LAUSR

This experiment was designed to determine the relationship between the antioxidant capacity and the vigour of alfalfa seeds during boron priming. Alfalfa seeds were primed with 1.8 % (W/V) concentration of borax solution for 0, 3, 6, 12 and 24 h at 20°C. The results showed that the vigour of alfalfa seeds declined with the extension of priming time, which was closely related to the accumulation of hydrogen peroxide and malonaldehyde contents and the decrease of superoxide dismutase, catalase and peroxidase. The radicle might be the most sensitive site to boron priming in alfalfa seeds, but the boron-induced damage might be alleviated during alfalfa seeds’ germination.