Influence of Low Temperature and Gibberellic Acid Treatment on the Germination of ‘Valencia’ Orange Seeds1

Abstract Seeds of Citrus sinensis (L.) Osbeck cv. Valencia obtained from trees grown in north-central California would not germinate when fruit was harvested during the early part of the season (November 1978). Seeds from November-harvested fruit stored at 3 to 4°C for 21 days germinated 100%. A similar germination response to low temperature was obtained when seeds from fruit harvested April 1980 (exposed to only 103 hours below 3 to 4°) were treated for 3 weeks at 3 to 4°. Treatment with gibberellic acid (GA 3 ) induced about 55% germination in seeds from non-cold-treated fruit. Germination rates for seeds from cold-treated fruit were found to increase when the seeds were presoaked in GA 3 or germinated at high temperature.