scholarly journals Seed Viability of Heracleum mantegazzianum (Apiaceae) Is Quickly Reduced at Temperatures Prevailing in Biogas Plants

Agronomy ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 9 (6) ◽  
pp. 332
Author(s):  
Tanke ◽  
Müller ◽  
de Mol
Keyword(s):  
Weed Management ◽  
Invasive Plant ◽  
Operating Temperature ◽  
Seed Viability ◽  
Seed Survival ◽  
Ripening Stages ◽  
Heracleum Mantegazzianum ◽  
Biogas Plants ◽  
65 H ◽  
Viable Seeds

Heracleum mantegazzianum is an invasive plant species with enormous effect on ecosystems and human health. Mechanical weed management often results in large amounts of biomass. Fermentation in biogas plants can be used for disposal of this biomass contaminated with seeds and for energetic utilization, if spreading of viable seeds with fermentation residues is prevented. Our aim is to quantify the risk of seed survival in mesophilic biogas plants. Seeds were harvested at three ripening stages in central Germany. They were incubated for 0, 0.5, 1, 2, 4, and 8 days at 35 and 42 °C in water baths. Thereafter, seed viability was assessed by a tetrazolium test. Furthermore, germinative capacity of seeds which had passed an incubation of 48 h at 35 °C were tested. After eight days in water bath none of the 1199 tested seeds were viable anymore. The time until half of the seeds died (ED50) ranged from 9 to 65 h, whereby high temperature accelerated the mortality. Germinative capacity was similar to the seed survival rate. The results suggest that fermentation of H. mantegazzianum biomass poses only a low risk of viable seed spread, if the operating temperature of the biogas plant achieves 42 °C and a high retention time is ensured.

Reproductive ecology of invasive Ochna serrulata (Ochnaceae) in south-eastern Queensland

2006 ◽  
Vol 54 (1) ◽  
pp. 43 ◽  
Author(s):  
Carl R. Gosper ◽  
Gabrielle Vivian-Smith ◽  
Kate Hoad
Keyword(s):  
Field Experiments ◽  
Invasive Plant ◽  
Reproductive Ecology ◽  
Seed Viability ◽  
Dry Weight ◽  
South Eastern ◽  
Seed Sources ◽  
Seed Processing ◽  
Eastern Australia ◽  
Viable Seeds

We investigated aspects of the reproductive ecology of Ochna serrulata (Hochst.) Walp., an invasive plant in eastern Australia. O. serrulata drupes were similar in size to fleshy fruits of other local invasive plants, but showed some distinct differences in quality, with a very high pulp lipid content (32.8% of dry weight), and little sugar and water. Seeds were dispersed by figbirds, Sphecotheres viridis Vieillot, a locally abundant frugivore, and comprised between 10 and 50% of all non-Ficus spp. fruit consumed during October and November. The rate of removal of O. serrulata drupes was greater in bushland than suburban habitats, indicating that control in bushland habitats should be a priority, but also that suburban habitats are likely to act as significant seed sources for reinvasion of bushland. Germination occurred under all seed-processing treatments (with and without pulp, and figbird gut passage), suggesting that although frugivores are important for dispersal, they are not essential for germination. Recruitment of buried and surface-sown seed differed between greenhouse and field experiments, with minimal recruitment of surface-sown seed in the field. Seed persistence was low, particularly under field conditions, with 0.75% seed viability after 6 months and 0% at 12 months. This provides an opportunity to target control efforts in south-eastern Queensland in spring before fruit set, when there is predicted to be few viable seeds in the soil.

The Biology of Invasive Alien Plants in Canada. 4. Heracleum mantegazzianum Sommier & Levier

2006 ◽  
Vol 86 (2) ◽  
pp. 569-589 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nicholas A. Page ◽  
Ronald E. Wall ◽  
Stephen J. Darbyshire ◽  
Gerald A. Mulligan
Keyword(s):  
British Columbia ◽  
Urban Areas ◽  
Native Species ◽  
Invasive Plant ◽  
Leaf Shape ◽  
Herbarium Specimens ◽  
Natural Ecosystems ◽  
Alien Plant ◽  
Invasive Alien Plant ◽  
Heracleum Mantegazzianum

