Abstract
The seeds of Zoysiagrass (Zoysia japonica Steud.) were soaked with GA3 50 ppm and primed with CaCl2 at -1.0 MPa for 4days at 23$^{\circ}C$ to identify presoaking and priming regimes that may improve germination in saline condition and with PEG 8000 at high temperature. Presoaked, primed, and untreated seeds were then germinated at 30 and $35^{\circ}C$. NaCl salinity stress consistently decreased the rate of germination of zoysiagrass seed. GA3 or CaCl2 alleviated the inhibitory effect of salinity on germination. However, total percent germination (G) and T50 of untreated control seeds significantly decreased and prolonged at $30^{\circ}C$ and $35^{\circ}C$ as NaCl salinity stress increased. Presoaked seeds with GA3 50 ppm for 4 days at $23^{\circ}C$ had significantly higher germination and lower T50 than untreated or primed with CaCl2 at -1.0 MPa for 4days at $23^{\circ}C$m and overcame the inhibitory effect of germination derived from PEG 8000. In addition, presoaked seed had higher, faster, and more uniform germination than untreated seeds after sowing in growing media in greenhouse.
