Effects of light and temperature on seed germination of Poa pratensis from high latitudes

One‐to‐three‐year‐old seed of Poa pratensis "Lavang”;, “Leikra”; and “Ryss”; was germinated under various temperature and light regimes on a thermogradient plate and on paper or in soil in phytotron compartments. While the optimal constant temperature for germination of Lavang and Leikra in 12 h light/12 h dark cycles was around 16°C, Ryss germinated nearly 100% over the 10–28°C temperature range. Compared with constant temperatures, daily fluctuations, even at the small amplitude 18/15°C, stimulated germination of Lavang and Leikra. Dark germination was inferior to germination in light/ dark cycles at constant temperatures of 15°C and higher, but light showed no advantage at alternating temperature. Continuous light inhibited germination regardless of light source (fluorescent, incandescent or natural). The stimulating effect of daily light/dark cycles increased, but the inhibiting effect of continuous light decreased with increasing seed age. It is concluded that seed of Poa pratensis ought to be covered by a 0.5–1.0 cm soil layer when sown in a northern environment involving continuous light and low soil temperatures.     

Salinity and Temperature Effects on Seed Germination of Milk Thistle

Abstract

Milk thistle [Silybum marianum (L.) Gaertn] is an annual plant belonging to the Asteraceae family whose ripe seeds contain flavonoid substances, which are important in the modern pharmaceutical industry. Seed germination is a major factor limiting the establishment of plants under saline conditions. The effect of salinity and temperatures on germination and seedling establishment was studied in two genotypes of milk thistle, an Iranian wild type and German (Royston) type in the laboratory and in the field. Experiments were done with seven salt concentrations [0.1 (control), 1, 3, 6, 9, 12, and 15 dS/m] and three temperatures (15, 25, and 35°C). There were three replications for each treatment, and the experiment was run three times. The results showed that the percentage of germination and the number of normal seedlings at different salt treatment at 15°C were higher than at 25 or 35°C. The mean time to 50% germination was least at this temperature for both genotypes. Results suggested all germination indices and seedling emergence (50%) were achieved at levels up to 9 dS/m salinity at 15°C. Also, seeds at a salinity of 9–15 dS/m will germinate and up to 25% of the control nonstress treatment could emerge at the low temperature of 15°C.     

Effects of seedbed properties on crop emergence: 1. Temporal effects of temperature and sowing depth in seedbeds with favourable properties

Abstract

Rapid and uniform crop establishment is a prerequisite for efficient crop production and minimal environmental impact. Experiments were carried out in shallow plastic boxes placed directly on the ground in the field for studies of the effects of seedbed properties on emergence of various crops. This paper presents an analysis of the time required for germination and emergence under near-optimal seedbed conditions. The crops studied were barley, oats, wheat, pea, rape seed, white mustard, sugar beet, red clover and timothy. The time required for germination generally increased with size of the seeds, presumably because larger seeds needed more water to initiate germination. This applied both when comparing different crops and different seed sizes of the same crop. However, considerable differences occurred between seed lots of the same crop and there were greater differences between seed lots of the same crop than between the three small grain crops studied. Growth rate of the seedlings generally increased with seed size, presumably because of increased energy content in the seed. Consequently, the most rapid emergence was obtained from small seeds at shallow sowing and from large seeds at deep sowing. The crops studied had a minimum temperature for germination and seedling growth close to 0 °C. Under optimal seedbed conditions, thermal time required for 50% germination of barley was typically about 65 °C days over this base temperature and for seedling growth about 6 °C days cm^?1. From 4 cm sowing depth, about 80 °C days were required for emergence but with considerable variations between seed lots. For rape seed or white mustard about 40 °C days were required for germination and about 8 °C days cm^?1 for the seedling growth.     

