Effects of Presoaking Treatments on Emergence of Tea (Camellia sinensis) Seeds

Abstract

Emergence and early growth changes of stratification condition of tea (Camellia sinensis) seeds were investigated in 7 treatments (control, pH 4, pH 10, 70% ethanol (EtOH), 10 mM H2O2, 100 mM H2O2, and physical shock (5.9 J)). Ethanol treatment was toxic and did not induce emergence. The emergence rate was 36.7% in the control, 26.7% under pH 10, 46.7% under pH 4, 48.3% under physical shock, 51.7% under 10 mM H2O2, and 65.0% under 100 mM H2O2 treatments. It was higher by approximately 178% in the H2O2 treatment as compared to the control. Plant height was 6.5 cm in the control, 6.6 cm under pH 10, 7.6 cm under pH 4, 7.8 cm under physical shock, 8.3 cm under 10 mM H2O2, and 9.1 cm under 100 mM H2O2 treatments. Leaf length and leaf width were also higher under the H2O2 treatment. Therefore, hydrogen peroxide treatment induced emergence and increased the uniformity of early growth.