Development of sessile oak [Quercus petraea (Matt.) Liebl.] seed coating material against rodents and evaluation of its performance on seed germination and emergence

Protecting sessile oak [<i>Quercus petraea </i>(Matt.) Liebl.] seeds from rodents iscrucial toensure successful germination and emergence inactivities such asartificial regeneration, afforestation, and seedling production. This study examined the effects of12 natural ornature-identical substances, believed tohave repellent properties, onthe germination, emergence, and survival ofsessile oak acorns under both laboratory and field conditions. Acorns were coated using adiatomaceous clay-based pellet system, and aY-maze experiment was conducted toevaluate rodent behaviour. Asaresult ofthe research, among the tested substances, <i>Ferulago confusa</i> and <i>Foeniculum vulgare</i> were recommended as rodent repellents due to their success in laboratory and field trials. Diesel fuel + hair, a conventional repellent, showed poor performance and is not recommended. This study underscores the potential efficacy of natural or nature-identical coatings for protecting seeds from pests in forestry applications.

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