Two in vitro assays were performing in order to improve Aristotelia chilensis germination rate. Scarification was tested in the first assay and compare to a control. In the second assay, cold stratification was applied during 2, 4, 6 and 8 weeks at 4 degrees C in darkness, plus an unstratified control. Seeds were germinated on Petri dish containing water and agar (WA), and incubated for 60 days in a controlled atmosphere at 25 +/- 2 degrees C using cold white fluorescent light tubes (50 mu mol m(-2) s(-1) light intensity), under a photoperiod of 16 h light and 8 h of darkness. All treatments achieved higher average germination rates than the control. The highest germination rate was obtained with scarification (G(max), 92%) though the fastest growth was achieved with 8 weeks of stratification, reaching the lowest average germination time of 18 days. The results demonstrate that A. chilensis seeds present a moderate level of primary dormancy, both exogenous and endogenous
