19 years of storage effect on germination of Turkish pine (Pinus brutia Ten.) seeds

In the present study, Turkish pine (Pinus brutia Ten.) seeds collected from different elevations (0-400 m, 400-800 m, 800-1200 m and above 1200 m) from the Anamur and Mersin regions in 2005 were stored at 3±1 °C for 19 years. After storage, seeds were germinated in the laboratory and sown in a greenhouse. The effect of storage was investigated by calculating the germination rate and percentage of germination of the seeds after germination in the laboratory and the emergence rate and percentage of seedlings in the greenhouse. The germination rate, percentage, emergence rate, and percentage were found to be significant by analysis of variance, and different groups were determined by Tukey's test (p<0.05). Although the average germination rate was 11.4% before tenth day of storage (2005), it decreased considerably after storage (2024) and remained at 3.4%. This decrease was especially high at elevations above 1200 m. On the fourteenth day, while the germination rates were approximately 50% in 2005, they were approximately 25% in 2024, but the difference between the germination rates between elevation and regions decreased compared to the tenth day. In terms of germination percentage, the average value of 69.7% at the beginning was 66.7% after storage and this value was close to the initial germination. After storage, germination rates were 88-66% in the first three elevation zones, while germination rates were 46-43% in the elevation zone above 1200 m in both regions. In the seedling emergence rates of the greenhouse transplants, while the percentage of emergence above 1200 m was around 20% in the 4th week when the first emergence started, it was 73% and above at 0-400 m in both regions. However, this difference was close in the 14th week, and even at the lowest altitude, the emergence rate was 68% and above, whereas the highest emergence rate was 88.9% at Anamur 0-400 m. In general, when the region and elevations were considered together, the highest percentage of seedlings was 89.1% in the 0-400 m elevation zone of Anamur and the lowest in the elevation zone above 1200 m (71.6%) in Mersin. These results showed that after 19 years of storage of Turkish pine seeds, an average germination percentage of 66.7% and more than 72% of seedlings were obtained at the end of 28th day germination in the laboratory. The results of the research show that if Turkish pine seeds are stored under appropriate conditions, they can be safely used in afforestations, nurseries, and especially after large fires, if needed after 19 years.