Viability and Germination Percentage Analysis of Platanthera bifolia Seeds at Different Degrees of Maturity
Year: 2025
Type: article
Abstract: Platanthera bifolia (L.) Rich.(Lesser Butterfly Orchid) is considered difficult to propagate by seeds due to complex environmental requirements, while the number of studies that consider seed age as the experimental variable is insufficient.The effectiveness of determining the viability of seeds of different ages remains uncertain, as significant discrepancies between staining and germination data are observed for several orchid species.This study compares three approaches for determining the quality of orchid seeds: asymbiotic germination, vital TTC staining and detection of seeds with embryos.The aim of the study was: 1) to identify the morphological differences between age-diverse P. bifolia seeds; 2) to evaluate the effects of P. bifolia seed age and modified nutritious media (1/4 MS and Malmgren) on achieving high germination rates and seedling growth; 3) to determine the relationship between three different assessments of P. bifolia seed viability: vital staining using TTC, detection of seeds with embryos, and asymbiotic seed germination.Assessed by TTC staining, 68.4% of 30 DAA P. bifolia seeds were colored, while 41 DAA and 20 DAA seeds exhibited decreased viability -51.6% and 36.2%,respectively.The percentages of full 30 DAA and 41 DAA seeds with embryos were higher than their viability values in the TTC test, as well as germination frequencies in vitro.The variation in germinability of P. bifolia seeds on two different media formulations was marked: 49.1% of 30 DAA P. bifolia seeds developed into seedlings on modified Malmgren (mM) medium and 41.3% on 1/4mMS.Moreover, 30 DAA seeds were developed to advanced protocorm stages 3-6 in the mM medium, which was due to the coconut water organic additive.During the same 6-month incubation period, 41 DAA seeds were only able to develop through developmental stages 3 or 4, with no seedlings at the stages 5-6, regardless of the medium used.On the basis of results obtained in the studies of P. bifolia seed micromorphology and coat ultrastructure, the most favorable 'harvesting window' for successful in vitro seed germination was determined to be the post-anthesis 30 day interval.
DOI: 10.54319/jjbs/180105
Language: English
Subfield: Plant Science
Domain: Life Sciences
SDG: Zero hunger
Open Access status: bronze
Award: G3970931778
OpenAlex ID: W4408743870