Dormancy release in Lolium rigidum seeds is a function of thermal after-ripening time and seed water content

2003 ◽  
Vol 30 (3) ◽  
pp. 345 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kathryn J. Steadman ◽  
Andrew D. Crawford ◽  
Robert S. Gallagher

Dormancy release in seeds of Lolium rigidum Gaud. (annual ryegrass) was investigated in relation to temperature and seed water content. Freshly matured seeds were collected from cropping fields at Wongan Hills and Merredin, Western Australia. Seeds from Wongan Hills were equilibrated to water contents between 6 and 18% dry weight and after-ripened at constant temperatures between 9 and 50°C for up to 23 weeks. Wongan Hills and Merredin seeds at water contents between 7 and 17% were also after-ripened in full sun or shade conditions. Dormancy was tested at regular intervals during after-ripening by germinating seeds on agar at 12-h alternating 15°C (dark) and 25°C (light) periods.Rate of dormancy release for Wongan Hills seeds was a positive linear function of after-ripening temperature above a base temperature (Tb) of 5.4°C. A thermal after-ripening time model for dormancy loss accounting for seed moisture in the range 6–18% was developed using germination data for Wongan Hills seeds after-ripened at constant temperatures. The model accurately predicted dormancy release for Wongan Hills seeds after-ripened under naturally fluctuating temperatures. Seeds from Merredin responded similarly but had lower dormancy at collection and a faster rate of dormancy release in seeds below 9% water content.

Weed Science ◽  
2004 ◽  
Vol 52 (6) ◽  
pp. 968-975 ◽  
Author(s):  
Robert S. Gallagher ◽  
Kathryn J. Steadman ◽  
Andrew D. Crawford

The effect of hydration (priming) treatment on dormancy release in annual ryegrass seeds from two populations was investigated. Hydration duration, number, and timing with respect to after-ripening were compared in an experiment involving 15 treatment regimens for 12 wk. Seeds were hydrated at 100% relative humidity for 0, 2, or 10 d at Weeks 1, 6, or 12 of after-ripening. Dormancy status was assessed after each hydration treatment by measuring seed germination at 12-hourly alternating 25/15 C (light/dark) periods using seeds directly from the hydration treatment and seeds subjected to 4 d postpriming desiccation. Seeds exposed to one or more hydration events during the 12 wk were less dormant than seeds that remained dry throughout after-ripening. The longer hydration of 10 d promoted greater dormancy loss than either a 2-d hydration or no hydration. For the seed lot that was most dormant at the start of the experiment, two or three rather than one hydration event or a hydration event earlier rather than later during after-ripening promoted greater dormancy release. These effects were not significant for the less-dormant seed lot. For both seed lots, the effect of a single hydration for 2 d at Week 1 or 6 of after-ripening was not manifested until the test at Week 12 of the experiment, suggesting that the hydration events alter the rate of dormancy release during subsequent after-ripening. A hydrothermal priming time model, usually used for modeling the effect of priming on germination rate of nondormant seeds, was successfully applied to dormancy release resulting from the hydration treatments.


2006 ◽  
Vol 16 (1) ◽  
pp. 17-28 ◽  
Author(s):  
Necia B. Bair ◽  
Susan E. Meyer ◽  
Phil S. Allen

After-ripening, the loss of dormancy under dry conditions, is associated with a decrease in mean base water potential for germination ofBromus tectorumL. seeds. After-ripening rate is a linear function of temperature above a base temperature, so that dormancy loss can be quantified using a thermal after-ripening time (TAR) model. To incorporate storage water potential into TAR, we created a hydrothermal after-ripening time (HTAR) model. Seeds from twoB. tectorumpopulations were stored under controlled temperatures (20 or 30 °C) and water potentials (−400 to −40 MPa). Subsamples were periodically removed from each storage treatment and incubated at 15 or 25 °C to determine germination time courses. Dormancy status (mean base water potential) was calculated from each time course using hydrothermal time equations developed for each seed collection. Seeds stored at −400 MPa did not after-ripen. At water potentials from −400 to −150 MPa, the rate of after-ripening increased approximately linearly with increasing water potential. Between −150 and −80 MPa, there was no further increase in after-ripening rate, while at −40 MPa seeds did not after-ripen and showed loss of vigour. These results suggest that the concept of critical water potential thresholds, previously shown to be associated with metabolic activity and desiccation damage in partially hydrated seeds, is also relevant to the process of after-ripening. The HTAR model generally improved field predictions of dormancy loss when the soil was very dry. Reduced after-ripening rate under such conditions provides an ecologically relevant explanation of how seeds prolong dormancy at high summer soil temperatures.