Heracleum mantegazzianum (giant hogweed) is an invasive alien plant of management concern in southern Canada where it has escaped from horticulture and established and spread in natural, ruderal, and agricultural ecosystems. It poses a threat to natural ecosystems and human health, and is also a weed in agricultural and urban areas. It is a member of the Carrot family (Apiaceae) and is closely related to the native species Heracleum maximum Bartram (cow-parsnip). It is a monocarpic perennial, which generally flowers in its 3rd or 4th year. Large size, leaf shape, dark reddish pigments in patches on stems and petioles, and fruit characteristics readily distinguish H. mantegazzianum from other plants in Canada. It is increasingly common in riparian areas, floodplains, and forest edges in or near urban areas in southwestern British Columbia and southern Ontario. Based on herbarium specimens, H. mantegazzianum was first recorded in Ontario in 1949, British Columbia in 1964, Nova Scotia in 1980, Quebec in 1990, and New Brunswick in 2000. The development of dense stands of H. mantegazzianum can also reduce the richness of native plants. Contact with H. mantegazzianum can cause phytophotodermatitis, a serious skin inflammation caused by UV photo-activation of furanocoumarins present in the sap. Control methods include herbicide application, mechanical cutting, and animal grazing, but strategies to address seed dispersal and re-establishment from dormant seed must also be adopted. Widespread establishment in southern Canada suggests that eradication is unlikely. However, range expansion and rapid population growth can be prevented through strategic management including public education. Key words: Giant hogweed, Heracleum mantegazzianum, Apiaceae, HERMZ, invasive plant, weed biology, furanocoumarins

scholarly journals Using Microwave Soil Heating to Inhibit Invasive Species Seed Germination

2017 ◽  
Vol 10 (3) ◽  
pp. 262-270 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mélissa De Wilde ◽  
Elise Buisson ◽  
Nicole Yavercovski ◽  
Loïc Willm ◽  
Livia Bieder ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Invasive Species ◽  
Soil Moisture ◽  
Seed Germination ◽  
Invasive Plant ◽  
Organic Matter Content ◽  
Seed Viability ◽  
Germination Percentage ◽  
Matter Content ◽  
Burial Depth ◽  
Experimental Conditions

Successful invasive plant eradication is rare, because the methods used target the adult stage, not taking into account the development capacity of a large seedbank. Heating by microwave was considered, because it offers a means to quickly reach the temperature required for loss of seed viability and inhibition of germination. Previous results were not encouraging, because homogeneous and deep-wave penetration was not achieved, and the various parameters that can affect treatment effectiveness were incompletely addressed. This study aimed to determine, under experimental conditions, the best microwave treatment to inhibit invasive species seed germination in terms of power (2, 4, 6 kW) and duration (2, 4, 8 min) of treatments and depending on soil moisture (10%, 13%, 20%, 30%) and seed burial depth (2, 12 cm). Three invasive species were tested: Bohemian knotweed, giant goldenrod, and jimsonweed. The most effective treatments required relatively high power and duration (2kW8min, 4kW4min, 6kW2min, and 6kW4min; 4kW8min and 6kW8min were not tested for technical reasons), and their effectiveness diminished with increasing soil moisture with germination percentage between 0% and 2% for the lowest soil moisture, 0% and 56% for intermediate soil moisture, and 27% and 68% in control treatments. For the highest soil moisture, only 2kW8min and 4kW4min reduced germination percentage between 2% and 19%. Occasionally, germination of seeds located at the 12-cm depth was more strongly affected. Giant goldenrod seeds were the most sensitive, probably due to their small size. Results are promising and justify further experiments before developing a field microwave device to treat large volumes of soil infested by invasive seed efficiently and with reasonable energy requirements. Other types of soil, in terms of texture and organic matter content, should be tested in future experiments, because these factors influence soil water content and, consequently, microwave heating.

scholarly journals Effect of desiccation temperature on viability of immature dandelion (Taraxacum agg.) seeds dried in mowed inflorescences

2010 ◽  
Vol 56 (No. 12) ◽  
pp. 580-583 ◽  
Author(s):  
Z. Martinková ◽  
A. Honěk
Keyword(s):  
Seed Dispersal ◽  
High Temperatures ◽  
Seed Viability ◽  
Late Summer ◽  
Seed Maturation ◽  
Ripe Seed ◽  
Viable Seeds

