Hostname: page-component-cd9895bd7-dzt6s Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-12-25T17:04:08.326Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Mechanism of seed dormancy in rice

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  19 September 2008

D. V. Seshu  and
M. Dadlani
D. V. Seshu*
Affiliation:
International Rice Research Institute, PO Box 933, Manila, Philippines
M. Dadlani
Affiliation:
International Rice Research Institute, PO Box 933, Manila, Philippines
*
* Correspondence
Get access Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Abstract

Dormancy in rice (Oryza sativa L.) seed is imposed by certain physical and chemical factors associated with its covering structures, i.e.hull and pericarp. The nature of these germination blocks, their mode ofaction, and processes regulating the release of dormancy are not fully understood. Of nine rice cultivars studied, Ching-shi 15, Stejaree 45, PTB10, and Mahsuri are weakly dormant, and Bansphul, Benaful, Kataktara, Dular, and N22 are dormant. Release of seed dormancy in rice by various treatments, oxidative processes and enzymic changes associated with dormancy, and parallelism between natural and artificially imposed dormancy patterns were examined. The influence of the hull in imposing dormancy was stronger and more prolonged than that of the pericarp. Application of GA3 was effective in inducing germination only in weakly dormant cultivars. Dormancy was completely released in all cultivars by subjecting the seeds to moist heat treatment, by removing the hull and pericarp, and by applying GA3 after dehulling. Dormant cultivars had higher O2 uptake rate and peroxidase activity and lower amylase and dehydrogenase activities than the weakly dormant ones. Hull removal substantially decreased peroxidase activity but enhanced amylase and dehydrogenase activities. Nonanoic acid (C90), a short-chain saturated fatty acid (SCSFA), when exogenously applied to non-dormant seeds imposed dormancy. Dry heat treatment or presoaking in 0.01 m KNO3 or 0.1 m H2O2 was very effective in releasing SCSFA-imposed dormancy. Amylase activity was greatly reduced by treatments with nonanoic acid (C90) or ABA. Considering earlier reports and results of the present study, it is proposed that seed dormancy in rice is regulated both by the presence of SCSFAs and ABA in the hull and the pericarp. The relative significance of these substances in cultivars of tropical and temperate origins and its implications in terms of ecogeographic adaptability are discussed.

Keywords

ABAamylase activitydehydrogenase activityesterase 2Oryza sativa L.riceseed dormancyshort-chain saturated fatty acids
Type
Research Papers
Information
Seed Science Research , Volume 1 , Issue 3 , September 1991 , pp. 187 - 194
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 1991

