The seeds of some plants have rocky shells that make it difficult, if not impossible, for moisture to penetrate the seeds. Such seeds will not germinate without human help. In the wild, common rodents bite seeds, and their sharp teeth can weaken shells that are hard enough for protected embryos to absorb water. All chopping techniques are designed to remove hard seed coats or shells sufficiently to allow small embryos to absorb water deep into the seeds.
Both scaring and chitten are methods of pretreating seeds to ensure that the seeds germinate and the seedlings grow into active plants. Without this help, seeds with a hard protective coating will take a very long time to germinate, if at all.
Random cutting uses an abrasive tool that can break through the hard shell so that the seed can absorb water after planting.
Scarification: Random cutting in botany involves weakening, opening, or otherwise altering the seed coat to promote germination. Random reducing is regularly achieved mechanically, thermally, and chemically. Seeds of many plant species are regularly impermeable to water and fuel lines, stopping or delaying germination. The method that objectives to make the tester (seed coat) extra permeable to the water and fuel line is referred to as scarification.
Scaring speeds up the natural process by which the seed coat normally allows water and air to permeate, whatever the type. In the drupe (drupe), chopping also extends to the weakening or removal of the hard inner pericarp shell around the seed.
Types of Scarifications: There are several types of scarifications, these are as such:
- Mechanical
- Heat
- Hot Water
- Thermal
- Chemical
Warm moist scarification: Boiling water is an effective way to soften the tough “coat” of some seeds. To use this method, pour water until it boils. The water temperature should be around 82 degrees Celsius.
Soak the seeds until the water cools. Make sure the seed is not sunk to the bottom. In some cases, seeds that do not sink to the bottom of the pot are not viable and do not germinate. Seeds scratched with hot water should be planted on the same day.
Or you can spend the night in the freezer before putting the seeds in a pot of boiling water. Remove the pot from the heat and soak in water for several hours until the seeds cool to room temperature.
Several plant pathogens, including certain fungi, oomycetes, and viral pathogens, can be transmitted to seeds. Some can only infect the surface of the seed, while others can penetrate the seed coat and survive inside the seed. In either case, the pathogen grows with the seeds at planting and becomes an infected plant. Therefore, starting with disease-free seeds is an important step in growing disease-free plants. Seeds can be treated with chlorine or pesticides to eliminate pathogens associated with the surface of the seeds. However, these treatments cannot penetrate the seed coat, leaving the pathogens inside. Hot water can penetrate the seed coat and kill pathogens, making it a useful tool for treating seed-borne pathogens.
Treating seeds with boiling water can prevent seed infectious diseases from becoming established on the farm and being reintroduced annually. However, it is important to note that boiling water seed treatment kills pathogens on and within seeds, but does not protect the plant from disease and does not guarantee disease-free plants. Crop rotation and field hygiene is key to preventing overwintering illnesses in crop residues, and crops should be regularly inspected for wind, water and insect-borne illnesses.
Hot water seed treatment has the beneficial effect of preparing seeds and germinating faster than untreated seeds. However, treatment can reduce germination rates, especially for older seeds (1 year and older) and seeds grown under stressful environmental conditions. Treated seeds cannot survive as long as they are untreated seeds and should be planted during the growing season immediately after treatment.
Benefits of Warm moist scarification:
- Removes organic matter from the surface of the lawn and helps to breathe
- Helps refresh the lawn and absorb water and nutrients much easier
- Reduces moss levels in a lawn
- Stops it from becoming `spongy’
- It’s one of the most beneficial remedies your lawn can receive
Conclusion:
Some wildflower species are particularly affected by seed dormancy and may require special procedures to break dormancy and induce germination. Moisture must be able to penetrate the seeds for germination to occur. The process of damaging seeds can range from scratching and cracking the seed coat, soaking the seeds in boiling water or extreme acid for a short time or exposing the seeds to fire (seed damage in botany). Of the hundreds of herbal species, many have been found to respond better to certain types of chopping. For example, many legumes have a hard seed coat that needs to be scared to break the dormancy.
Vernalisation exposes moist seeds to low temperatures to promote germination. This is often used when growers want to sow seeds in the spring. Vernalisation mimics winter conditions and induces seed germination as if seeds appeared in spring (Vernalization). Vernalisation also helps overcome intrinsic chemical inhibition. Different perennials require different conditions for vernalization. For example, some species need to be vernalized longer than others.