Germination strategies of 20 alpine species with varying seed mass and light availability

2013 ◽  
Vol 61 (5) ◽  
pp. 404 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gao-Lin Wu ◽  
Guo-Zhen Du ◽  
Zhi-Hua Shi
Keyword(s):  
Seed Germination ◽  
Light Availability ◽  
Seed Mass ◽  
Significant Negative Correlation ◽  
Germination Percentage ◽  
Central Component ◽  
Grassland Community ◽  
Germination Characteristics ◽  
Germination Strategy

Seed germination is a central component of plant life history. To investigate the proposed role of seed size on germination strategy in plant communities, a semifield experiment was conducted in alpine meadow of the Qinghai–Tibetan Plateau, China. Interspecies relationships of seed mass and seed germination characteristics were studied under semifield conditions with different light availability. Light availability and seed mass had significant effects on final germination percentage and time to germination for studied species. There was a significant negative correlation between the strength of light required for germination and seed mass. Fifteen study species (e.g. Ligularia przewalskii, Artemisia sieversiana Willd, Tripolium vulgare Ness. and Saussurea morifolia Chen) exhibited a synchronous germination strategy. Seeds from large-seeded species, such as Dracocephalum ruyschiana, Laniophlomis rotate (Benth.) and Salvia przewalskii Maxim., were less likely to require light for germination than those of small-seeded species, such as A. sieversiana Willd, Senecio diversipinnus Ling and Saussurea mongolica (Franch.). We propose that germination strategies of small-seeded species are well suited to unpredictable environmental variation in this alpine grassland community.

scholarly journals Physical characterization of Rhipsalis (Cactaceae) fruits and seeds germination in different temperatures and light regimes

2016 ◽  
Vol 76 (2) ◽  
pp. 367-373 ◽  
Author(s):  
A. B. Lone ◽  
R. C. Colombo ◽  
B. L. G. Andrade ◽  
L. S. A. Takahashi ◽  
R. T. Faria
Keyword(s):  
Seed Germination ◽  
Germination Percentage ◽  
Light Regimes ◽  
Total Absence ◽  
Germination Characteristics ◽  
Different Temperatures ◽  
Medium Time ◽  
Seeds Germination

Abstract The germination characteristics of the native cactus species are poorly known, being the temperature and the light the factors that the most interferes in that process. Thus, the objective of the present work was to characterize the fruits and evaluate the influence of the temperature and the light in the seed germination of Rhipsalis floccosa, Rhipsalis pilocarpa and Rhipsalis teres. The tested constant temperatures were 15, 20, 25, 30 and 35 °C and the alternate of 20-30 °C and 25-35 °C in a photoperiod of 10 hours, and with determination of the most appropriate temperature, the germination was tested in light absence. The germination percentage, the index of germination speed and medium time of germination were evaluated. For R. floccosa, the highest germination percentage was at 20 °C. For R. pilocarpa and R. teres, the highest germination percentages occurred in 15 °C and 20 °C. There was correlation to germination percentage between the three species, indicating that they had similar germination behavior. Total absence of germination was verified for the three species in condition of light absence. In conclusion, the temperature of 20 °C is the most suitable for the seed germination of R. floccosa. For the species R. pilocarpa and R. teres, the temperatures of 15 and 20 °C are the most suitable.

scholarly journals Morphological and germination response variability in seeds of wild yellow gentian (Gentiana lutea L.) accessions from northwest Spain

Botany ◽  
2012 ◽  
Vol 90 (8) ◽  
pp. 731-742 ◽  
Author(s):  
Félix Pérez-García ◽  
Federico Varela ◽  
M. Elena González-Benito
Keyword(s):  
Seed Germination ◽  
Water Content ◽  
Germination Rate ◽  
Seed Mass ◽  
Germination Percentage ◽  
Gentiana Lutea ◽  
Moist Chilling ◽  
Mean Germination Time ◽  
Wild Accessions ◽  
Seed Water Content

Gentiana lutea L. (yellow gentian, Gentianaceae) is an important medicinal plant under protection as endangered species in most European countries. The aim of this work was to evaluate variation in seed mass, seed water content, and seed germination among 56 wild accessions of G. lutea. The effect of gibberellic acid (GA3), putrescine, moist chilling, and level of ripeness of seeds on subsequent germination was also investigated. Seeds of G. lutea showed physiological dormancy (final germination percentages ranged from 0% to 11%, depending on the accession) and GA3 enhanced seed germination drastically in all the accessions. The highest germination (99%) of GA3-treated seeds was reached at 15 °C. Final germination percentage and germination rate (as expressed by mean germination time), as well as seed mass and seed water content, varied significantly among accessions. In general, 1 year moist chilling did not significantly enhance G. lutea seed germination. For most accessions, no significant differences were found between fully ripe seeds and less ripe seeds for seed water content, seed mass, and seed germination. Applications of GA3 were always most effective than those of putrescine for increasing seed germination.

