Effects of wetting and drying on seed germination and seedling emergence of bull thistle, Cirsium vulgare (Savi) Ten.

2000 ◽  
Vol 78 (12) ◽  
pp. 1545-1551 ◽  
Author(s):  
Michael P Downs ◽  
Paul B Cavers

Seeds of bull thistle, Cirsium vulgare (Savi) Ten., were exposed to varying numbers of cycles of wetting and drying, in both Petri dishes and pots of soil, to investigate the effects of exposure to such cycles on subsequent germination of the seeds or emergence of the seedlings. Following exposure to the cycles, seeds in Petri dishes were set to germinate in one of four diurnal environments: 20:10°C alternating light and darkness, 20:10°C constant darkness, 30:15°C alternating light and darkness, or 30:15°C constant darkness. Total percent germination was reduced after exposure to eight cycles of wetting and drying, and germination rate was reduced after exposure to two or more cycles. Percent germination was reduced at the higher temperature but light availability had little effect. Reduction in seedling emergence in pots of soil after exposure to an intermediate number of cycles was greater than in Petri dishes but not as great with exposure to eight cycles. Seedling emergence patterns in pots that experienced any wetting-drying treatment were bimodal, with a second pulse of emergence several weeks after the termination of the cycles. This suggests that some seeds were induced into a dormant state through exposure to the cycles of wetting and drying. Such induced dormancy may serve to prevent seed germination in the autumn, promoting an attenuated and intermittent pattern of germination.Key words: Cirsium vulgare, bull thistle, wetting and drying, seed germination, induced dormancy, intermittent germination.

1996 ◽  
Vol 74 (9) ◽  
pp. 1386-1391 ◽  
Author(s):  
Colleen Doucet ◽  
Paul B. Cavers

Seeds of Cirsium vulgare were collected from two populations in southwestern Ontario and stored at the site of collection at three depths in the soil. After intervals of 6 to 30 months, seed samples were extracted, the seeds classed as germinated, dead, or firm, and then the firm seeds were set to germinate in a growth cabinet. Both populations established a persistent seed bank when left at the 15 cm depth; however, most seeds do not get buried at great depths. After storage at the surface or 3 cm deep, seeds in an arable sandy soil did not persist beyond 6 months. In contrast, some seeds stored in shaded conditions in a clay loam soil maintained viability for 30 months at die surface and at 3 cm. In some cases, the germination rate of seeds was retarded after storage, especially for seeds that were extracted from soils subjected to wetting and drying before seed retrieval. A separate experiment confirmed that wetting and drying can delay the germination of some seeds of C. vulgare. Key words: seed bank, germination, seed wetting and drying, Cirsium vulgare, bull thistle.


1992 ◽  
Vol 2 (1) ◽  
pp. 15 ◽  
Author(s):  
L Valbuena ◽  
R Tarrega ◽  
E Luis

The influence of high temperatures on germination of Cistus laurifolius and Cistus ladanifer seeds was analyzed. Seeds were subjected to different temperatures for different times, afterwards they were sowed in plastic petri dishes and monitored for germinated seeds over two months.The germination rate observed in Cistus ldanifer was greater than in Cistus laurifolius. In both species, heat increased germination percentages. For Cistus laurifolius higher temperatures or longer exposure times were needed. Germination percentages of Cistus ladanifer were lower when heat exposure time was 15 minutes.It must be emphasized that germination occurred when seeds were not treated, while seeds exposed to 150�C for 5 minutes or more did not germinate.


2013 ◽  
Vol 31 (4) ◽  
pp. 823-832 ◽  
Author(s):  
A. Derakhshan ◽  
J. Gherekhloo

