At Semillistas, we are increasingly delving into priming treatments, techniques that allow us to prepare seeds to germinate more efficiently. We are currently working with seeds that exhibit physiological dormancy, meaning they need to spend many months in cold conditions before they can germinate.
Our goal is to understand how seeds hydrate and what happens at different humidity levels. With this information, we can establish the parameters necessary to correctly apply priming treatments.
In particular, we are studying Fraxinus ornus, the fragrant ash tree, which is native to the Alicante and Valencia regions. First, we remove the seeds’ dormancy and then place them in Petri dishes at different humidity levels and under controlled cold conditions. This allows us to observe when the seed stops germinating and collect the data we need for our treatments.
It is a meticulous and scientific process, but the satisfaction of understanding how to prepare them for germination and, ultimately, contribute to reforestation, fills us with enthusiasm. Every seed we treat is an opportunity to regenerate our forests and care for our natural environment.