Hypericum perforatum L. Seed Germination: Interpopulation Variationand Effect of Light, Temperature, Presowing Treatments and Seed Desiccation

Germplasm conservation of medicinal plants is of increasing interest and, when possible, seed banking is the most efficient system for ex situ conservation of these plant genetic resources. Hypericum perforatum L. (St. John's wort, Guttiferae) is a medicinal plant with evidence of efficacy as an anti-depressant. The aim of this work was to increase knowledge of its seed germination behaviour by studying 68 wild populations. Seed germination tests were carried out at 25/15 °C under a photoperiod of 16-h light/8-h darkness. Final germination percentages were highly variable depending on the accession, ranging from 6 to 98%. Similarly, germination rate (as expressed by T ₅₀ values) varied significantly from 6.1 to 23.0 days. The effect of seed desiccation with silica gel on subsequent germination was also studied. The effect of two other incubation temperatures (15 and 25 °C) and light (photoperiod or darkness) on seed germination was studied in several accessions. Temperature had no significant effect on final germination percentages. However, light significantly increased the germination of most but not all accessions assayed. Seeds from four accessions with low germination percentages were subjected to different presowing treatments that could increase germination: dry heat, hot water and gibberellic acid. Germination was promoted significantly by gibberellic acid in two of the four accessions assayed, but the thermal treatments did not enhance significantly the germination percentages. This study reveals that conclusions based on one population of Hypericum perforatum cannot characterize the germination behaviour for the entire species.     

Light and Temperature Requirements during Germination of Potential Perennial Grasses for Rehabilitation of Degraded Sandy Arabian Deserts

Few plants can tolerate the loose sandy‐soils of the arid deserts. Selection of native plants that could be used in rehabilitation of degraded deserts necessitates information about their seed dormancy and germination requirements. This study assessed the effects of light and temperature requirements during germination for eight common perennial grasses that have the potential to rehabilitate the arid Arabian deserts. The selected grasses vary considerably in seed mass. Germination of clonally propagated grasses (six species) was significantly greater, but slower, than that of two non‐clonal grasses. Four of these six species (Lasiurus scindicus , Panicum turgidum , Aeluropus lagopoides and Halopyrum mucronatum ) produce larger seeds and attained greater germination in both light and darkness at a wide range of temperatures. However, the other two (Centropodia forsskaolii and Coelachyrum piercei ) produce medium‐sized seeds with higher dormancy. Smaller seeds of Sporobolus arabicus were positively photoblastic at all temperatures, but those of Sporobolus spicatus were neutrally photoblastic at lower temperatures and positively photoblastic at higher temperatures. There was a significant negative relationship between seed mass and relative light germination, indicating that small seeds require more light during germination. It is recommended to use seeds of the six clonal grasses for restoration of degraded arid deserts. The ability of these grasses to germinate in different light and temperature regimes indicates their ability to germinate at any time of the year, even when seeds are buried. The light and temperature requirements of the different grasses are explained in the light of their adaptation and distribution in natural habitats. Copyright © 2017 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Optimizing seed crops of common bent (Agrostis capillaris) by sowing rate

Abstract

As part of a project to stimulate Norwegian seed production of common bent (syn. browntop, US: colonial bentgrass, Agrostis capillaris L. syn. A.tenuis Sibth.) field trials comparing sowing rates of 2.5, 5.0, 7.5 or 10 kg ha^?1 were conducted at Landvik, south-east Norway, (58°N) from 1989 to 1994. Three trials were laid out of the forage cultivar ‘Leikvin’ and three trials of the lawn cultivar ‘Nor’, each trial being harvested for three consecutive years. While the average per cent ground cover in spring increased from 87% at 2.5 kg ha^?1 to 94–96% at 7.5 kg ha^?1, seed yields decreased with increasing sowing rate in both cultivars. On average for all harvests, quadrupling the sowing rate from 2.5 to 10 kg ha^?1 reduced seed yield by 9% in ‘Leikvin’ and 15% in ‘Nor’, the stronger effect probably being associated with a greater competition between tillers in the lawn cultivar. Seed yield reductions with increasing sowing rate showed no relationship with crop age, but were less accentuated for crops undersown in spring wheat in a dry year than for crops established without cover crop in years with ample rainfall in early summer. Increasing sowing rates reduced plant height and panicle number in ‘Nor’, but had no effect on seed weight or germination in any of the cultivars. It is concluded that seed crops of common bent should be established with a sowing rate of 2–5 kg ha^?1, with the lowest rate in lawn cultivars, under ideal seedbed conditions and when seed crops are sown without cover crop.     