After flowering has ceased, dandelion (Taraxacum agg.) capitula close to enable maturation of seeds. In late summer the period of seed maturation lasts for 9 days. The capitula mowed later than 4 days after the start of this period and desiccated at 25°C produce viable seeds. If cut and prostrated on insolated ground inflorescences can experience temperatures exceeding 50°C which may impair seed viability. We determined the effect of desiccation temperature (5, 15, 25, 35, 45 or 55°C) on viability of ripening seeds using inflorescences harvested on September 5, 2008 at Prague-Ruzyne (50°05'N, 14°18'09 E), five days after flowering ceased (about 4 days before seed dispersal). As control, ripe seeds were collected at dispersal on the same day and desiccated at identical temperatures. Desiccated seeds were germinated at constant 17°C. Ripening seeds of maturing capitula only remained germinable if desiccation temperatures were ≤ 35°C (optimum 25°C) and were killed at 45 and 55°C. The viability of ripe seed was not affected by any of the desiccation temperatures. Time of germination of 50% seeds that germinated was significantly shorter in ripe than ripening seeds. Exposure of mowed dandelion inflorescences on insolated ground (solarization) may thus decrease production of viable seeds because of high temperatures experienced during desiccation.  

Effect of Ensiling and Rumen Digestion by Cattle on Weed Seed Viability

Weed Science ◽  
1991 ◽  
Vol 39 (1) ◽  
pp. 104-108 ◽  
Author(s):  
Robert E. Blackshaw ◽  
Lyle M. Rode
Keyword(s):  
Time Course ◽  
Seed Viability ◽  
Grass Species ◽  
Lag Phase ◽  
Rapid Decline ◽  
Weed Species ◽  
Embryo Viability ◽  
Seed Survival ◽  
Gradual Process ◽  
Broadleaf Species

Studies were conducted to determine the effect of ensiling and/or rumen digestion by cattle on the germination and viability of several common weed species. Seed survival of grass species subjected to ensiling and/or rumen digestion tended to be less than that of broadleaf species. Downy brome, foxtail barley, and barnyardgrass were nonviable after either ensiling for 8 weeks or rumen digestion for 24 h. Some green foxtail (17%) and wild oats (0 to 88%) seeds survived digestion in the rumen but were killed by the ensiling process. Varying percentages of seeds of kochia, redroot pigweed, common lambsquarters, wild buckwheat, round-leaved mallow, and field pennycress remained viable after ensiling (3 to 30%), rumen digestion (15 to 98%), and ensiling plus rumen digestion (2 to 19%). A time course study of rumen digestion indicated that loss of seed viability often was not a gradual process. With some species, there was an initial lag phase while degradation of the protective seed coat likely occurred, followed by a rapid decline in embryo viability. The diet fed to livestock appeared to affect viability losses caused by rumen digestion. Estimates of seed survival with varying rates of passage through the rumen due to differing ratios of grain to forage in the diet are presented.

Quantitative reduction of triphenyl tetrazolium chloride as a measure of viability in cereal seeds

1972 ◽  
Vol 12 (58) ◽  
pp. 517 ◽  
Author(s):  
RL Harty ◽  
LG Paleg ◽  
D Aspinall
Keyword(s):  
Sample Size ◽  
Standard Procedure ◽  
Seed Viability ◽  
Close Correlation ◽  
Triphenyl Tetrazolium Chloride ◽  
Tetrazolium Chloride ◽  
Enzyme Systems ◽  
Dehydrogenase Enzyme ◽  
Viable Seeds ◽  
Extracting Solvent

The reduction of 2,3,5-triphenyl tetrazolium chloride (TTC) to a coloured formazan derivative by dehydrogenase enzyme systems in viable seeds has been examined. TTC reduction occurs in dry but not wetmilled tissue and the coloured product could be extracted by any of several organic solvents. This formazan product was estimated spectrophotometrically at 480 nm. The influence of fineness of grinding the tissue, TTC concentration, period of treatment, sample size, vacuum infiltration of the milled tissue with TTC and of extracting solvent were examined and a standard procedure is suggested. Using this procedure, a close correlation between seed viability and TTC reduction was demonstrated. The advantages of this method over the widely used topographical method for estimating seed viability with TTC are discussed.