scholarly journals The Alleviation Effect of Silicon on Seed Germination and Seedling Growth of Tomato Under Salinity Stress

2012 ◽  
Vol 76 (1) ◽  
pp. 119-126 ◽  
Author(s):  
Maryam Haghighi ◽  
Zahra Afifipour ◽  
Maryam Mozafarian
Keyword(s):  
Seed Germination ◽  
Salinity Stress ◽  
Seedling Growth ◽  
Germination Rate ◽  
Germination Percentage ◽  
Percentage Germination ◽  
Tomato Seeds ◽  
Germination Characteristics ◽  
Salinity Levels ◽  
Mean Germination Time

The Alleviation Effect of Silicon on Seed Germination and Seedling Growth of Tomato Under Salinity StressThis study was conducted to evaluate the effectiveness of silicon (Si) application under salinity levels on seed germination and growth characteristics of tomato seeds. A laboratory experiment was performed on completely randomized design with two levels of salinity (25 and 50 mM NaCl) and 2 concentration of Si (1 and 2 mM) with 4 replications. Germination percentage, germination rate, seedling shoot and root length, fresh and dry weight of seedling and mean germination time was measured. Seed germination ofLycopersicon esculentumL. was significantly affected by salinity levels, Si and their interaction. Germination characteristics of tomato seeds decreased drastically by increasing NaCl concentrations. However, 1 mM Si had positive effects on seed germination characteristics and improved germination percentage, germination rate and mean germination time. Si alleviated the harmful effect of salinity stress on tomato seed germination at almost all germination characteristics.

The Role of Nurse Plants in Facilitating the Germination of Dandelion (Taraxacum officinale) Seeds

Weed Science ◽  
2014 ◽  
Vol 62 (3) ◽  
pp. 474-482
Author(s):  
Zdenka Martinkova ◽  
Alois Honek ◽  
Stano Pekár
Keyword(s):  
Seed Germination ◽  
Taraxacum Officinale ◽  
Germination Percentage ◽  
Herbaceous Plants ◽  
Tree Cover ◽  
Nurse Plant ◽  
Bare Ground ◽  
Manipulative Experiment ◽  
Nurse Plants

At germination, seedlings may be encouraged by the surrounding vegetation. This facilitation was studied in dandelions in a manipulative experiment to determine whether a nurse plant, either maple trees or alfalfa, assisted in the germination of dandelion seeds and whether there was a difference in germination when additional moisture (irrigation) was provided on top of rainfall. Seeds were sown into 33-cm2 “arenas” and surrounded by plastic collars, which prevented the seed from being eaten by predators. Germination was recorded at 1- to 2-d intervals, and the percentage of the seeds that germinated and their time to 50% germination (T50) was calculated. The nurse plant was consistently associated with seed germination. Compared with bare ground, the germination percentage was lower under tree cover, whereas T50 was shorter under the cover of herbaceous plants (alfalfa). The values for the germination percentage and T50 were similar under tree and herb nurse plants when the soil was irrigated. Nurse plants facilitated germination via their effects on understory humidity. Facilitating the germination of dandelions through the presence of nurse plants contributes to their propagation in crops.

Watermelon seed germination. 2. Osmomanipulation of photosensitivity

1992 ◽  
Vol 2 (3) ◽  
pp. 163-168 ◽  
Author(s):  
C. A. Thanos ◽  
K. Mitrakos
Keyword(s):  
Seed Germination ◽  
Prolonged Exposure ◽  
Citrullus Lanatus ◽  
Germination Percentage ◽  
Light Pulses ◽  
Seed Population ◽  
Germination Characteristics ◽  
Dark Interval ◽  
Osmotic Solution ◽  
Negative Exponential