Preservation of seed viability during 25 years of storage under standard genebank conditions

Maintaining sufficient viability is critical to the sustainability of ex situ conserved seed collections. For this reason, accessions are regenerated when viability falls below a predefined threshold. Viability is monitored by determining the germination ability of accessions at predefined time intervals. Optimizing the frequency of these germination tests, in order to avoid waste of resources, is hampered by the scarce availability of data about seed longevity, particularly for material maintained under genebank conditions. Here we report on the analysis of nearly 40,000 germination test results collected for a wide range of crop species over a 25-years period by the centre for genetic resources, the Netherlands (CGN), where seeds of genebank accessions are dried to 3–7 % moisture content and stored for the long term under near-vacuum in aluminium foil bags at ?20 °C. The results indicate that seed viability is well maintained for the large majority of seed lots during the first 25 years after regeneration as only 3.3 % of the monitoring tests revealed below-threshold germination values. It is argued that the majority of these sub-standard seed lots are due to other causes than seed ageing, including dormancy problems and estimation error in germination testing. For material, maintained under the seed management procedures and storage conditions practiced by CGN, it is therefore recommended to delay the first germination monitoring tests to 25 years after regeneration.     

Medium-term seed storage of 50 genera of forage legumes and evidence-based genebank monitoring intervals

Genebanks maintaining seeds for long-term genetic resources conservation monitor seed lots to detect early loss in viability. Monitoring is costly and depletes valuable seed. Three decades of genebank seed germination test results of diverse forage species from 50 legume genera in the International Livestock Research Institute’s medium-term store (circa 8 °C with 5% moisture content) were analysed to determine whether advice on seed monitoring intervals could be derived. Cumulative normal distributions were fitted by probit analysis for each seed lot and compared within each genus. Six patterns of within-genus variation were identified: no detectable trend in germination test results during storage (4 genera); detectable trends, but variable (positive to negative) amongst lots (5); consistent slope of loss in viability amongst lots (17); consistent slope of increase in ability to germinate amongst lots (21); common loss in viability amongst lots (2); common increase in ability to germinate amongst lots (1). Seed lot monitoring intervals for the medium-term store were derived for each of 19 genera with consistent loss in viability across seed lots: three genera provided comparatively rapid deterioration, five met the general expectations for a medium-term store (2–10 years’ maintenance of high viability), whilst 11 provided much better survival. Moreover, 26 further genera provided no evidence as yet of seed deterioration; of these, 22 improved in ability to germinate during storage indicating confounding of hardseededness with viability in germination tests.     

Thiamine (vitamin B1) seed treatment enhances germination and seedling growth of bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) exposed to soaking injury

Seed treatment with thiamine mononitrate significantly increased germination rate of bean (Phasenius vulgaris L.) seedlings germinated at high soil moisture levels and low night-temperature (5° C). Beneficial effects of thiamine applications on germination were also observed in soil-free germination tests when the seeds were submerged in water for 1–4 d at 18°C. Optimum response was achieved at thiamine concentrations of 3 mM, applied during the first 24 h of imbibition. As an early response to the thiamine treatment, vital staining with triphenyltetrazolium chloride revealed a lower proportion of damaged tissue of the embryonic axes. In later stages of seedling development, thiamine seed treatment resulted in a lower proportion of abnormal seedlings with malformations of the shoot apex and of the primary leaves. The beneficial effect of thiamine was more pronounced when the temperature during submergence was kept at 25° C compared to 5° C. There was no response to thiamine applications when the germinating seeds were exposed to low temperature treatments only. The thiamine effect could be mimicked by raising the osmotic potential of the incubation medium, indicating a relationship to soaking injuries. The results suggest that normal seedling development may be impaired by thiamine deficiency in the embryonic tissue induced by soaking injury, whereas low temperatures are not involved as a stress-factor.     