HortScience ◽  
2008 ◽  
Vol 43 (5) ◽  
pp. 1555-1560 ◽  
Author(s):  
Stephanie E. Burnett ◽  
Marc W. van Iersel

Gaura lindheimeri Engelm. & Gray ‘Siskiyou Pink’ (gaura) and Phlox paniculata L. ‘David’ (garden phlox) were grown for 5 weeks in substrates irrigated at volumetric water contents (Θ) of 0.10, 0.15, 0.20, 0.25, 0.30, 0.35, 0.40, or 0.45 m3·m−3 using a capacitance sensor-controlled irrigation system. Volumetric water contents of the substrate measured by the capacitance sensors controlling irrigation were correlated with measurements with a separate handheld meter (r 2 = 0.83) and with volumetric water content set points throughout the study (r 2 > 0.98). Only 3.8 (at an irrigation set point of 0.10 m3·m−3) to 53 L (0.45 m3·m−3) of water was used to irrigate gaura and phlox and 0 to 7.74 L of this water leached out of the substrates. Significant leaching occurred only at Θ set points of 0.40, or 0.45 m3·m−3. Gaura had shorter and fewer branches and reduced dry weight when grown at lower volumetric water contents, but plants irrigated at set points above 0.25 m3·m−3 were large enough to be marketable. Gaura may be grown with capacitance sensor-automated irrigation using water efficiently and minimizing or eliminating leachate and thus nonpoint source pollution.


2006 ◽  
Vol 46 (9) ◽  
pp. 1225
Author(s):  
V. K. Pandita ◽  
Shantha Nagarajan

In a 2-year field study, the umbels of open-pollinated onion cv. ‘Pusa Red’ were tagged on the day of anthesis and were sampled at different intervals until harvest maturity. Each umbel was cut in half and bulked with others in the respective replication. Seeds were immediately taken from half of the umbels for analysis of seed water content, leachate conductivity, seed capsule chlorophyll, seed dry weight and seed germination. They were also subjected to rapid desiccation to identify the stage at which desiccation tolerance occurred. The remaining umbel halves were shade dried and subjected to the same quality analyses except chlorophyll content. With seed maturation, there were rapid declines in chlorophyll content, leachate conductivity and seed water content, whereas seed dry weight and germination increased. In fresh seeds, maximum germination occurred around 50 days after anthesis, when physiological maturity and maximum seed weight were attained. In shade-dried seed, maximum germination occurred at 42 days after anthesis. This coincided with drastic reductions in seed capsule chlorophyll, leachate conductivity and seed water content in fresh seeds. At this stage, reducing sugar concentration declined and non-reducing sugar concentration increased many fold in shade-dried seeds. SDS-PAGE analysis of the heat-stable proteins extracted from the seeds also showed prominent bands in the lower molecular weight region at 42 DAA. Therefore, the shade-dried seeds attained membrane stability at 42 DAA. In cases of adverse weather conditions or disease attack, seed umbels can be harvested as early as 42 DAA and shade dried without compromising seed germination. Desiccation tolerance in fresh onion seeds occurred around 46 DAA and was a gradual event.


2007 ◽  
Vol 17 (1) ◽  
pp. 62-66 ◽  
Author(s):  
Myung Min Oh ◽  
Young Yeol Cho ◽  
Kee Sung Kim ◽  
Jung Eek Son

To determine the adequate irrigation conditions in a nutrient-flow wick culture (NFW) system, the water contents of root media were analyzed with different wick lengths (2 and 3 cm), pot sizes (6-, 10-, and 15-cm diameter), and media compositions (mixtures of 5 peatmoss : 5 perlite and 7 peatmoss : 3 perlite). The growth of potted ‘New Alter’ kalanchoe (Kalanchoe blossfeldiana) in the NFW system was also compared with that of plants grown in other irrigation systems, such as nutrient-stagnant wick culture and ebb-and-flow culture. All factors, such as wick length, pot size, and medium composition, influenced the water content of the medium in the NFW system. Pots that included more peatmoss with a shorter wick could easily take up the nutrient solution. The water content of the media increased by more than 8% and 5% in 2- and 3-cm wick lengths within 15 minutes respectively. The fluctuation of water content became greater with a decrease of pot size in the NFW system. Kalanchoe plants grew well in the NFW system with four irrigations for 15 min per day each. The dry weight and leaf area of the plants were higher in the NFW system (4×) and considerably lower in the NFW system with two irrigations for 15 min per day each. Therefore, more precise irrigation is required in the NFW system than in other systems.


