Dalmatian pyrethrum (Tanacetum cinerariifolium /Trevir./ Sch. Bip.) produces pyrethrin which is currently the most important natural insecticide. Due to the growing interest for its use in organic agriculture, the demand for this valuable plant is increasing. However, poor seed germination and inaccessibility of high quality planting material is one of the main constrains for the introduction of Dalmatian pyrethrum into agricultural production. Priming treatments are known to be able to induce rapid and more uniform seed germination, seedling emergence and plant growth and their efficiency was tested on Dalmatian pyrethrum seed. Seed of four natural Dalmatian pyrethrum populations was subjected to hydropriming or osmopriming with 0.2% KNO3 with the aim of determining their effect on germination parameters (germinability, mean germination time, mean germination rate, coefficient of variation of the germination time, uncertainty of the germination process and synchrony of the germination process). The significantly highest(P< 0.05) germinability was recorded for the Biokovo population (27.00%), followed by the population from Šolta (19.67%), Konavle (17.67%) and population from Šibenik (6.67%). Hydropriming for 24h significantly increased the seed germination and germination index (P< 0.05). The treatment with 0.2% KNO3 improved germinability and germination index when compared to control, however, the differences were not significant (P>0.05). As a low-cost, simple and practical, hydropriming can be recommended as an effective method to promote germination performance of Dalmatian pyrethrum seed.

Dalmatian pyrethrum; germination; natural insecticide; priming; pyrethrin

Published by University of Zagreb, Faculty of Agriculture, Zagreb, CROATIA
Sponsored by Ministry Science and Education of the Republic of Croatia