Effect of location on dwarf French bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) seed production and seedling vigour

ABSTRACT

This study examined if dwarf French bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) grown at northern latitudes develop seeds with superior yielding potential compared with plants grown at more southern latitudes. Two lines (BND3085 and BND3106) were grown at four sites across latitudes ranging from 52°N to 3°S. BND3085 and BND3106 seeds from Saskatoon grown plants (52°N) had the least damaged seed coats but the highest degree of electrolyte leakage from the seed and the lowest maximum germination rates. The Saskatoon (BND3085 and BND3106) and Nunhem (BND3106) seed lots had the lowest maximum germination rates when germinated at 28°C, 12°C, or when exposed to saline (100?mM NaCl) conditions. Saskatoon BND3085 seed produced plants with the lowest aboveground vegetative and total seed dry matter as well as the lowest pod number per plant. In contrast, plants grown from Saskatoon BND3106 seed produced 1.5-fold more total pods, 1.3-fold more total pods and 1.4-fold higher seed dry matter per plant as compared to plants grown from the Nunhem (51°N) or Arusha seed sources. This resulted in a 2.4–4.5% higher harvest index. These results suggest cultivar-specific dwarf French bean seed propagation at more northern sites may increase the productivity of the resulting crop.     

Vegetative Growth and Freezing Tolerance of White Clover ( Trifolium repens L.) Genotypes from Svalbard

Vegetative growth and freezing tolerance of two genotypes of white clover ( Trifolium repens L.) collected at Svalbard (latitude 78°;39' N, longitude 16°;23' E) were studied in a daylight phytotron at controlled temperature and humidity. For comparison, two genotypes of a new Norwegian cultivar, Norstar, and one genotype of the cultivar AberHerald were included in the experiments. The genotypes from Svalbard gave higher dry-matter yields than the genotypes of Norstar, and one of them also exceeded the AberHerald genotype in dry-matter production at the temperatures studied, constant 12°;C and alternating 15 9°;C and 12 6°;C (12 12 h). The genotypes from Svalbard were more tolerant of freezing than all the other genotypes. After a successive hardening treatment at 6°;C and 0.5°;C they obtained LT 50 values (temperature for 50% survival) of -16°;C. The origin of these genotypes is not known, but their high productivity and freezing tolerance may make them useful for further breeding of white clover for marginal conditions.     

Responses of three switchgrass (Panicum virgatum L.) cultivars to seed priming and differential aging conditions

Abstract

In switchgrass (Panicum virgatum L.) cultivation, rapid and uniform germination is essential because it is one of the most promising candidates for biofuel production. Priming, a seed enhancement technique with solid carriers, can be a useful tool for improving germination characteristics of switchgrass seeds. The objective of this study was to determine the effectiveness of priming on three non-aged and aged switchgrass cultivars of ‘Cave in rock’ ‘Dacotah’, and ‘Kanlow’. Seeds were primed with a synthetic calcium silicate (MicroCel E) and water at 30°C for five days. Seed, carrier and water proportions were 1 g, 0.5 g, and 1.5 mL, respectively. There was a 5% point (pp, Cave in rock), 8 pp (Dacotah), and 19 pp (Kanlow) increase in primed seeds compared with non-treated control seeds. Furthermore, priming decreased mean germination time by 26–36% in all seeds compared with the non-treated control. Accelerated aging was induced by storing seeds for 0, 10, and 21 days at 42°C and 95% relative humidity (RH). Germination percentage decreased and mean germination time increased with the aging. These results suggest that priming is an effective technique to improve the performance of switchgrass cultivars.     

Cardinal temperatures for seed germination of wild barley,barley grass and hoary cress

It is necessary to understand the effects of environmental conditions, especially temperature, on weed seed germination patterns, in order to make comprehensive and effective weed management decisions. The effect of cardinal temperature (0°C, 5°C, 10°C, 15°C, 20°C, 25°C, 30°C, 35°C and 40°C) on the germination pattern of three noxious weeds, such as wild barley (Hordeum spontaneum Koch.), barley grass (H. murinum L.) and hoary cress (Cardaria draba L.) in wheat fields of Iran, was studied in three separate experiments. The experiments were conducted based on completely randomized design (CRD) with four replications. The result showed that the germination of all three species started at low temperatures and there was no significant difference in germination percentage (GP) at lower temperatures. About 50% of the weed population germinated within a short period when using a dent-like model indicating the high ability of these weeds to compete for space and resources. Segmented and dent-like models were used to evaluate the cardinal temperatures. The results showed that dent-like model was the preferred model to evaluate germination rate in relation to variable temperatures in hoary cress, while the segmented model was better in wild barley. However, there was no significant difference between the two models for barley grass. The results of this study showed that mechanical, cultural (pre-planting irrigation) and chemical practices could be more useful and effective at 10–30°C.     

