Abstract:
Forage legumes are important crops because of their ability to improve soil health by fixing atmospheric nitrogen (N), reduce fertilizer cost and produce high quality forages. However, one of the major problems associated with the legumes is hard seed content which results in poor stand establishment because of reduced germination and un-uniformed seedling emergence. It is important to reduce the hard seed content and improve germination for successful stand establishment of these crops. Seed scarification (a technique to physically damage the seed coat to reduce hard seed while keeping the seed viable) is used to soften hard seeds. Researchers have been using different scarification methods since early 20th century and have reported variable results. Heat, freeze-thaw, mechanical and acid scarification are among the most popular methods. This study reviews available literatures and summarizes information on scarification methods with special emphasis on seeds of Medicago, Trifolium and Astragalus species. Information obtained in this search improves data bank of seed scarification methods and helps researchers to improve the methods.
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