Desertification is a serious problem affecting the survival of many plants
endemic to arid regions. Revegetation is difficult because it is widely
influenced by extreme climatic factors, disturbance, limited revegetation
technology and importantly a lack of understanding of the biology and
ecology of native plant species. Seeds are central to the revegetation of
degraded lands, but poor seedling establishment limits our capacity to
restore diverse plant communities. Priming is an effective method to
enhance seed germination. The purpose of this study is to enhance seed
germination of species adapted to arid regions using priming technology
and hence assist in arid land restoration. A seed priming experiment was
conducted on native plant species (Poaceae) from the Pilbara region
(northern Western Australia) in an attempt to improve germination
percentage and the seeds resistance to water stress. Some combinations
of priming treatments significantly increased germination percentage for
two Poaceae species (Cymbopogon obtectus, Eriachne mucronata) under
water stress. Priming has a positive effect on germination parameters such
as germination percentage and speed for seeds under certain water stress;
however, this positive effect decreases when water stress is high (-1.0
MPa). This study assists in better understanding how to improve
germination of native species from the arid Pilbara which will improve the
success of revegetation programs