USING SOME TECHNIQUES TO IMPROVE THE GERMINATION OF TWO ATRIPLEX SPECIES

The seeds of two Atriplex species (Atriplex Nummlaria L. Canescens L.) were collected from the Field Crops Department/College of Agriculture and Forestry/University of Mosul, Nineveh, Iraq. These varieties are used in combating drought and pastoral plants within an agricultural program within the AL-Hather area in Nineveh Governorate. The study aimed to improve the germination rate in different ways before planting. The experiment was carried out on 400 seeds, which were divided into five groups treated before planting with the following treatments (soaking with regular water for 24 hours, with boiling water for one hour, with sulfuric acid at a concentration of 5% for one second, mechanical scratching, as well as a comparison treatment). Experiment results showed that soaking with boiling water impeded and reduced germination by 100% for two species. The acid treatment increased the germination rate of (Atriplex Canescens L.) by 72%. The effect of the other treatments was insignificant compared with the treatment control, while the (Atriplex Canescens L.) germination rate increased to 67% for soaking with plain water treatment.