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

Agrawal, P.K. (1981) Genotypic variation in seeddormancy of paddy and simple methods to break it. Seed Research 9(1), 20–27.Google Scholar
Baun, L.C. (1972) Biochemical studies on dormancyof the rice grain. MS thesis, University of the Philippines at Los Baños. 64 pp.Google Scholar
Beachell, H.M. (1943) Effect on photoperiod on the rice varieties grown in the field. Journal of Agricultural Research 66, 325–331.Google Scholar
Berrie, A.M.M., Buller, D., Don, R. and Parker, W. (1979) Possible role of volatile fatty acids and abscisic acid in the dormancy of oats. Plant Physiology 63, 758–764.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Buller, D.C., Parker, W. and Reid, J.S.G. (1976) Shortchain fatty acids as inhibitors of gibberellin-induced amylolysis in barley endosperm. Nature 260, 169–170.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Davis, B.J. (1964) Disc electrophoresis. 2. Method and application to human serum proteins. Annals of the New York Academy of Science 121, 404.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Ellis, R.H., Hong, T.D. and Roberts, E.H. (1983) Procedures for the safe removal of dormancy from rice seed. Seed Science and Technology 11, 77–112.Google Scholar
Ghosh, B.N. (1962) Agro-meteorological studies on rice. I. Influence of climatic factors on dormancy and viability of paddy seeds. Indian Journal of Agricultural Sciences 32, 235–241.Google Scholar
Hayashi, M. (1987) Relationship between endogenous germination inhibitors and dormancy in rice seeds. Japan Agricultural Research Quarterly 21(1), 153–161.Google Scholar
Hayashi, M. and Hidaka, Y. (1979) Studies on dormancy and germination of rice seeds. 8. Temperature treatment effects on rice seed dormancy and hull tissue degeneration in rice seed during the ripening period and after harvest. Bulletin Faculty of Agriculture, Kagoshima Univ. 29, 21–32.Google Scholar
Hayashi, M. and Himeno, M. (1973) Studies on the dormancy and germination of rice seeds. II. Relation between seed dormancy and growth substances in rice (Jap., Eng. summary). Japanese Journal of Tropical Agriculture 16(4), 270–275.Google Scholar
Kahler, A.L. and Allard, R.W. (1970) Genetics of isozyme variants in barley. I. Esterase. Crop Science 10, 444–448.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Kittock, D.L. and Law, A.G. (1968) Relationshipof seedling vigour to respiration and tetrazolium chloride reduction by germinating wheat seeds. Agronomy Journal 60, 286–288.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Major, W. and Roberts, E.H. (1968) Dormancy in cereal seeds. II. The nature of the gaseous exchange in imbibed barley and rice seeds. Journal of Experimental Botany 19, 90–101.Google Scholar
Majumder, M.K., Seshu, D.V. and Shenoy, V.V. (1989) A biochemical screening technique for cold tolerance in rice. Crop Science 29(5), 1298–1304.Google Scholar
Metzger, J.D. and Sebesta, D.K. (1982) Role of endogenous growth regulators in seed dormancy of Avena fatua I.Shortchain fatty acids. Plant Physiology 70, 1480–1485.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Mikkelsen, D.S. (1967) Germination inhibitors asa possible factor in rice dormancy. International Rice Commission Newsletter Special Issue, 132–145.Google Scholar
Mikkelsen, D.S. and Sinah, M.N. (1961) Germination inhibition in Oryza sativa and control by pre-planting soaking treatments. Crop Science 1, 332–335.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Misro, B. and Misra, P.K. (1969) Certain considerations on seed dormancy in rice. Oryza, 6(2), 18–22.Google Scholar
Murata, T., Akazawa, T. and Fukuchi, S. (1968) Enzymic mechanism of starch breakdown in germinating rice seeds. I. An analytical study. Plant Physiology 43, 1899–1905.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Nair, N.R. and Sahadevan, P.C. (1962) An instance of bran layer influencing seed dormancy in rice. Current Science 31, 72–73.Google Scholar
Navasero, E.P., Baun, L.C. and Juliano, B.O. (1975) Grain dormancy, peroxidase activity and oxygen uptake in Oryza sativa. Phytochemistry 14, 1899–1902.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Okamoto, K. and Akazawa, T. (1979) Enzymic mechanisms of starch breakdown in germinating rice seeds. 7. Amylase formation in the epithelium. Plant Physiology 63, 336–340.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Osawa, T., Ramarathnam, N., Kawakishi, S., Namiki, M. and Tashiro, T. (1985) Antioxidative defense systems in rice hull against damage caused by oxygen radicals. Agricultural Biology & Chemistry 49(10), 3085–3087.Google Scholar
Paleg, L.G. (1966) Physiological effects of gibberellic acid. I. On carbohydrate metabolism and amylase activity of barley endosperm. Plant Physiology 35, 293–299.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Ramarathnam, N., Osawa, T., Namiki, M. and Tashiro, T. (1986) Studies on the relationship between antioxidative activity of rice hull and germination ability of rice seeds. Journalof the Science of Food and Agriculture 37, 719–726.Google Scholar
Raven, J.A. and Rubery, P.H. (1982) Coordination of development: Hormone receptors, hormone action and hormone transport. pp 28–48 in Smith, H. and Grierson, D. (Eds) The molecular biology of plant development. Oxford, Blackwell Scientific Publications.Google Scholar
Roberts, E.H. (1961) Dormancy of rice seed. I. Distribution of dormancy periods. Journal of Experimental Botany 12, 319–329.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Roberts, E.H. (1962) Dormancy of rice seed. III.The influence of temperature, moisture, and gaseous environment. Journal of Experimental Botany 13, 75–94.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Roberts, E.H. (1969) Seed dormancy and oxidationprocesses. pp 45–79 in SEB Symposia XXIII 1969, Dormancy and survival. New York, Academic Press.Google Scholar
Ross, J.D. (1984) Metabolic aspects of dormancy. pp 45–75 in Murray, D.R. (Ed.) Seed physiology, Vol 2: Germination and reserve mobilization. New York, Academic Press.Google Scholar
Seshu, D.V. and Sorrells, M.E. (1986) Genetic studies on seed dormancy in rice. pp 369–384 in Rice genetics. Los Banos, Philippines, International Rice Research Institute.Google Scholar
Shannon, L.M., Kay, E. and Lew, J.Y. (1966) Peroxidase isozymes from horse-radish roots. I. Isolation and physical properties. Journal of Biological Chemistry 241, 2166–2172.Google Scholar
Siddique, S.B. (1986) Variability in seed dormancy and tolerance to accelerated ageing of seed in rice, Oryza sativa L. PhD Thesis, Cornell University, 146 pp.Google Scholar
Stewart, R.R.C. and Berrie, A.M.M. (1979) Effect of temperature on the short chain fatty-acid induced inhibition of lettuce seed germination. Plant Physiology 63, 61–62.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Strength, D.R., Libunao, W.T., Flavier, M.E. and Santos, A.C. (1970) Rice peroxidase: I. Peroxidase activity in rice seeds from the dormant to the non-dormant stage. Philippine Agriculturist 54, 69–78.Google Scholar
Takahashi, N. (1967) Dormancy and germination of rice seeds with respect to germination inhibitors. Bulletin Institute of Agricultural Research Japan 18, 195–213.Google Scholar
Tang, W.T. and Chiang, S.M. (1955) Studies on the dormancy of rice seed. Memoirs, College of Agriculture, National Taiwan University 4, 1–12.Google Scholar
Varner, J.E. and Chandra, G.R. (1964) Hormonal control of enzyme synthesis in barley endosperm. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (USA) 52, 100–106.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed