Seed germination of Trichocereus terscheckii (Cactaceae): Light, temperature and gibberellic acid effects

In this paper, we evaluated the effect of light and temperature and addition of gibberellic acid (GA3) in the germination of seeds of Trichocereus terscheckii in order to provide information about germination requirements which could be use for conservation studies. The germination response within a temperature gradient was evaluated for seeds arising from two populations: La Pedrera and Cuesta del Obispo (Salta, Argentina). Seeds of T. terscheckii germinated within a range from 15 to 35 °C. Maximum germination percentages were found under white light and no germination was recorded in darkness. GA3 at any concentration promoted germination either in white light or darkness neither at a constant temperature nor at an alternating one.