A Comparative Study on the Effects of Saline Water, Vinegar, and Milk on the Germination of Coriandrum sativum, Anethum graveolens, and Spinacia oleracea Seeds

Germination is considered to be an important stage in plants' development and is also extremely sensitive to various factors such as temperature, soil composition, oxygen levels and the fluid used to water. This study is focused on investigating the different effects of three different liquids used—saline water, vinegar, and milk—on the germination rates of Coriandrum sativum, Anethum graveolens, and Spinacia oleracea seeds. Seeds of each species were divided into four groups and watered on a daily basis with either distilled water (control), a saline solution, vinegar, or milk. Germination was then observed over a ten-day period, and the percentage of seeds successfully germinated in each group was carefully recorded. The results showed that distilled water consistently produced the highest germination rates across all 3 species, with Spinacia oleracea displaying the fastest and most consistent emergence. Anethum graveolens also showed good performance in the control, while Coriandrum sativum demonstrated a slow yet steady germination pattern. In all treatments, vinegar drastically halted any germination with all seeds producing no sprouts during the observations, while saline water resulted in moderate delays and reduction in germination with spinach and dill being substantially affected. Likely osmotic stress contributed to this reduced germination. Milk appeared to disrupt germination due to high variability and slow germination rates. The high rates may be due to microbial activity and depletion of oxygen as the seed coats absorb moisture and respire. This study shows that water quality and chemical composition of the media used has a significant impact on seed germination and distilled water yielded the best results overall for germination while vinegar produced the most crippling effects for germination.