Influence of Pre-Sowing Treatment of Seeds with Siliplant on Initial Growth of Alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.) Cultivars

Abstract

During the period 2021–2022 in the Institute of Forage Crops - Pleven was established the influence of pre-sowing treatment (priming) of seeds with Siliplant under laboratory conditions on the initial development of three varieties of alfalfa grown by conventional ("Dara" and "Pleven 6") and SP5A001 biological method. Laboratory seed germination and primary plant development in vitro conditions and their response were evaluated using the complex plant growth index (GI) of the cultivars included in the study. It was established that the recommended working concentration for pre-sowing treatment of alfalfa seeds with Siliplant for field conditions is in the range of 0.5÷0.6%, determining a complex stimulating effect on the growth of the root, epicotyl, and seedling, respectively and on the initial development of alfalfa in the "sowing-emergence" period. By means of polynomial regression analysis, equivalence was established between stimulating and/or depressing effect on seedling growth as a result of the pre-sowing treatment of alfalfa seeds with Siliplant, expressed by the plant development index (GI).