Effects of Seed Priming on Lycium barbarum Seed Germination Under Salt Stress

Lycium barbarum was a kind of representative perennial shrub with drought and salinity tolerance,and it often grew in deserts of China's northwest.Seeds of NingQi No.1 were primed with 100 mmol·L^-1 NaCl.By petri dish techniques,the primed seeds under H₂O(control) were subjected to salt stressed of 6 NaCl concentrations (20 mmol·L^-1、40 mmol·L^-1、60 mmol·L^-1、80 mmol·L^-1、100 mmol·L^-1、120 mmol·L^-1).The effects of the seed priming and salt stress on seed germination were then investigated.The results showed that with or without priming,germination speed of NingQi No.1 seeds slowed down significantly.The germination percentage,germination energy and germination index all declined obviously with increased NaCl concentration,and the germination process showed a significant delay.As compared with unprimed seeds under the same NaCl concentration,primed seeds increased germination speed and shortened the germination process in different extent.The germination energy and germination index of the primed seed were significantly higher than those of unprimed seeds.The results suggested that L.barbarum seed priming shortened the germination process under salt stress,improved the uniformity of seed germination,but the impact on the final germination rate was not significant.