Quality estimation of european beech (Fagus Sylvatica L.) seeds from the eastern europe

Abstract

European beech Fagus sylvatica in the Republic of Moldova is located on the eastern border of its range. Therefore, the ongoing climatic changes may negatively affect its populations and ecology. The search for genetic material that is resistant to high temperatures and drought increases the chances of beech seedlings surviving in new climatic conditions. One of the most important characteristics of plant seed quality is the determination of their viability. The aim this study was to assess the quality of beech seeds obtained from various beech growing areas, differing in height above sea level, age of trees and forest stand. The tetrazolium and hydrogen peroxide tests were used as methods for quick and effective evaluation of viability of Fagus sylvatica seeds. The direct correlation between both methods by Pearson's coefficient (0.6859) was established. The highest percentage of viable seeds harvested in 2020 was in batches from Suceava (Romania), “Plaiul Fagului” and “Codrii” (Republic of Moldova). The rate of viable seeds from the named locations ranged from 68.3 to 76.7% for hydrogen peroxide test and from 84.0 to 92.0% for tetrazolium test. The smallest proportion of viable seeds among those examined was found in batches from Lviv, Ivano-Frankivsk and Zakarpattia (Ukraine) and Hirjauca, (Republic of Moldova); 50.7-63.0% and 66.0-78.0%, for hydrogen peroxide and tetrazolium tests, respectively. It should be noted that there was no direct relationship between the percentage of viable seeds in both the tetrazolium and hydrogen peroxide tests and their weight (Pearson's coefficients were -0.1078 and 0.2871). At the same time, it was found that the high content of empty and infected seeds was detected in the batches of beech seeds collected from Ukraine.