scholarly journals Frugivory by Coyotes Decreases the Time to Germination and Increases the Growth of Netleaf Hackberry (Celtis reticulata) Seedlings

Forests ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 11 (7) ◽  
pp. 727
Author(s):  
Michael T. Stevens ◽  
Sydney Houghton ◽  
Hannah A. Veltkamp

Research Highlights: Frugivory by mammals is a common plant–animal interaction, but additional studies that examine the effects of frugivory on woody plants are needed. We show that ingestion of netleaf hackberry (Celtis reticulata Torr.) fruits by coyotes (Canis latrans Say) cuts the time to germination nearly in half and results in seedlings that are taller than the controls. Background and Objectives: Netleaf hackberry is a deciduous shrub to small tree that can be long-lived, but newly established stands are rare. The lack of juvenile hackberry in its native range of southwestern North America could be due to low percentages of germination and seedling survival. We hypothesized that passage through the digestive tract of a coyote would increase the germination and subsequent growth of netleaf hackberry. Materials and Methods: In the Wasatch Mountains of Utah, we collected coyote scats containing visible hackberry fruits and picked fresh fruits from nearby hackberry shrubs. All samples were cleaned and cold-stratified. We sowed 20 seeds from each of the 34 samples into containers in the greenhouse (a total of 680 seeds). We noted the date of emergence and final height of each seedling after 131 days. Results: The germination percentage of the coyote-treatment seeds did not differ from that of the controls. However, the coyote-ingested seeds took just over half as many days to germinate as did the undigested controls (35 days vs. 69 days, respectively; p < 0.001) and the resulting seedlings were 9.5% taller by the end of the growing season (6.4 vs. 5.8 cm, respectively; p < 0.001). Conclusions: Consumption by coyotes can benefit hackberries by enabling their seeds to germinate earlier in the year when conditions are wetter and cooler. The additional time for establishment and growth afforded by frugivory likely increases the fitness of netleaf hackberry seedlings that emerge into the unpredictable conditions of a semi-arid region.

2017 ◽  
Vol 4 (04) ◽  
Author(s):  
ANURADHA PATEL ◽  
POONAM VERMA ◽  
SHARDA CHOUDHARY ◽  
ARVIND KUMAR VERMA

Fenugreek (Trigonella foenum-graecumL.) is an annual crop, mainly used as a spiceand leafy vegetable crop in many parts of the world. Classical breeding in fenugreek is restricted due to its low genetic variability and small flower size which hamper manual emasculation and pollination. Mutation breeding is an effective way to enrich genetic variability in crop plants. An experiment was conducted to determine the lethal dose of the physical mutagen gamma rays in fenugreek. The dry seeds of fenugreek were exposed to different doses of gamma rays i.e. 150Gy, 200Gy, 250Gy, 300Gy and 350Gy. These irradiated seeds were sown in the Petri plates with non-irradiated seeds (control). As the dose of gamma rays increased, there was a decrease in germination percentage, seedling survival, root length, shoot length and vigour index. Among five doses of gamma rays, the maximum seed germination was observed at lowest dose 150Gy (93%), followed by 200Gy (83%), 250Gy (76%), 300Gy (76%) and 350Gy (64%). The seedling survival was decreased from 90% (in control) to 56% in 350Gy dose of gamma rays. The gamma rays dose of 150Gy gave stimulatory effect on seedlings growth. The growth parameters were dose dependent, as the dose of gamma rays increased from 200Gy to 350Gy. The gamma rays dose of 350Gy showed 64% seeds germination and 56% of seedlings survival. Therefore, it is concluded that the LD50 dose for fenugreek is close to 350Gy. This information would be highly useful for initiating mutation breeding programme in fenugreek


