Naked Science Forum
Life Sciences => Plant Sciences, Zoology & Evolution => Topic started by: smart on 30/04/2016 18:50:40
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I have old cannabis seeds which I'm trying to germinate by soaking them in a H2O2+Water solution. I've used this method in the past with great success so far. Is it possible that H2O2 increase oxygen bioavailability to dormant seeds?
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I have never heard of this method before. Presumably you are using a very, very low concentration of hydrogen peroxide, as it is highly toxic to most organisms... Plants animals and fungi all have enzymes that break hydrogen peroxide down before it can damage their cells, but the typical concentrations of peroxide in vivo are minuscule compared to what one can buy at a drug store.
I think just allowing water to sit exposed to the air at room temperature should oxygenate it enough to provide a young plant with the O2 it needs to germinate. I have had luck germinating seeds by folding them into a moistened paper towel and waiting a few days.
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I have never heard of this method before. Presumably you are using a very, very low concentration of hydrogen peroxide, as it is highly toxic to most organisms... Plants animals and fungi all have enzymes that break hydrogen peroxide down before it can damage their cells, but the typical concentrations of peroxide in vivo are minuscule compared to what one can buy at a drug store.
Indeed. I use a 3% H2O2 concentration, which I bought from a drug store. [:D]
Here's a paper which claims that H2O2 may "invigorate" low vigour seeds:
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3405688/
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Ok, this article says that the optimum concentration is 20 mM, which would be about 0.07%. It noted that at levels of 100 mM (0.35%) the sprouts were damaged, so you should be diluting your 3% hydrogen peroxide down by at least 50:1 with water.