# Wood Distillate Enhances Seed Germination of Chickpea, Lettuce, and Basil
## 4 Discussion
[49], where a 0.2% WD treatment showed increased germination rates and rootlet elongation in rice seeds. In essence, when used precisely at the right concentrations, WD emerges as a product to stimulate seed germination, remove dormancy barricades, and promote significant rootlet growth. Recently, it has been demonstrated that the efficacy of WD utilization is both dose-dependent and species-specific, as highlighted by [PERSON] et al. [31]. Wood distillate was used at varying concentrations to the diaspores of three endangered cultivable plant species: _Bromus secalinus_, _Centaurea cyanus_, and _Legousia speculum-veneris_. The results show that its impact is contingent on the dosage applied and varies from one species to another. In the case of _Bromus secalinus_, the Germination Percentage (GP) exhibited a decrease at a WD concentration of 0.125%, after which it stabilized with increasing concentrations reaching 1%. With a 2% concentration of WD, germination was virtually nonexistent. Mean germination time (MGT) showed no impact for concentrations lower than 1%, but, at 2%, a significant increase was observed. Likewise, the Germination Rate Index (GRI) and Germination Energy (GE) demonstrated no relevant changes up to 1% WD, but exhibited a noticeable decrease at 2%. Contrastingly, in _Centaurea cyanus_, no impact of WD treatment was observed on GP and GE across all concentrations. MGT was not affected by treatments with WD concentrations lower than 1%, while 2% WD significantly enhanced MGT in comparison to control samples. The Germination Rate Index only showed an increase at the lowest concentrations. All the parameters tested were unaltered in _Legousia speculum-veneris_ at low WD concentration, while the 0.5% WDtreatment affected the parameters differently, decreasing GP, GRI, and GE, and increasing MGT. The 2% WD treatment caused complete inhibition of seed germination. These findings draw attention to the pronounced species-specific variability in response to WD, which may also be attributed to seed size and the composition of the pericarp [50]. The pericarp is pivotal in protecting the seed during dormancy and ensuring its viability in unfavorable conditions [51]. The permeability of the seed's pericarp defines to which extent it can absorb certain substances. Scarcely permeable pericarps can hinder or restrict the penetration of a substance into the seed, while highly or moderately permeable pericarps can simplify the uptake of the same substance. Therefore, a diverse permeability to WD can be related to the different effects of the treatments on plant subjects. Notably, not only can different plant species have different pericarp permeability, but specific characteristics of the seeds can also have a role in defining the degree of permeability within seeds of the same plant species. In our study, it was decided to exclusively test two concentrations, which were the most pertinent from an agronomic perspective. This decision was made as the primary aim of our work was to determine the most suitable concentration for highlighting a biostimulant effect on the germination of agriculturally relevant seeds. It appears to be species-specific, as the most pronounced stimulating effect was observed with a concentration of 0.25% WD for basil and chickpeas, while lettuce exhibited the highest stimulation at a concentration of 0.17% WD. Overall, these findings confirm the potential of WD as a sustainable and environmentally friendly solution for stimulating and promoting seed germination, at a specific concentration, without the need for synthetic chemicals. These results also encourage further research to investigate whether priming with WD promotes seedling growth during post-germination stages. Further studies are needed to validate the effects of this product on other species of commercial interest.