Effects of light and temperature treatments on germination and physiological traits of stevia seedling (Stevia rebuadiana Bertoni)

Light and temperature are among the environmental factors affecting germination of seeds and seedling growth. Therefore, this experiment was carried out to evaluate the effect of light (light, dark, and combined light and dark) and temperature (15, 20, 25, and 30?°C) treatments on seed germination indices and physiological traits of stevia. With increasing temperature to 25?°C, percentage and rate of germination, seedling length, and vigor index increased. Also, dark and integrated treatments light and dark conditions caused increased all traits, except for the mean germination time. The highest proline and protein contents were achieved under light conditions at 15 and 30?°C, respectively. With increasing temperature, the activity of antioxidant enzymes catalase and superoxide dismutase increased. The highest activities of catalase and superoxide dismutase were observed under light condition. In contrary, the highest peroxidase activity was observed under dark condition. Overall, the results showed that dark and combined dark and light conditions at 25?°C improved the physiological characteristics of the plant that can increase germination indices.     

The effect of soil fertility and harvesting stage on maize seed quality under rain-fed conditions

Abstract

Management practices during seed development are crucial for boosting seed quality and establishment. This study determined the interactive effect of soil fertility and maturity stage on maize seed quality. The cultivar SC701 were harvested at milk, dent, and physiological maturity stages and dried to <12% moisture content. Field trials were split plots replicated four times. Seed quality was evaluated using standard germination test, vigor indices and electrical conductivity test. Highly significant interactions (p?相似文献   

Effect of varying high temperatures during reproductive growth on reproductive function,oxidative stress and seed yield in chickpea genotypes differing in heat sensitivity

The mechanisms affecting the heat sensitivity of chickpea are largely unknown. Heat-tolerant (ICCV07110, ICCV92944) and heat-sensitive (ICC14183, ICC5912) chickpea genotypes were sown in February in the soil-filled pots. At the time of flowering, these were subjected to varying day/night temperatures of 30/20, 35/25, 40/30 and 45/35°C in the growth chambers (12 h light/12 h dark; light intensity, 250 μmol m^?2 s^?1, 80% relative humidity). The pollen viability, pollen germination, tube growth, pollen load and stigma receptivity decreased with increases in temperatures to 45/35°C. The heat-tolerant genotypes experienced significantly less damage to pollen and stigma function. Membrane integrity, chlorophyll content, photochemical efficiency and cellular oxidizing ability were inhibited by the increase in temperature, with greater impacts on the sensitive genotypes. Oxidative injury as lipid peroxidation and hydrogen peroxide content was significantly greater in sensitive genotypes at 40/30 and 45/35°C. Enzymatic and non-enzymatic antioxidants showed increased levels at 40/30°C, but decreased considerably at 45/35°C. Heat-tolerant genotypes possessed greater activity of ascorbate peroxidase and glutathione reductase, along with higher levels of ascorbate and reduced glutathione at 40/30 and 45/35°C. Biomass, pod set and yield were not affected significantly at 35/25°C, but began to decrease at 40/30°C and were lowest at 45/35°C. The sensitive genotypes were not able to set any pods at 45/35°C, whereas the tolerant genotypes produced only few fertile pods at this temperature. It was concluded that heat stress leads to loss of pollen as well as stigma function and induces oxidative stress in the leaves that cause failure of fertilization and damage to the leaves, respectively.     

Effect of fungicide thiram on microbial communities of rice seed surface estimated by culture-dependent and culture-independent (PCR-RFLP) methods

Coating of rice seeds with fungicide Thiram improved the seed germination capability over a long period of time (11 weeks) under low temperature conditions (4 and 8°C), which simulated the sowing of rice seeds in the winter season (the farmer's slack season). To analyze the effect of Thiram on the community structure of microorganisms on the rice seed surface, culture-dependent and culture-independent (PCR-RFLP) methods were applied. PCR-RFLP patterns of 16S rDNA showed that the bacterial communities on the rice seed surface were different between coated and uncoated treatments under 8°C conditions, but that they were very similar under 4°C conditions. PCR-RFLP patterns of 18S rDNA revealed the remarkable effect of Thiram on the fungal community structure under both 4 and 8°C conditions. Although the fungal communities were quite different between coated and uncoated seeds at the beginning of incubation, the fungal communities on the coated seed surface became similar to those of uncoated seeds along with the duration of the incubation period. As the dominance percentage of Fusarium spp. among the isolates increased with the duration of the incubation period for both coated and uncoated seeds, Fusarium was considered to be a responsible for the poor germination of rice seeds that were sown in the winter season.     

