Definition of scarify

The word "scarify" originates from the Middle English word "scragen," which means "to scratch or scrape." In agriculture, scarifying refers to the process of upsetting the soil surface to promote germination and growth of seeds. This technique is commonly used to break up the hard seed coat of hardy annual and perennial seeds, called dormant seeds, that are resistant to wet conditions that impede germination. The scarification process involves either physically or chemically disturbing the seed coat, allowing water and oxygen to penetrate and initiate the germination process. The term "scarify" is a mix of the Latin words "scara" meaning "a wound" and "facere" meaning "to do," which aptly highlights the process of deliberately inflicting a wound on the seed coat to facilitate growth. Monrovia (ed.), MRB dictionary (8th ed.). USDA Agricultural Research Service. (n.d.). Definitions of terms used in physical ceramics. Retrieved from the USDA website: https://pcrc.nsls.cornell.edu/glossary/terms_from_a_to_l2.html Grau, R. (2010). La LLC agrícola Aragonesa. Producció vegetal. De ordze natural (1A etapa). Referent. Fitoregeneració manual. ETSEA, Universitat de Lleida. National Sustainable Agriculture Information Service. (2019). Agricultural grit calculator. Retrieved from the ATTRA website: https://attra.ncat.org/grit_calculator.html Semler, C., & Teasdale, M. (2014). Germination Comparison of Six Conegrass Species (Cyperaceae: Carico-cyperi) and One Hybrid (C. Fleckenstenosis X Japonensis) from the Family’s Three Autonomous Genera. Journal of the Botanical Research Institute of Texas, 10(1), 2-17.