Specific knowledge about the dormancy, germination, and emergence patterns of weed species aids the development of integrated management strategies. Laboratory studies were conducted to determine the effect of several environmental factors on seed germination and seedling emergence of Cyperus difformis. Germination of freshly harvested seeds was inhibited by darkness; however, when seeds were subsequently transferred to complete light they germinated readily. Our results showed that 2 wk of cold stratification overcome the light requirement for germination. Seeds of C. difformis were able to germinate over a broad range of temperatures (25/15, 30/20, 35/25, and 40/30 ºC day/night). The response of germination rate to temperature was described as a non-linear function. Based on model outputs, the base, the optimum and the ceiling temperatures were estimated as 14.81, 37.72 and 45 ºC, respectively. A temperature of 120 ºC for a 5 min was required to inhibit 50% of maximum germination. The osmotic potential and salinity required for 50% inhibition of maximum germination were -0.47 MPa and 135.57 mM, respectively. High percentage of seed germination (89%) was observed at pH=6 and decreased to 12% at alkaline medium (pH 9) pH. Seeds sown on the soil surface gave the greatest percentage of seedling emergence, and no seedlings emerged from seeds buried in soil at depths of 1 cm.


Weed Science ◽  
2017 ◽  
Vol 66 (1) ◽  
pp. 47-56 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ning Zhao ◽  
Qi Li ◽  
Wenlei Guo ◽  
Lele Zhang ◽  
Lu’an Ge ◽  
...  

Shortawn foxtail is an invasive grass weed infesting winter wheat and canola production in China. A better understanding of the germination ecology of shortawn foxtail would help to develop better control strategies for this weed. Experiments were conducted under laboratory conditions to evaluate the effects of various abiotic factors, including temperature, light, pH, osmotic stress, salt concentration, and planting depth, on seed germination and seedling emergence of shortawn foxtail. The results showed that the seed germination rate was greater than 90% over a wide range of constant (5 to 25C) and alternating (15/5 to 35/25C) temperatures. Maximum germination occurred at 20C or 25/15C, and no germination occurred at 35C. Light did not appear to have any effect on seed germination. Shortawn foxtail germination was 27% to 99% over a pH range of 4 to 10, and higher germination was obtained at alkaline pH values ranging from 7 to 10. Seed germination was sensitive to osmotic potential and completely inhibited at an osmotic potential of −0.6 MPa, but it was tolerant to salinity: germination even occurred at 200 mM NaCl (5%). Seedling emergence was highest (98%) when seeds were placed on the soil surface but declined with the increasing burial depth. No seedlings emerged when seeds were buried 6-cm deep. Deep tillage could be an effective measure to limit seed germination from increased burial depth. The results of this study will lead to a better understanding of the requirements for shortawn foxtail germination and emergence and will provide information that could contribute to its control.


2015 ◽  
Vol 43 (1) ◽  
pp. 153-158 ◽  
Author(s):  
Faruk TOKLU

An experiment was conducted under laboratory and field conditions in order to evaluate the effects of different priming treatments, specifically KNO3 (1%), KCl (2%), KH2PO4 (1%), ZnSO4 (0.05%), PEG-6000 (20%), IBA (100 ppm), Mannitol (4%), GA3 (100 ppm) and distilled water, on seed germination properties and several agro-morphological plant characteristics of red lentil. Seeds not primed were used as a control. GA3 treatment increased shoot length. The control (non-primed seeds) treatment resulted in increased seedling root number and length. Distilled water, ZnSO4 and control treatments increased germination rate and percentage. In the pot experiments, GA3 treatment increased plant height and seedling emergence rate, whereas KCl treatment improved the number of nodules, as well as root and shoot dry weight when compared to the control. ZnSO4 treatment increased yield components and grain yield in field conditions. The results of this study showed that ZnSO4, GA3 and PEG-6000 seed priming treatments may be useful tools due to their positive effects on germination rate, germination percentage, yield component and grain yield of lentil.


Agronomy ◽  
2022 ◽  
Vol 12 (1) ◽  
pp. 190
Author(s):  
Lei Chu ◽  
Yiping Gao ◽  
Lingling Chen ◽  
Patrick E. McCullough ◽  
David Jespersen ◽  
...  

