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 [Quercus petraea (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, Ferulago confusa and Foeniculum vulgare 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.