2018 ◽  
Vol 35 (1) ◽  
pp. 211-216
Author(s):  
A. Chapagain ◽  
A. Khanal

Cucumber is the fourth most important vegetable crop worldwide favored for its edible fruit. Cucumber cannot be grown in the winter months due to its intolerance to cold and frost. An experiment was conducted in IAAS, Lamjung to test the effectiveness of various nursery raising conditions for achieving earlier harvest in spring. Three treatments viz. cold frame, hotbed, and open were selected and replicated 30 times each. Data on germination speed, germination percentage, true leaf initiation, plant height, tendril initiation, days to first flowering, days to harvesting, length and diameter of fruit and fruit yield were recorded. Hotbed achieved earlier germination (8 days) followed by cold frames (8.57 days) and open (12.73 days) respectively with cold frame having the highest germination percentage (98%) followed by a hotbed (96%) and open (90%). True leaf initiation was earlier in a cold frame (21.5 days), followed by hot bed (22.83 days) and open (30.97 days). Transplanting of cold frame and hotbed seedlings could be performed 10 days prior to open. Final height attained was significantly maximum for cold-frame plants (97.93 cm) and minimum for a hotbed (76.19 cm) with open being indifferent (86.17 cm) to cold frame and hotbed. Days to tendril initiation, days to flowering and days to first harvest were 57.52, 66.87 and 82.93 days respectively for cold-frame which was significantly minimum compared to hotbed (64.04, 70.38 and 86.95 days) and open (65.73, 71.23, 85.58 days), both being indifferent. Significantly maximum yield was obtained from cold-frame (1465.73 g) with open yielding significantly minimum (1004.06 g) and hotbed being indifferent (1122.45 g) to cold frame and open. Cold-frames are found to be comparatively effective to hotbed and open condition with 3.12 days earlier and 35% higher yield.


2015 ◽  
Vol 7 (2) ◽  
pp. 964-969 ◽  
Author(s):  
Dileswar Nayak ◽  
N. S. Patil ◽  
L. K. Behera ◽  
D. B. Jadeja

The present investigation was carried out at the Forestry Research Farm, Navsari Agricultural University; Navsari to evaluate the gamma rays at 10 kR, 20 kR and 30 kR induced variability in Jatropha curcas L. on germination, growth and yield for seven Jatropha genotypes (Phule J-1, Urlikanchan, Hansraj, SKN Big, Chhatrapati, Hansot and MPJ-55). The significantly maximum germination percentage (66.96%), seedling survival (74.18%), seedling collar diameter (0.958cm), shoot length (49.442cm), number of leaves per seedling (7.757) and leaf area (37. 58)was observed in Chhatrapati genotype during nursery stage. While low rate of gamma rays treatment (10 kR) had stimulatory effect for germination percentage, seedling survival, seedling collar diameter, shoot length, number of leaves per seedling and leaf area. However, higher gamma rays doses (30 kR) drastically reduced all studied characters. The interaction effect of genotype and gamma rays were significant for number of leaves per seedling. Further, it was not significant in other traits like germination percentage, seedling survival, seedling collar diameter, shoot length and leaf area.


Author(s):  
Sofia ARGYRIOU ◽  
Panayiota PAPASTYLIANOU ◽  
George STAVROPOULOS ◽  
Angeliki KOUSTA ◽  
Ioanna KAKABOUKI ◽  
...  

Helichrysum amorginum is a perennial shrub, endemic on the Greek island of Amorgos and used for medicinal, cosmetic and ornamental purposes. Information concerning germination behavior and seedling survival is considered essential for the establishment and cultivation of wild species. The objective of this study was to investigate the effect of temperature and light on germination of Helichrysum amorginum seeds. A set of experiments was conducted under completely randomized design with four replications of 200 seeds at three different suboptimal germination temperatures (15, 20 and 25°C) in light and dark conditions for 10 days. Seed material was collected from two different fields of the island (Aegiali and Katapola). The germination performance was evaluated by final germination percentage and mean germination time. The effect of temperature on seed germination percentage and mean germination time was significant in all cases. The presence of light enhanced germination, especially at the optimum temperature of 20°C. In most cases the mean germination time increased at the lower temperature of 15°C. Seeds from Aegiali exhibited higher germination ability than the seed lot from Katapola. Knowledge of seed germination behaviour is of major importance in order to establish effective protocols for seed propagation in Helichrysum amorginum.


