Determining the effect of drought stress on buckwheat (Fagopyrum esculentum) seed germination

Fagopyrum esculentum (Buckwheat) plant is one of the important medicinal plants belonging to the Polygonaceae family. As a result of climate change, drought, which is one of the ecological factors, affects the germination of buckwheat plant, like many cultivated plants. In this study, the effects of drought stress on buckwheat seed germination were examined. The experiment was carried out in 2023 at Düzce University Faculty of Agriculture Department of Field Crops Laboratories, according to the completely randomized design (CRD), with three replications. Four different concentrations of polyethylene glycol were used to apply drought stress to buckwheat seeds and the obtained data were compared according to the control factor. According to the results, buckwheat seed germination is affected by drought. In the experiment, a statistically significant difference was observed between the averages of shoot length, root length, shoot wet weight and shoot dry weight. Also, despite the lack of statistical difference in terms of germination index, germination percentage, average germination time and germination stress tolerance index characteristics, it was observed that all values decreased numerically as drought increased.