Evaluation of the impact of Gleditsia triacanthos seed treatment methods on reproduction

Representatives of the genus Gleditsia, valuable trees for agroforestry in the south-east of the European part of Russia, form productive forest strips. In regions with difficult soil and climatic conditions, good plant development at the initial stage is important. The introduced species Gleditsia triacanthos has characterized by a high degree of drought resistance and stable fruiting. The main source material for reproduction is seeds, but the structural features of the seed coat affect the germination and development of Gleditsia seedlings. The aim was to assess the impact of processing methods on the dormancy of seeds with a hard shell and the growth of seedlings. Under laboratory conditions at the Federal Scientific Center of Agroecology of the Russian Academy of Sciences in the period from November 17 to December 1, 2022, an experiment was conducted to study the effect of methods of treatment of seeds of Gleditsia triacantha (2022 year of fruit harvest). It has been established that the chemical method (H₂SO₄ concentration 95.72%, density 1.895 g/cm³, 1757 g/l) is more effective, because swelling (after 24 h-96%) and the appearance of hypocotyl (after 72 h-39.7%) in seeds and other phases of seedling formation of Gleditsia triacanthos. The recommended methods of seed pretreatment ensured mass sprouts (76–78% on day 7) and increased the yield of seedlings (55.0–61.5%). Research findings contribute to the search for techniques and methods for the development of low-carbon production technologies.