Garlic Powder & Germination of Seeds

Germination After Storage

• Garlic can aid in the germination of stored seeds. A University of Agricultural Sciences Dharwad study published in 2007 found that garlic-treated jute seeds germinated faster, more profusely and had a lower rate of disease, infection and post-germination mortality than other seeds. An experiment with drumstick plant seeds found that 92 percent of seeds treated with garlic extract germinated, as compared to an 89 percent germination rate among untreated seeds. Garlic-treated seeds also showed a lower rate of insect infestation than untreated seeds.

Germination in Wheat Seeds

• Garlic offers a number of benefits to wheat seeds. According to a study published in the “Pakistan Journal of Biological Sciences” in 2005, garlic extract increased the rate of germination of wheat seeds and reduced their susceptibility to seed-borne fungal infections. Garlic-treated wheat seeds germinated at a 17 percent higher rate than untreated seeds. When combined with alcohol, garlic extract eliminated five common fungi.

Germination and Viability

• Garlic can improve the viability of germinated seeds. A study from the University of Agricultural Sciences Dharwad published in 2006 found that garlic treatments enhanced chickpea seed viability without negative affects. Chickpea seeds treated with concentrated garlic extract had enhanced storability, due to the garlic’s natural insect repellent qualities, and the extract did not damage the seed’s ability to germinate, quality or nutritional components. Increased garlic concentration decreased seed damage.

Germination and Disease Prevention

• Garlic can help reduce disease in germinating seeds. An Oregon State University study written about in 1993 found that garlic powder stimulates the germination of Sclerotium cepivorum, a fungus that causes white rot, a disease that affects onion and garlic plants. Sclerotium lives in the soil in the form of seedlike structures. Sclerotia can only germinate in the presence of allium plant roots. When mixed with water and tilled 10 inches into the soil, however, garlic powder “tricks” sclerotia to germinate without allium roots present, killing the fungus without causing environmental damage. Traditionally, the disease was controlled using petroleum-based, man-made chemicals, but the study concluded that garlic powder-induced germination provides an ecologically sound, inexpensive way to control white rot.