{
  "id": 17742795,
  "title": "Enhancing Germination and Assessing the Longevity of Native Plants' Seeds with Dormancy through Different Priming Techniques",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/11/01/enhancing-germination-and-assessing-the-longevity-of-native-plants",
  "topic": "science",
  "section": "Science",
  "published": "2026-11-01T00:00:00.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "bioRxiv",
    "slug": "biorxiv",
    "url": "https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.64898/2026.10.30.763245v1?rss=1"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Two native desert species, Vachellia pachyceras and Convolvulus oxyphyllus, are vital for ecosystem restoration in arid and semi-arid regions like Kuwait. However, their seed germination is limited by dormancy, making it difficult for natural seedling recruitment due to brief and unpredictable rainfall. Seed priming, a pre-sowing technique, offers a solution by promoting rapid and uniform germination.\n\nThis study aimed to determine the optimal priming techniques for these species and evaluate the impact of priming on seed longevity. Seeds were first scarified to eliminate physical dormancy. Four priming methods were tested: mechanical scarification with 100 ppm gibberellic acid (GA3) for six hours, hydropriming (scarification plus water soaking) for eight hours, mechanical scarification followed by one and a half hours of hydropriming, and a control group.\n\nResults indicated that hormonal priming, involving GA3 treatment, was effective for V. pachyceras, with a p50 value (the time it takes for 50% of seeds to lose viability) of 22 days. Hydropriming achieved a p50 value of 21 days. Mechanical scarification followed by hydropriming yielded the best results for C. oxyphyllus, with a p50 value of 74 days. These findings suggest that the seed longevity for both species is medium. Further research is required to assess the effectiveness of seed priming on additional native species for successful revegetation programs.",
  "summary": "Vachellia pachyceras and Convolvulus oxyphyllus are native species of arid and semi-arid desert regions, including Kuwait. They are inherently adapted to extreme conditions characterized by high temperature, prolonged drought and limited rainfall. They contribute significantly, to restore the ecosystem by providing food and shelter for wildlife. Despite their ecological importance, seed…",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}