temperatures. The ob.]ectire of this study was to permeate seeds with vartous plant-growth regulators and determine their effects on speed and total germination under favorable and unfavorable conditions. Freshly harvested ‘Merion’ and ‘H.I’ Kentucky bluegrass seed were used in this study. Samples of seed were soaked for 1 hour in acetone containing gibberdlic acid (0.5 mM), kinetin (0.1 mM), ethephon (500 ppm), abscisic acid (0.04 mM), or fusicoccin (25 ppm) alone, or in various combinations. Seeds were vacuum-dried after treatment.

In both laboratory and greenhouse studies, permeation of gibberellic acid alone, or in combination with kinetin and/or ethephon dissolved in acetone, generally increased the speed and/or total germination. At a sub-optimal temperature, none of the treatments was effective in improving germination. At supra-optimal temperature, germination of the control was almost completely in. hibited. Kinetin and ethephon by themselves or in combination did not improve the germination. Gibberellic acid, on the other hand, by itself or in combination with kinetin and/or ethephon, improved germination significantly.

Key Words: Poa pratensis L. • Gibberellic acid • Kinetin • Ethephon • Abscisic acid • Fusicoccin

² Former graduate assistant (Present address, Agronomy Dep., Ohio State Univ., Columbus, OH 43210) and professor, Soils and Crop Dep., Rutgers Univ., New Brunswick, NJ 08903.

Received for publication October 27, 1977.