2017 ◽  
Vol 45 (2) ◽  
pp. 110
Author(s):  
Babli Mog, J.D. Adiga M.G. Nayak and G.S. Mohana

<p>Seeds of cashew were used to determine the effect of seed mass (5.2 to 7.8 g) on germination, seedling emergence and growth<br />under nursery conditions. Germination percentage and germination time showed significant correlation with seed mass. Large<br />sized seeds had higher germination percentage (81.6%) and produced more vigorous seedlings. Per cent seedling emergence was<br />related to seed mass with large sized seeds exhibited faster emergence. Seed mass significantly affected seedling survival and<br />survival rate was high in seedlings arising from large sized seeds (62.9%). Seedling vigor expressed in terms of shoot and root<br />length, leaf number, leaf area and total dry matter was significantly affected by seed mass. Seedlings that emerged from large sized<br />seeds showed better growth and produced heavier seedlings as compared to medium sized seeds. RGR showed significant variation<br />(0.152 to 0.240 g g-1day-1) among two seed size classes positively correlated with seed mass, leaf area (LA), unit leaf rate per unit<br />leaf area (ULRM), root to shoot ratio (R/S) and root mass ratio (RMR) and negatively with stem mass ratio (SMR). The study<br />concluded that the seed mass and RGR have influence on seedling growth and success of seedling establishment in cashew.</p>


2008 ◽  
Vol 133 (2) ◽  
pp. 167-172 ◽  
Author(s):  
Seong Min Woo ◽  
Hazel Y. Wetzstein

Georgia plume (Elliottia racemosa Muhlenb. ex. Elliott) is a rare deciduous shrub or small tree. It has sustained severe loss of habitat and its range is now restricted to a limited number of sites in the state of Georgia. Tissue culture protocols have been developed as a means to propagate and conserve this threatened species using leaf explants induced on medium supplemented with 10 μm thidiazuron (TDZ) and 5 μm indole-3-acetic acid (IAA). Bud-like clusters, elongated embryo-like protrusions, and shoot-like structures were produced from the leaf explants. Morphological and histological evaluations of cultures during induction and development were conducted using light microscopy of sectioned material and scanning electron micrography. Histology of explant tissues indicates that plant regeneration of Georgia plume occurs through a shoot organogenesis pathway that involves the formation of actively dividing meristematic regions originating in subepidermal cell layers that proliferate to form protuberances on the explant surface. Numerous well-formed shoot apical meristems with leaf primordia are produced, as well as fused shoot-like structures. Elongated, embryo-like structures had various degrees of shoot apex development. Evaluations of serial sections found that they lacked a defined root apex, and that basal portions were composed of parenchymatous files of cells with a broad point of attachment to the parent tissue. The lack of bipolarity and a root pole signifies that true somatic embryogenesis does not occur.


2018 ◽  
Vol 10 (4) ◽  
pp. 584-596 ◽  
Author(s):  
Oluwaloni P. OLUWANISOLA ◽  
Abdullahi A. ABDULRAHAMAN

The effect of different levels of spent engine oil application on germination, survival, growth, leaf anatomy, yield, nutrient content and heavy metals uptake of okra (Abelmoschus esculentus – ‘Clemson’ spineless variety and ‘OLA 3 Local’ variety) was assessed in the present study. Completely randomized design was used with five treatment levels of spent engine oil at 0 ml (control), 50 ml, 100 ml, 150 ml and 200 ml applied to 5 kg of soil. Data on germination, seedling survival, growth, chlorophyll nutrient and heavy metal content, as well as leaf epidermal features collected from the study were subjected to Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) analyses. Spent engine oil at 200 ml per pot significantly (P < 0.05) delayed seed germination for 4 days and reduced germination percentage by approximately 24% compared to the control. Plant height, number of leaves, leaf area, chlorophyll A, B and stomata area were reduced by 21.33-72.89%; number and dry weight of fruits were reduced by 67.4-13.58%. Number of stomata was increased on the adaxial surface by 57.73% and on the abaxial surface by 34.99%. Na, K, Cr, Cd and Fe contents increased by 0.0178-6.2698 mg/kg-1. The present study has shown that plant constituents and anatomy can be influenced by spent oil contamination. Contamination of soil with spent engine oil therefore should be avoided in order to ensure sustainable crop plant productivity and to reduce the risk of heavy metals toxicity for human beings.