AbstractSeed germination of watermelon (Citrullus lanatus cv. Sugar Baby) was fully suppressed by intermittent far-red (FR) irradiation (1 min every 30 min). When the intervening dark period was increased, a linearly increasing final germination percentage was obtained. However, a 4-day intermittent FR treatment induced phytochrome-controlled dormancy and the longer the dark interval the deeper was the dormancy of the non-germinated seeds. When seeds were soaked in a fully inhibitory osmotic solution, no dormancy was imposed. However, a single FR pulse at the time of transfer induced partial, secondary dormancy; the kinetics of the imposition of dormancy followed a negative exponential curve (half-life 1.5 days; 3 days for the cultivar Crimson Sweet). Seeds osmotreated for 10 days in darkness and subsequently dehydrated (with and without a final FR pulse) acquired germination characteristics similar to those in light-requiring and dark-germinating achenes, respectively, of the lettuce cultivar Grand Rapids. In the light-requiring osmomanipulated seed population, the induction of germination was brought about by the low-energy reaction of phytochrome, chilling, dry storage and decoating. The transformation through osmomanipulation of the dark-germinating watermelon seeds (the inhibition of which required prolonged exposure to light) to positively or negatively photosensitive seeds (that responded to brief light pulses), might be attributed to the slow relaxation of existing meta-Fa and meta-Rb phytochrome intermediates to Pfr upon hydration.

scholarly journals Seed Recalcitrance of Carolina Buckthorn: Implications for Ecology and Horticulture

HortScience ◽  
2004 ◽  
Vol 39 (4) ◽  
pp. 787D-787
Author(s):  
J. Ryan Stewart* ◽  
William R. Graves
Keyword(s):  
Invasive Species ◽  
Seed Germination ◽  
Reproductive Success ◽  
Natural Habitat ◽  
Germination Percentage ◽  
Rhamnus Cathartica ◽  
Environmental Consequences ◽  
Germination Characteristics ◽  
Native Populations ◽  
Germination Value

Carolina buckthorn (Rhamnus caroliniana Walt.) is ornamental and could be promoted as a stress-resistant shrub for horticultural landscapes. Its status as a relative of invasive species, including common buckthorn (Rhamnus cathartica L.), raises concerns regarding the environmental consequences of planting Carolina buckthorn outside of its natural habitat. To assess the ease of propagating Carolina buckthorn from seed, and to gather data relevant to assessments of invasiveness, we compared seed-germination characteristics between the two species. Seeds of Carolina buckthorn were collected from native populations in Missouri, Oklahoma, and Texas. Seeds of common buckthorn were collected from populations in Iowa. We stratified seeds of both species for up to 112 days at 4 °C. Germination at 20 °C then was evaluated for 56 days. Over stratification durations, 40% and 71% of seeds of Carolina buckthorn and common buckthorn germinated, respectively. Stratification for 112 days optimized germination value for Carolina buckthorn, but stratification for 42, 56, 84, and 112 days evoked similar germination percentages. Seeds of Carolina buckthorn from Oklahoma germinated at a higher percentage (56%) than did seeds from Missouri (25%). Neither germination value nor germination percentage of common buckthorn was influenced by stratification. We conclude that seeds of Carolina buckthorn are more recalcitrant than are seeds of common buckthorn. This suggests that Carolina buckthorn, particularly those from Missouri with low reproductive success, may be less invasive than their Eurasian kin. Horticulturists can optimize germination percentage of Carolina buckthorn by cold-stratifying seeds for as little as 42 days, but 112 days optimizes germination value.

scholarly journals Differential Responses of Dimorphic Seeds and Seedlings to Abiotic Stresses in the Halophyte Suaeda salsa

2021 ◽  
Vol 12 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hao Zhang ◽  
Mingfang Hu ◽  
Hongyuan Ma ◽  
Li Jiang ◽  
Zhenyong Zhao ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Seed Germination ◽  
Seedling Growth ◽  
Abiotic Stresses ◽  
Inhibitory Effect ◽  
Germination Percentage ◽  
Suaeda Salsa ◽  
High Germination ◽  
Germination Characteristics ◽  
Black Seeds ◽  
Germination Traits

The period between seed germination and seedling establishment is one of the most vulnerable stages in the life cycle of annuals in the saline environments. Although germination characteristics of Suaeda salsa seeds have been reported, the comparative germination patterns of dimorphic seeds and seedling growth to different abiotic stresses remain poorly understood. In this study, germination responses of dimorphic seeds to light and temperature were compared. Meanwhile, responses of dimorphic seeds and thereafter seedlings of S. salsa to different concentrations of NaCl and Na2SO4 were also tested. The results showed that the light did not significantly affect germination percentage of brown seeds, but significantly promoted germination of black seeds. Brown seeds could reach high germination percentage over a wide temperature range, however, germination of black seeds gradually increased with the increase of temperature. Brown seeds had higher germination percentage and velocity than black seeds under the same salt conditions. However, black seeds had higher recovery germination than brown seeds when transferred to deionized water. Young seedlings had lower salt tolerance than germinating seeds. At the same concentrations, Na2SO4 had stronger inhibitory effect on seed germination and seedling growth than NaCl. This study comprehensively compared germination traits of dimorphic seeds and seedling growth of S. salsa, and then developed a conceptual model to explain their adaptation to harsh saline environment.