Experiences with invasive plant management and ecology in Alberta

2007 ◽  
Vol 87 (5) ◽  
pp. 1013-1022 ◽  
Author(s):  
D. E. Cole ◽  
J. R. King ◽  
D. A. Oyarzun ◽  
T. H. Dietzler ◽  
A. S. McClay
Keyword(s):  
Weed Management ◽  
Invasive Plant ◽  
Management Strategies ◽  
Grazing Management ◽  
Integrated Weed Management ◽  
Plant Management ◽  
Invasive Plant Species ◽  
Invasive Plant Management ◽  
Ecological Principles ◽  
Silene Pratensis

A number of invasive plant management strategies, including competition, fertilizer, herbicide, combination of fertilizer and herbicide, biological control, mowing, grazing management, prevention, eradication and education have been investigated and employed in Alberta. The integrated weed management (IWM) strategies are overlapping, interconnected and based on ecological principles. Research on several invasive plant species, including ox-eye daisy (Leucanthemum vulgare Lam.), scentless chamomile [Tripleurospermum perforatum (Mérat) Laínz] and white cockle [Silene pratensis (Raf.) Godr. & Gren.] has provided ecological information showing the importance of maintaining healthy, competitive plant communities. Key words: Invasive plants, management, ox-eye daisy, competition, Alberta

scholarly journals Electrical impedance spectroscopy in relation to seed viability and moisture content in snap bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L.)

2002 ◽  
Vol 12 (1) ◽  
pp. 17-29 ◽  
Author(s):  
T. Repo ◽  
D.H. Paine ◽  
A.G. Taylor
Keyword(s):  
Phaseolus Vulgaris ◽  
Impedance Spectroscopy ◽  
Moisture Content ◽  
Electrical Impedance ◽  
Seed Viability ◽  
Impedance Spectrum ◽  
Electrical Circuit ◽  
Electrical Impedance Spectroscopy ◽  
Snap Bean ◽  
Viable Seeds

A method, electrical impedance spectroscopy (EIS), is introduced to study seed viability non-destructively. Snap bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) seeds were studied by EIS to determine the most sensitive EIS parameter(s) and the optimal range of moisture content (MC) for separation of viable and non-viable seeds. Hydrated seeds exhibited two impedance arcs in the complex plane at the frequency range from 60 Hz to 8 MHz, and impedance spectra of viable and non-viable seeds differed. The hydrated seeds were best-modelled by an equivalent electrical circuit with two distributed circuit elements in series with a resistor (Voigt model). Moisture content and seed viability had strong effects on the EIS parameters. The most sensitive EIS parameters for detecting the differences between viable and non-viable seeds were the capacitance log(C2), the resistance R2, the resistance ratio R2/R1 and the apex ratio, which all represent specific features of the impedance spectrum. The highest differentiation in the EIS parameters between the viable and non-viable seeds occurred in partially imbibed seeds between MC of 40 and 45% (fresh weight basis).

An Integrated Weed Management Procedure for the Control of Dodder (Cuscuta indecora) in Alfalfa (Medicago sativa)

1992 ◽  
Vol 6 (3) ◽  
pp. 603-606 ◽  
Author(s):  
D. W. Cudney ◽  
S. B. Orloff ◽  
J. S. Reints
Keyword(s):  
Medicago Sativa ◽  
Weed Management ◽  
Southern California ◽  
Seed Viability ◽  
Stand Density ◽  
Integrated Approach ◽  
Integrated Weed Management ◽  
Herbicide Treatment ◽  
Management Procedure ◽  
High Desert

Largeseed dodder is the most troublesome weed in alfalfa fields in the high desert of Southern California. Preemergence treatment with trifluralin controls dodder early in the season, but, as the season progresses, control declines. A method was needed to control attached dodder plants that escaped preemergence treatment. Flail mowing was compared to burning with a handheld propane-fueled weed burner. These methods were equally effective for controlling attached dodder, but flail mowing was more economical, and less injurious to alfalfa yield and stand density. Burning dodder patches at the end of the season reduced dodder seed viability by an average of 99%. Thus, we propose the use of a three tiered integrated approach consisting of PRE herbicide treatment followed by flail mowing in mid-season to control escaped dodder and burning at the end of the season to reduce dodder seed.

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document