Abstract

The Fabaceae (legume family) is one of the largest families of plants with a worldwide distribution and a major role in agriculture and in agroforestry. A hard seed coat impermeable to water is a typical feature of several species. Physical dormancy delays and reduces germination so that mechanical, physical and chemical scarification methods have been classically used to break seed dormancy of many species. We evaluate the effectiveness of a methodology to scarify seeds of several woody Fabaceae of ecological and economical importance, including Robinia pseudoacacia and Acacia dealbata and the shrubs Cytisus scoparius, C. multiflorus and Ulex europaeus. We describe the optimized use of a handheld rotary tool (HRT), and compare its effectiveness with other scarification methods reported to break dormancy such as boiling or dry heating. Total germination and/or speed of germination were enhanced after the application of the HRT, with germination percentages significantly higher than those achieved by other methods of scarification. Based on a thorough literature review, a mode of action for the HRT is suggested which could operate by breaking the physical and physiological dormancy of treated seeds through the combined action of coat abrasion and moderate temperatures. Considering these results, we recommend the application of this rapid, effective, low-cost and highly reproducible HRT method to break seed dormancy and enhance germination of these species and others with similar dormancy constraints.