Sodium Nitroprusside and Gibberellin Effects on Seed Germination and Seedling Development of Grapevine (Vitis vinifera L.) Cvs. Ekşi Kara and Gök Üzüm

Seed germination is a key ecological and agronomic trait, which plays a critical role affecting the subsequent growth and production of higher plants. The bioactive molecule nitric oxide (NO) is a prooxidant as well as antioxidant in plants. Gibberellic acid (GA) enhances the seed germination. In the present study, we tested the effects of Sodium nitroprusside (SNP, as NO donor) and GA3 applications on seed viability, seed germination and seedling development of the Control, and Boron (B) and Zinc (Zn) applied grapevine seeds (Vitis vinifera L. cvs. Eksi Kara and Gok Uzum). B and Zn treatments were carried out in a commercial vineyard in Konya province Turkey, and aqueous solution of SNP (100 μM-24 h, 100 μM-48 h) and GA3 (1 gL−1-24 h, 1 gL−1-48 h) treatments applied at 90 days stratified seeds in Selcuk University. Foliar spray of boric acid (0.15%) and Zn sulfate (0.25%) were done approximately two weeks after full bloom. Results showed that the SNP and the GA3 treatments enhanced the viability and germination rates of the seeds. The B and the Zn foliar applications also promoted the seed viability and seed germination rates in both grape cultivars. Effects of treatments on seedling development depended on the cultivar and application time in the Control, B and Zn applied seeds. The results showed that the SNP and the GA3 applications can be useful for promoting seed viability and seed germination rates in grapevines.