Abstract
Effect of ascorbic acid (AsA) in germination was investigated in the seeds of two barley (Hordeum vulgare L.) cultivars, cvs. ELICE and Seijou17. Germination of ELICE seeds treated by (AsA) at 25℃ was about 80% at 7 days after treatment (DAT). On the other hand, germination of Seijou17 seeds was about 20% at 7 DAT. Germination of ELICE seeds treated at 14℃ also was about 90%, and those of Seijou17 was about 40% at 7 DAT. These results indicated that the sensitivity to AsA was significantly different in the two cultivars. The sensitivity to AsA correlated with seed dormancy in the two cultivars. AsA markedly inhibited shoot length of germinating seeds in two cultivars. NMR spin-spin relaxation time (T2) which displays the degree of endosperm degradation in germinating seeds also markedly shorted by AsA treatment. Therefore, the present results indicated that ascorbic acid not only suppressed seed germination but also inhibited the seedling growth.