scholarly journals Light Governs the Germination of Impatiens wallerana Hook. f. Seed

HortScience ◽  
1994 ◽  
Vol 29 (8) ◽  
pp. 854-857
Author(s):  
William J. Carpenter ◽  
Eric R. Ostmark ◽  
John A. Cornell
Keyword(s):  
Seed Germination ◽  
Light Exposure ◽  
Germination Percentage ◽  
Regression Equations ◽  
Germination Period ◽  
Radicle Emergence ◽  
Light Darkness ◽  
Role Of Light ◽  
Impatiens Wallerana

The role of light on impatiens seed germination and radicle emergence was studied. Seeds having a photodormancy require light for only part of the germination period. Germination ≥85% was achieved after 3, 2, or 1 day of irradiance at 1.5, 15, or 75 μmol·s-1·m-2, respectively. Keeping imbibed seeds in darkness for ≥2 days before light exposure caused reduced total germination percentages (G), delayed achieving 50% of the final germination percentage (T50), and increased the days between 10% and 90% germination (T90-T10). Light for 6 hours daily at 1.5, 15, or 150 μmol·s-1·m-2 promoted high G and rapid and uniform germination, but daily 12 to 24 hours of irradiance decreased G and increased T50 and T90-T10. Estimated rates of decline (increase) in G, T50, or T90-T10 with each added day of light (darkness) or increasing daily hours of light were measured by fitting regression equations. Impatiens seed germination was promoted by the initial 1 to 3 days of light, but light inhibited radicle extension in the latter germination stages.

Effect of selective abortion on seed germination and post-germination performance of offspring

2019 ◽  
Vol 29 (3) ◽  
pp. 210-214 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jerry M. Baskin ◽  
Carol C. Baskin
Keyword(s):  
Seed Germination ◽  
Early Life ◽  
Seed Mass ◽  
Early Life History ◽  
Germination Percentage ◽  
Flowering Plants ◽  
Offspring Performance ◽  
Offspring Quality ◽  
Selective Abortion ◽  
Life History Stages

AbstractHermaphroditic angiosperms, especially outcrossers, generally produce many more flowers and ovules than they can mature into fruits and seeds. One of the several hypotheses to account for the production of ‘excess’ flowers is selective abortion, which has been shown to increase offspring quality in plants. Our primary aim was to review the literature on the effects of selective abortion on seed germination and post-germination offspring vigour. Of 14 case studies (11 species in 10 genera and four families of flowering plants), germination percentage or rate (speed) increased in six and did not increase in eight, whereas post-germination offspring performance increased in 11 and did not increase in three. In six of the eight cases in which germination was not increased, seedling/juvenile vigour was increased. Seed mass was less likely to influence seed germination than seedling/juvenile vigour. Although selective abortion has been shown to increase progeny vigour of the early life history stages of plants, neither its demographic nor evolutionary importance has been demonstrated.

scholarly journals Germination Characteristics Is More Associated With Phylogeny-Related Traits of Species in a Salinized Grassland of Northeastern China

2021 ◽  
Vol 9 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ming Zhao ◽  
Zhaogang Liu ◽  
Hongxiang Zhang ◽  
Yuanyuan Wang ◽  
Hong Yan
Keyword(s):  
Seed Germination ◽  
Plant Traits ◽  
Seed Mass ◽  
Germination Percentage ◽  
Seed Traits ◽  
Related Factors ◽  
Morphophysiological Dormancy ◽  
Relative Contribution ◽  
Black Seeds ◽  
Germination Experiments

Knowing the determinants of seed germination helps us understand plant adaptive strategies to the environment and predict population and community regeneration under climate change. However, multiple factors, including plant and seed traits that influence germination and their relative importance, have received little attention. Here, seed germination experiments were conducted on newly collected seeds for 89 herbaceous species from salinized Songnen grassland. We tested the effects of multiple phylogeny-related plant traits and seed morphological and physiological traits on germination percentage and initial germination time and their relative contribution to shaping germination variation. We found that biennials had higher germination percentages and rates than annuals and perennials. Species with brown seeds had higher germination percentages than those with yellow and black seeds. Eudicots germinated faster than monocots, and seeds with morphophysiological dormancy required more time to initiate germination than those with other kinds of dormancy. Phylogeny-related factors explained more of the variation in germination than seed traits. Seed mass and volume of the large-seeded, but not small-seeded group species were positively correlated with germination percentage. Our findings provide important information for understanding germination variation across species and local adaptation for species in the salinized Songnen grassland.

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