Vegetos
(An International Journal of Plant Research & Biotechnology)
(eISSN: 2229-4473)
Influence of geographic origin and abiotic stresses (temperature, salinity, and drought) on seed germination of Thymus willdenowii Boiss. & Reut
*Article not assigned to an issue yet
Ouahzizi Brahim, Sarroukh Imane, Elbouny Hamza, Bammou Mohamed, Sellam Khalid, Alem Chakib, Homrani Bakali Abdelmonaim
Research Articles | Published: 25 May, 2026
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Keywords: Germination rates, NaCl, Population, Osmotic potential, Seed ecology, Thermoperiods
Abstract
Valuable for its ecological and medicinal importance, Thymus willdenowii Boiss. & Reut. requires targeted conservation efforts, particularly in the face of environmental stressors. This study investigates the effects of temperature, salinity, and drought stress on seed germination and seedling vigor indices (SVI-I and SVI-II) of Thymus willdenowii collected from the Tamjilte and Tatiouine sites. Seeds from both populations were tested under six thermoperiods (10/0–40/25 °C), five salinity levels (0–7 g/L NaCl), and five osmotic potentials (0 to − 0.9 MPa). Germination rates were highest under the low-temperature regime of 10/0 °C, reaching 76.66% for Tamjilte and 82% for Tatiouine, but declined sharply with increasing temperature, with no germination observed at 40/25 °C. SVI-I showed a marked reduction at temperatures of 25/15 °C, while SVI-II decreased consistently as temperature increased. The Tatiouine population demonstrated greater salinity tolerance, achieving 48% germination at 1 g/L NaCl compared to 32% for Tamjilte. Germination in both populations was minimal at 7 g/L, with 5.33% for Tamjilte and 10% for Tatiouine. Under drought stress, Tatiouine again outperformed Tamjilte, with germination rates of 52.66% compared to 42.66% at − 0.1 MPa, while neither population germinated at − 0.9 MPa. These results indicate that the Tatiouine population exhibits greater resilience to drought and salinity stress and, is therefore more suitable for cultivation in arid regions. The findings underscore the importance of conserving T. willdenowii genetic resources by evaluating their responses to different environmental constraints in order to identify the most suitable populations and support effective conservation and sustainable cultivation strategies under increasingly challenging environmental conditions.
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Author Information
Biochemistry of Natural Resources Team, Faculty of Sciences and Techniques, Moulay Ismail University, Errachidia, Morocco