The effect of origin and seed size on the morphological properties of Cotinus coggygria (Scop.) seedlings

Cotinus coggyria (Scop.) is a species that naturally spreads in the Artvin region. It is a species that is used in erosion control works and outdoor decorations and has medicinal and aromatic value. This study was carried out to determine the effect of origin and seed size on the germination of C. coggyria seeds and the morphological characteristics of seedlings. For this purpose, seeds were collected from Seyitler village, Şavşat, Eskikale and Tepeköy villages of Artvin Central district and Tortum district of Erzurum. The seeds whose seed size, seed diameter, thickness and 1000 grain weight were determined were sieved through a 2 mm sieve and divided into two seed size groups as large and small. After the seeds were separated by size, combinations of 20 and 40 minutes sulfuric acid (H2SO4) and 30-60 days cold stratification pretreatment were applied to each seed group. Seeds were sown in open field in 45 deep-well viols in March 2019 according to a randomized block design with 4 repetitions. The findings show that C. coggygria seed characteristics and germination rates are affected by the origin factor, but not by the seed size factor. It was observed that there was no significant difference between the pretreatment combinations applied to the seeds in terms of germination rates. While the morphological features of C. coggygria seedlings did not differ significantly (p>0,05) according to seed size, the differences were significant (p<0,05) according to the origins. In the seedlings produced from the seeds originating from Eskikale and Seyitler, both the seedling height and the root collar diameter are higher than the other origins. Dry root percentage varies between 80,25% and 82,78% in origins and between 81,30% - 81,60% according to seed size. Based on these results, it can be said that C. coggygria is an ideal species for arid areas. In addition, Eskikale and Seyitler origins can be recommended for the seedling production.