White clover (Trifolium repens L.) is cultivated as a forage crop and planted in various landscapes for soil conservation. There are numerous reports of failed white clover stands each year. A good understanding of the seed germination biology of white clover in relation to environmental factors is essential to achieve successful stand establishment. A series of experiments were conducted to investigate the impacts of light, temperature, planting depth, drought, and salt stress on seed germination and the emergence of white clover. White clover is negatively photoblastic, and seed germination averaged 63 and 66% under light and complete dark conditions 4 weeks after planting (WAP), respectively. Temperature affected the seed germination speed and rate. At 1 WAP, seeds incubated at 15 to 25 °C demonstrated a significantly higher germination rate than the low temperatures at 5 and 10 °C; however, the germination rate did not differ among the temperature treatments at 4 WAP. The results suggest that white clover germination decreases with increasing sowing depths, and the seeds should be sown on the soil surface or shallowly buried at a depth ≤1 cm to achieve an optimal emergence. White clover seeds exhibited high sensitivity to drought and salinity stress. The osmotic potential and NaCl concentration required to inhibit 50% seed germination were −0.19 MPa and 62.4 mM, respectively. Overall, these findings provide quantifiable explanations for inconsistent establishment observed in field conditions. The results obtained in this research can be used to develop effective planting strategies and support the successful establishment of white clover stands.


Weed Science ◽  
1986 ◽  
Vol 34 (6) ◽  
pp. 865-870 ◽  
Author(s):  
Susan E. Weaver ◽  
A. Gordon Thomas

Percent germination and germination rates of seeds of atrazine (6-chloro-N-ethyl-N′-(1-methylethyl)-1,3,5-triazine-2,4-diamine)-resistant and -susceptible biotypes of redroot pigweed (Amaranthus retroflexusL. # AMARE) and Powell amaranth (A. powelliiS. Wats. # AMAPO) from southern Ontario were compared in petri dishes using a 100-cell germination plate. The plate provided 100 separately controlled, alternating temperature combinations ranging from 0 to 45 C in increments of 5 C. The experiment was conducted under alternating light and dark conditions for 21 days and under constant dark conditions for 7 days. Initial seed viabilities exceeded 90% for all four biotypes. Under alternating light and darkness, the resistant biotype of Powell amaranth had significantly lower total germination and a slower rate of germination than the susceptible biotype, whereas the biotypes of redroot pigweed did not differ in germination response. Germination rate and total germination were positively correlated for all four biotypes. In constant darkness, the atrazineresistant biotypes of both species had significantly lower germination percentages compared to the susceptible biotypes. In general, percent germination of Powell amaranth was greater than that of redroot pigweed for day and night temperatures <25 C, whereas redroot pigweed had greater germination at higher temperatures. Greater seed dormancy of the resistant biotypes under some light and temperature combinations may have implications for the persistence of resistant populations in the field.


2005 ◽  
Vol 45 (4) ◽  
pp. 391 ◽  
Author(s):  
B. Zhang ◽  
B. C. Jacobs ◽  
M. O'Donnell ◽  
J. Guo

Salt tolerances of 3 cultivars, Menemen puccinellia (Puccinellia ciliata Bor), Tyrrell and Dundas [tall wheatgrass, Thinopyrum ponticum (Podp.) Z. W. Liu and R. R. C. Wang], were compared with respect to their seed germination, adaptive responses to salt and waterlogging, seedling emergence, plant growth, shoot osmolality and mineral contents in a series of salt-stress experiments. An inverse normal distribution provided good fits for the time to seed germination. Under NaCl stress, 50% of the control (distilled water) seed germination rates of Menemen, Tyrrell and Dundas were achieved in 178.8, 300.9 and 296.8 mmol/L NaCl, respectively. Fifty percent of the control seedling emergence rates of these 3 cultivars were in 92.7, 107.2 and 113.5 mmol/L NaCl, respectively. The seed germination rates of these 3 cultivars under both salt and waterlogging stress were far lower than those germinated only under salt stress at the same salt level. Seed pretreatment by soaking seed in NaCl solutions greatly increased the seed germination rate under salt stress for Menemen and under both salt stress and waterlogging for Dundas. Tyrrell and Dundas were very similar in their tolerance to salt stress, and were significantly (P<0.05) more salt tolerant than Menemen in terms of seed germination and seedling emergence rate. Both shoot height and dry matter of these 3 cultivars were not statistically different among all salt stress levels during the seedling elongation period, indicating that the established plants of these 3 cultivars were very salt tolerant. The salt tolerance mechanisms of these 3 cultivars are possibly related to their abilities to maintain high osmolality in shoots by regulating high sodium and potassium contents, and reducing calcium deficiency under salt stress.


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