Author Topic: Sterilizing seeds using Hydrogen Peroxide . . .  (Read 650 times)

Epicatt2

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Sterilizing seeds using Hydrogen Peroxide . . .
« on: October 28, 2020, 02:33:11 AM »
Sterilizing seeds using H2O2

What concentration of H2O2 should be used in water to sterilize tropical fruit seeds before planting them?

Usually we don't need a great amount of water for soaking seeds, so is it drops per cup?  How many?

Is it a different amount (less or more) of peroxide recommended for seeds of different tropical fruits?

And also, how long should/can the seeds stay in the solution?

As a partial example, I have the following seeds that I will be wanting to plant soon: abiu; bael fruit; ilama; sugar apple & a couple other annona species; etc.

Any help or suggestions would be appreciated.

TIA

Paul M.
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Daintree

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Re: Sterilizing seeds using Hydrogen Peroxide . . .
« Reply #1 on: October 28, 2020, 11:06:49 AM »
I use 1 1/2 teaspoons of 3% H2O2 per cup of water and soak them overnight.  I have also used straight 3% H2O2 for ten minutes. However, I think it really works best on hard seeds. I wouldnt try it on recalcitrants seeds, since utlimately the reason it works is becuase it destroys cell walls.

I dont know about the others, but the annonas should be good candidates for overnight soaking.

I also use 1 tablespoon of H2O2 per cup to spray on seedlings to prebvent damping off.

The use of different H2O2 strengths and lengths of soaking have long been the source of school science experiments, so if you have enough seeds, you can always conduct your own research! I am thinking of doing just that on my hundreds of jacaranda seeds, where I am getting a germination rate of about 5%...

Carolyn

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Re: Sterilizing seeds using Hydrogen Peroxide . . .
« Reply #2 on: October 28, 2020, 11:37:28 AM »
H2O2 works great with old passionfruit seeds, but not soaking, but germination in a solution of H2O2, this method is very popular in our country.
Carolyn wrote correctly in her post above.
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Plantinyum

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Re: Sterilizing seeds using Hydrogen Peroxide . . .
« Reply #3 on: October 28, 2020, 12:58:32 PM »
One person told me that he germinates his hard coat seeds with H2O2 added to the water that he soaks them. He said he leaves hard seeds like asimina triloba seeds to soak in such a solution for a week or so and has had good results. He just monitors to have small bubles on the surface of the seeds, and if there are non he just ads more H2O2 .

I also did some asimina and cherimoya seeds that way, thought I left them to soak for something like two weeks, hope they were not  f****d up by this ..I sowed them two days ago so too early for any conclusions.
« Last Edit: October 28, 2020, 01:00:36 PM by Plantinyum »