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Scarification is often done mechanically, thermally, and chemically. The seeds of many plant species are often impervious to water and gases, thus preventing or delaying germination. Any process designed to make the testa (seed coat) more permeable to water and gases is known as scarification.
Seed dormancy is an evolutionary adaptation that prevents seeds from germinating during unsuitable ecological conditions that would typically lead to a low probability of seedling survival. [1] Dormant seeds do not germinate in a specified period of time under a combination of environmental factors that are normally conducive to the germination ...
Scarification allows water and gases to penetrate into the seed; it includes methods to physically break the hard seed coats or soften them by chemicals, such as soaking in hot water or poking holes in the seed with a pin or rubbing them on sandpaper or cracking with a press or hammer. Sometimes fruits are harvested while the seeds are still ...
Other types of scarification include immersion of seed in water or acid. Another experiment in Greece discovered that the seed germination of Tylosema esculentum increases significantly in speed and emergence when the seeds are immersed in hot water for two to four minutes or dry heating for five minutes at 100 to 150 degrees Celsius. Soil is ...
Most seeds are not affected by light or darkness, but many photoblastic seeds, including species found in forest settings, will not germinate until an opening in the canopy allows sufficient light for the growth of the seedling. [2] Scarification mimics natural processes that weaken the seed coat before germination. In nature, some seeds ...
Seeds of many trees, shrubs and perennials require these conditions before germination will ensue. [3] In the wild, seed dormancy is usually overcome by the seed spending time in the ground through a winter period and having its hard seed coat softened by frost and weathering action. By doing so the seed is undergoing a natural form of "cold ...
After stratification, most seeds need some type of scarification. Scarification is the process that allows the hard shell of the seed to be penetrated by water. This is usually accomplished by soaking the seeds in water for a period of time. In some cases, the seed shell must be scraped with an abrasive to speed up the process.
Breaking dormancy, or finding the specific requirement of the seed, can be rather difficult. For example, a seed coat can be extremely thick. According to Evert and Eichhorn, very thick seed coats must undergo a process called scarification, in order to deteriorate the coating. [12] In other cases, seeds must experience stratification.