Variability in germination and germination dynamics of differently treated seeds of Serbian spruce (Picea omorika Pancic/Purkynĕ)

Genetic-physiological approach was used in the study of the quality of Serbian spruce seed (Picea omorika /Pancic/Purkynĕ), collected in the populations on the left bank of the river Drina. The seed originated from the three populations that represent the overall ecological and productive conditions of Serbian spruce populations in Bosnia and Herzegovina. Two natural populations were selected: Veliki Stolac and Gostilj, and one planted forest population in Srebrenica. The cones were collected in late autumn 2009 and early spring 2010. They were collected from five trees from Srebrenica and Gostilj, and seven trees from Veliki Stolac. Immediately after they were collected, the cones and seeds were processed and germination tests were done. Germination, germination viability and germination dynamics were studied in three categories of seed treatment: 1) control unit (just processed seed), 2) seed stored for six months at 0-4 oC, 3) seed stored for seven months at 0-4o C and treated with fungicide after five months of storing. The number of germinated seed was observed and noted on the third, fourth, fifth, seventh, tenth, fourteenth, twenty-first and twenty-eighth day. There were significant differences in germination dynamics at the population level and the level of treatment during the first couple of days of germination test. Fungicide (captan) acted as an inhibitor on seed germination process. The seeds originating from the largest population of Veliki Stolac showed the best response to storing treatment with fungicide related to germination dynamics. The seed originating from Srebrenica andkept at low temperatures 0-4 °C without treatment with fungicides showed the best result in germination. Regardless of the presence of differences in the dynamics of germination, significant differences in germination regarding different treatments on the last day of the test, were not recorded.