Germination characteristics of Angelica gigas and Angelica acutiloba as affected by cold stratification and hot water treatment before sowing

Abstract

Angelica gigas Nakai and Angelica acutiloba Kitagawa are medicinal crops mainly produced and consumed in northeastern Asia. Recently, there has been an increase in the consumption of medicinal crops due to a growing emphasis on health promotion. However, A. gigas and A. acutiloba have a problem in that the germination rate is low. This study investigated an appropriate cold stratification period and hot water treatment (temperature and time) as a pre-treatment before sowing to improve the germination of A. gigas and A. acutiloba. Cold stratification was treated for 0 (control), 1, 2, 3, and 4 weeks at 4°C before sowing. Hot water treatment was conducted in distilled water at 40, 45, and 50°C for 10, 15, and 20 min before sowing, and non-treatment was set as the control. Hot water treatment was carried out after cold stratification for 2 weeks. Cold stratification for 2 weeks significantly improved the germination rate and germination energy of A. gigas and A. acutiloba. The germination rate of A. gigas was decreased when cold stratification was treated for more than 3 weeks. The mean germination time (MGT) of A. gigas and A. acutiloba was significantly shortened with 2 weeks of cold stratification. In hot water treatment, the germination rate of A. gigas was significantly improved at 45°C at 10 and 15 min and 50°C at 10 min. However, A. acutiloba did not show a significant positive effect during hot water treatment on germination. In conclusion, the results of this study suggest the methods of cold stratification and hot water treatment to improve the germination of A. gigas and A. acutiloba. © 2024 International Society for Horticultural Science. All rights reserved.