Effects of Compost Sources and Seeding Treatments on Germination and Emergence of Four Turfgrass Species

Greenhouse pot trials were conducted to compare the effects of compost sources and planting treatments on turfgrass germination and emergence. Eight seeding treatments and 4 turfgrass types were factorially combined and replicated four times in a completely randomized block design. The seeding treatments were: 1) seed planted on surface of 2.6 cm compost overlying soil, 2) seed planted on soil surface below 0.65 cm compost, 3) seed planted on soil surface below 1.3 cm compost, 4) seed planted on soil surface below 2.6 cm compost, 5) seed planted on soil surface covered with a 2.6 cm straw mat, 6) seed planted below 1.3 cm soil, 7) seed planted below 1.3 cm of 1:1 compost:soil mix, and 8) seed planted on soil surface. Tall fescue (Festuca arundinacea Schreb.), Kentucky bluegrass (Poa pratensis L.), bermudagrass (Cynodon dactylon L.), and zoysiagrass (Zoysia japonica Steud.) were used as the bioassay crops. The experimental design was repeated over time using composts produced with the following feedstocks: yard waste, food waste, dairy manure, biosolids, and paper mill sludge. Emerged seedlings were counted at 11 days for tall fescue, at 3 weeks for Kentucky bluegrass and at 7 weeks for bermudagrass and zoysiagrass. There were significant (P<0.05) effects of seeding treatment x turfgrass type on germination and emergence for each compost type. All of the composts appeared to be well stabilized using routine compost laboratory testing except the biosolids compost, whose use resulted in the lowest overall germination and emergence rate. The highest rates of germination and emergence occurred in the treatments in which the seeds were planted on the surface, regardless of whether the surface was compost or soil. The lowest rate of germination and emergence occurred where the seed was placed under 2.6 cm compost, regardless of compost maturity.     

Effects of seed priming on growth and antioxidant components of hairy vetch (Vicia villosa) seedlings under chilling stress

Hairy vetch (Vicia villosa) is an important cover crop and green manure in dryland cropping system of Mediterranean regions. A delay in the onset of rainfall during autumn can inhibit hairy vetch seed germination, which exposes its early growth stages to low-temperature stress. The present study was carried out in a completely randomized design with four replications to evaluate the effects of seed priming on germination of hairy vetch under chilling stress. The treatments were seed-priming type (unprimed, hydro-priming, halo-priming, and osmopriming) and temperature (3, 6, 9, 12, and 15?°C). The results indicated that a decrease in temperature produced a linear decline in the germination rate of seeds treated with halo-priming and osmopriming (p?<?.01). The seedling length, seedling dry weight, and vigor index decreased in plants experiencing chilling stress (quadratic; p?<?.01) for hydro-priming, halo-priming, and osmopriming. The maximum germination rate was achieved using hydro-priming. Osmopriming prevented a decrease in the rate of germination at 3?°C. A decrease in temperature increased the proline and the soluble protein contents in all the seed priming treatments, but, decreased catalase and guaiacol peroxidase activity (p?<?.01). In brief, halo-priming, and hydro-priming enhanced establishment and growth of hairy vetch under chilling stress primarily through improvements in the physiological parameters and germination rate. This finding can increase the potential for cultivation of the hairy vetch in late planting date.     

Grass mixtures for afforested opencast spoils in South Wales

An experiment that investigated the establishment of seven grass and legume seed mixes on opencast coal mining spoil in South Wales is described. After three years, mixtures containing Poa pratensis and Festuca rubra var. rubra were the most successful in covering the spoil; the ‘Johnson JR33’ seed mix proved the best of those commercially available that was tested. Tree growth was not detrimentally affected by the establishment of a grass ground cover. Erosion was not an important process at the experimental site, though slumping occurred locally from plough ridge to plough furrow.