Article

Received 23.10.2025

Revised 01.05.2026

Accepted 26.05.2026

Published 30.06.2026

Retrieved from Volume 30, No. 2, 2026

Pages 41 -48

Ivashchenko, I., Vitenko, V., Mamchur, V., & Kozhebash, A. (2026). Pre-sowing preparation and agrotechnics of sowing as factors of soil germination seeds of Thuja plicata Don. ex D. Donn. Ukrainian Black Sea Region Agrarian Science, 30(2), 41-48. https://doi.org/10.56407/bs.agrarian/2.2026.41

Pre-sowing preparation and agrotechnics of sowing as factors of soil germination seeds of Thuja plicata Don. ex D. Donn

Iryna Ivashchenko Volodymyr Vitenko Valentina Mamchur Anastasia Kozhebash

This study aimed to determine the optimal conditions for pre-sowing seed preparation and sowing depth to improve soil germination of Thuja plicata. The study was conducted using Thuja plicata seed material collected in the National Dendrological Park “Sofiyivka” of the NAS of Ukraine to evaluate seed quality, germination, and the effects of different pre-sowing treatments using standard methods. The results demonstrated significant effects of collection time, germination temperature, pre-sowing treatments, and sowing depth on seed performance. Seeds collected in autumn from standing trees showed higher germination energy (35.4-39.2%) and laboratory germination (44.4-48.7%) compared with seeds collected in winter from the snow surface, which demonstrated lower values of germination energy (27.1-31.6%) and laboratory germination (34.3-39.1%). Germination at +25 °C increased germination energy and final laboratory germination compared with room temperature (18-20 °C). Soil germination was strongly influenced by sowing depth and pre-sowing treatments. The highest soil germination (43.2 ± 2.1%) was recorded at a sowing depth of 0.5 cm after 30-day snow stratification, which exceeded the control treatment (32.7 ± 1.8%). Water soaking for 12 hours also improved germination, reaching 39.3 ± 1.9% at the same sowing depth. Increasing sowing depth to 2.0 cm resulted in a sharp decline in soil germination, reaching 10.1 ± 1.2% after snow stratification and complete absence of seedlings in the control treatment. Snow stratification also accelerated seedling emergence, reducing the time to first emergence from 14 days in the control to 12 days. These findings indicate that autumn seed harvesting, 30-day snow stratification, and shallow sowing (0.5-1.0 cm) provide the most favourable conditions for successful germination and seedling establishment of Thuja plicata

introduced taxon; conifer reproduction; stratification methods; adaptive capacity; planting material production
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