AN INTERNATIONAL EXPERIMENT ON THE EFFECT OF AGE AND STORAGE CONDITIONS ON VIABILITY AND DORMANCY OF AVENA FATUA SEEDS

Summary. Freshly collected ripe seeds of Avena fatua were first kept out of doors on the surface of the soil for 0 to 3 monehs, and then stored dry in the laboratory for 0 to 6 months before testing for dormancy and viability. Results from six European countries agreed well. Only 10% of ripe seeds germinated immediately alter collection and germination rose to 50% by December or January in all countries except Denmark. Viability was scarcely affected by age or storage conditions, except that many seeds died out of doors during winter in Denmark and Germany. The percentage of dormant seeds in December was greater in Denmark than elsewhere, possibly because the seeds were of a different type. Seeds may not behave the same in normal agricultural conditions as they did in this experiment.
Une expérience internationale sur l'influence de l'âge et des conditions de conservation sur la viabilité et la dormance de semences d'Avena fatua