1972 ◽  
Vol 79 (2) ◽  
pp. 235-244 ◽  
Author(s):  
E. S. Bunting

SUMMARYChanges occurring during ripening in dry weight and percentage dry-matter content of grain and rachis (cob) have been studied in Inra 200, and comparable data obtained for a U.S.A. dent hybrid, Minnesota 803, a Canadian flint × dent hybrid, OX 302, and a range of European flint × dent hybrids (Prior, Kelvedon 59A, De Kalb 202, Maris Carmine, Pioneer 131 and Anjou 210).In Minnesota 803, OX 302 and, to a lesser extent, Prior, loss of water from the grain was more rapid than in Inra 200 during later stages of ripening. OX 302 reached a harvestable stage (40% grain water content) 10–12 weeks after silking, about 7 days earlier than Inra 200 in favourable seasons, and nearly 14 days earlier when conditions for ripening were less satisfactory. The patterns of changes occurring in the cob were quite different from those in ripening grain. Maximum dry weight of cob was reached when the grain was in the milk stage, and then declined throughout the period of rapid grain development; in the ripe ear, cob dry weight was 15–20% below its earlier maximum. At comparable grain water contents, the cob in Inra 200 was wetter than in Prior, Minnesota 803 and, even more markedly, OX 302. In contrast, water content in the cob of Maris Carmine and Anjou 210 was slightly higher than in Inra 200. The possible relationship between the differing varietal trends in ripening grain (and cob) and resistance to stalk rot is discussed.The dry weight of the cob in ripe ears of Inra 200 was barely half that found in OX 302 and Minnesota 803, and lower than in other European flint × dent hybrids. Shelling percentage in ripe ears of Inra 200 was 88–90; it was 84–86 in other European flint × dent hybrids, about 80 in Minnesota 803 and 75 in OX 302. Mention is made of the relevance of this information to choice of variety for production of ground ear maize.


2004 ◽  
Vol 14 (2) ◽  
pp. 185-195 ◽  
Author(s):  
Matthew I. Daws ◽  
Christiane S. Gaméné ◽  
Sheila M. Glidewell ◽  
Hugh W. Pritchard

For recalcitrant seeds, mortality curves of germination versus water content typically imply a wide range of desiccation sensitivities within a seed population. However, seed to seed differences in water content, during desiccation, may confound our interpretation of these mortality plots. Here, we illustrate this problem for two batches ofVitellaria paradoxa(Sapotaceae) seeds collected in 1996 and 2002. Whole seeds were desiccated to various target water contents (TWCs) using silica gel. During desiccation, smaller seeds in the population dried most rapidly. Consequently, there was a significant linear relationship between whole-seed water content and seed mass during the drying process. In addition, following desiccation to low TWCs, only the largest seeds in the population retained viability. Taken together, this suggests that the larger seeds survived, not as a consequence of great relative desiccation tolerance, but as a result of taking longer to desiccate. Subsequently, the critical water content (CWC) for viability loss was calculated, based on the assumptions that in the seed population whole-seed water content during desiccation was normally distributed and the smallest, and hence driest, seeds were killed first. Using this approach, the driest seeds in the population that were killed, at each TWC, were always below a single CWC (c. 20% and 26% in 1996 and 2002, respectively). In subsequent experiments the effect of seed size variation on the response to desiccation was confirmed by conducting desiccation screens on seeds sorted into two discrete size classes, i.e. the seed-lot heterogeneity in mass was reduced. Using this approach, the mortality curves had a steeper slope. Furthermore, data for 24 tropical tree species from the Database of Tropical Tree Seed Research (DABATTS) revealed that seed lots with less variability in mass had steeper mortality curves. Thus, taken together, the data suggest that, at least for whole seeds, the wide range of desiccation sensitivities typically inferred is an artefact of seed to seed variation in mass, and hence water contents, during drying.


2021 ◽  
Vol 48 (1) ◽  
pp. 28
Author(s):  
Cristian Malavert ◽  
Diego Batlla ◽  
Roberto L. Benech-Arnold

Seedling emergence in the field is strongly related to the dynamics of dormancy release and induction of the seed bank, which is mainly regulated by soil temperature. However, there is limited information on how temperature-driven effects on dormancy changes are modulated by the seed hydration-level. We investigated the effect of seed water content (SWC) on the dormancy release and dormancy induction in Polygonum aviculare L. seeds. We characterised quantitatively the interaction between seed water content (SWC) and temperature through the measurement of changes in the lower limit temperature for seed germination (Tl) during dormancy changes for seeds with different SWC. These relationships were inserted in existing population-based threshold models and were run against field obtained data. The model considering SWC was able to predict P. aviculare field emergence patterns. However, failure to consider SWC led to overestimations in the emergence size and timing. Our results show that in humid temperate habitats, the occurrence of eventual water shortages during late-winter or spring (i.e. short periods of water content below 31% SWC) can affect soil temperature effects on seed dormancy, and might lead reductions in the emergence size rather than to significant temporal displacements in the emergence window. In conclusion, SWC plays an important role for the perception of temperature signals that drive dormancy changes in buried seeds.


2011 ◽  
Vol 194-196 ◽  
pp. 1176-1179 ◽  
Author(s):  
Xiao Jun Li ◽  
Ying Ran Liu ◽  
Li Hua Jiang ◽  
Yi Chuan Tang

Through double punch test, the tensile strength of compacted loess is determined under different water contents and different dry densities, the relationship between tensile strength, water content and the dry weight density is discussed, and their relationship is established. Comparing with Brazilian test, it proved the feasibility of determining tensile strength of compacted loess with double punch tests.


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