30. Study on puncture vine (Tribulus terrestris L.) germination requirements

Author: Anna Nikolova

DOI: n/a

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Tribulus terrestris is a valuable medicinal plant. The plant’s high and steady demand for the needs of the pharmaceutical industry has fostered the need for its cultivation. One of the major problems in puncture vine cultivation is its low rate of germination. Studies on seed viability, burrs’ anatomical structure and seed germination requirements were conducted in laboratory and field experiments. The test for imbibition of water and the study of burrs anatomical structure showed that despite the fact that the burr walls are very hard and woody, they do not cause mechanical dormancy. The burr’s pericarp does not have continuous layers of sclereids to make it impermeable to water. Field experiments showed that the Tribuius terrestris germinated and emerged after a series of heavy rains which provided 25-72 mm (minimum 25 mm) of precipitation, soil temperatures of 24-26°C and maximum daily air temperatures of 25-31°C. Even though for the region of Plovdiv the plants’ soil and air temperature requirements were met as early as the end of May, the germination did not occur until the necessary soil moisture conditions were met – beginning of July in 2009 and middle of June 2010 respectively.