2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Dian Latifah ◽  
Fitri Fatma Wardani ◽  
Rizmoon Nurul Zulkarnaen

Abstract. Latifah D, Wardani FF, Zulkarnaen RN. 2020. Seed germination, seedling survival and storage behavior of Koompassia excelsa (Leguminosae). Nusantara Bioscience 12: 46-49. Koompassia excelsa (Becc.) Taub. (Leguminosae) is an important component of many tropical rainforests as an emergent canopy tree. Knowledge and application of germination strategies and increasing seedling survival of this species in many conservation efforts are essential as it is endemic to several areas in Southeast Asia. This research investigated the effects of the different moisture levels of the sowing media on the germination and seedling survival percentage of K. excelsa. The seeds exhibited faster germination percentage and higher seedling survival when sown in media with 33.2%-moisture. The seeds appeared to have intermediate storage behavior. Thus, sowing seeds in 33.2%-moisture media may promote seedling survival, which is an important part of regeneration as well as conservation of K. excelsa.


1980 ◽  
Vol 20 (105) ◽  
pp. 457 ◽  
Author(s):  
GM Lodge ◽  
LR Greenup

The effects of spotted alfalfa aphids and blue-green aphids on the seedling survival, yield and seed production of Medicago truncatula var. truncatula cultivars Cyprus and Jemalong, M. polymorpha var. vulgaris and M. minima var. minima were investigated in field plots to which three insecticide treatments were applied: sprayed continuously to the post-flowering and haying-off stage; sprayed only until flowering ; and unsprayed. In the unsprayed plots all four medics were suitable hosts for both aphid species. The highest number of blue-green aphids developed on M. truncatula cv. Cyprus and the highest number of spotted alfalfa aphids on M. polymorpha var. vulgaris. Aphid numbers were relatively low from emergence to establishment and had no effect on the seedling mortalities of the medics in the unsprayed plots. The relatively low aphid numbers through winter also had no effect on dry matter production, but as numbers of both species increased in the spring the mean yields from all the unsprayed plots at successive harvests in September, October and November were reduced by 50, 54 and 55%, respectively. Flowering commenced in M. truncatula cv. Cyprus, M, polymorpha and M. minima before aphid numbers were high enough to reduce herbage yields in the unsprayed plots. However, M. truncatula cv. Jemalong flowered 10-1 4 days after the other medics, and its seed yields from the unsprayed plots were significantly lower than those of M. truncatula cv. Cyprus. The germination percentage of seed produced in the unsprayed plots of M, polymorpha was significantly lower than that of the other unsprayed medics.


2014 ◽  
Vol 24 (6) ◽  
pp. 630-636
Author(s):  
Kaitlin Barrios ◽  
Carrie Knott ◽  
James Geaghan

In Louisiana, sea oats (Uniola paniculata) are incorporated into beach restoration projects to build and stabilize sand dunes. Unfortunately, sea oats seed yield, germination, and seedling survival are poor. The objectives of this study were to assess the impact of commercial fungicide(s) on sea oats germination, seedling survival, and seedling quality. Sea oats seed were planted into soilless media and grown in greenhouse conditions in Baton Rouge, LA. Four fungicide treatments at two rates were applied to seeded trays: mefenoxam, thiophanate-methyl, azoxystrobin, and iprodione. Two control treatments were included: a 15-minute seed soak in water before seeding and dry seed. Percentage germination, percentage survival, shoot height, and fresh weight were measured. Sea oats seed treated with thiophanate-methyl at twice the fungicide label’s recommended rate [2× (23.0 oz/1000 ft2 a.i.)] had the greatest mean germination and survival and were the tallest seedlings 8 weeks after seeding. These results strongly suggest that treating seed with thiophanate-methyl 2× increased sea oats germination, survival, seedling quality, and profitability of sea oats production. The cost to apply thiophanate-methyl 2× to 1000 sea oats seed was $1.74. The additional revenue generated from greater germination, survival, and seedling quality when growing media was treated with thiophanate-methyl 2× was $37.72 per 1000 sea oats seeds. Therefore, the fungicide thiophanate-methyl was identified to be a practical and economical method to rapidly produce a large number of genetically diverse sea oats plants.


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