简介：TheFabaceae(legumefamily)isoneofthelargestfamiliesofplantswithaworldwidedistributionandamajorroleinagricultureandinagroforestry.Ahardseedcoatimpermeabletowaterisatypicalfeatureofseveralspecies.Physicaldormancydelaysandreducesgerminationsothatmechanical,physicalandchemicalscarificationmethodshavebeenclassicallyusedtobreakseeddormancyofmanyspecies.WeevaluatetheeffectivenessofamethodologytoscarifyseedsofseveralwoodyFabaceaeofecologicalandeconomicalimportance,includingRobiniapseudoacaciaandAcaciadealbataandtheshrubsCytisusscoparius,C.multiflorusandUlexeuropaeus.Wedescribetheoptimizeduseofahandheldrotarytool(HRT),andcompareitseffectivenesswithotherscarificationmethodsreportedtobreakdormancysuchasboilingordryheating.Totalgerminationand/orspeedofgerminationwereenhancedaftertheapplicationoftheHRT,withgerminationpercentagessignificantlyhigherthanthoseachievedbyothermethodsofscarification.Basedonathoroughliteraturereview,amodeofactionfortheHRTissuggestedwhichcouldoperatebybreakingthephysicalandphysiologicaldormancyoftreatedseedsthroughthecombinedactionofcoatabrasionandmoderatetemperatures.Consideringtheseresults,werecommendtheapplicationofthisrapid,effective,low-costandhighlyreproducibleHRTmethodtobreakseeddormancyandenhancegerminationofthesespeciesandotherswithsimilardormancyconstraints.