Hostname: page-component-586b7cd67f-dlnhk Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-11-29T21:59:47.739Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false

Interactions Among Ethephon, Nitrate, and After-Ripening in the Release of Dormancy of Wild Oat (Avena fatua) Seed

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  12 June 2017

Hargurdeep S. Saini
Affiliation:
Dep. Plant Sci., Univ. Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada T6G 2P5
Pawan K. Bassi
Affiliation:
Dep. Plant Sci., Univ. Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada T6G 2P5
Mary S. Spencer
Affiliation:
Dep. Plant Sci., Univ. Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada T6G 2P5

Abstract

Germination of dormant wild oat (Avena fatua L. # AVEFA) seed was examined in response to various concentrations of ethephon (2-chloroethylphosphonic acid), KNO3, or both together in the dark at temperatures ranging from 7 to 32 C. Both chemicals significantly (P = 0.05) promoted germination and their effects were additive. Maximum stimulation of germination in response to all treatments occurred at 7 C, with a gradual decrease in reponse as temperature or duration of after-ripening, the seed that retained dormancy during storage remained responsive to ethephon also occurred during storage of mature seed at 3 to 32 C. The rate and extent of this dormancy loss increased with an increase in storage temperature. Regardless of the temperature or duration of after-ripening, the seed that retained dormancy during storage remained responsive to ethephon and KNO3 treatments. Suitable combinations of after-ripening, ethephon, and KNO3 induced over 90% germination of seed that was dormant at maturity. Experimental evidence has been obtained that suggests that this percentage may represent the total number of viable seed in the population. While ethephon promoted seed germination, it severely stunted root and shoot growth of the resulting seedlings. It appears that strategies could be developed to combine the use of ethephon and nitrate with the natural process of after-ripening to enhance and synchronize wild oat germination.

Type
Weed Biology and Ecology
Copyright
Copyright © 1986 by the Weed Science Society of America 

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

Literature Cited

1. Adkins, S. W. and Ross, J. D. 1981. Studies in wild oat seed dormancy. I. The role of ethylene in dormancy breakage and germination of wild oat seeds (Avena fatua L.). Plant Physiol. 67:358362.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
2. Adkins, S. W., Simpson, G. M., and Naylor, J. M. 1984. The physiological basis of seed dormancy in Avena fatua. III. Action of nitrogenous compounds. Physiol. Plant. 60:227233.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
3. Banting, J. D. 1966. Studies on the persistence of Avena fatua . Can. J. Plant Sci. 46:129140.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
4. Banting, J. D. 1966. Factors affecting the persistence of Avena fatua . Can. J. Plant Sci. 46:469478.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
5. Bewley, J. D. and Black, M. 1982. Physiology and Biochemistry of Seeds in Relation to Germination, Vol. 2, Viability, Dormancy and Environmental Control. Page 187. Springer-Verlag, Berlin.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
6. Chancellor, R. J., Parker, C., and Teferedegn, T. 1971. Stimulation of dormant weed seed germination by 2-chloroethylphosphonic acid. Pestic. Sci. 2:3537.Google Scholar
7. Egley, G. H. 1983. New methods for breaking seed dormancy and their application in weed control. Pages 143151 in Smith, A. E., ed. Canadian Plains Proceedings 12, Wild Oat Symposium: Proceedings. Univ. Regina.Google Scholar
8. Egley, G. H. 1984. Ethylene, nitrate and nitrite interactions in the promotion of dark germination of common purslane seeds. Ann. Bot. 53:833840.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
9. Eplee, R. E. 1975. Ethylene: A witchweed seed germination stimulant. Weed Sci. 23:433436.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
10. Fawcett, R. S. and Slife, F. W. 1978. Effects of field application of nitrate on weed seed germination and dormancy. Weed Sci. 26:594596.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
11. MacKay, D. B. 1972. The measurement of viability. Pages 172208 in Roberts, E. H., ed. Viability of Seeds. Chapman and Hall, London.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
12. Olatoye, S. T. and Hall, M. A. 1972. Interaction of ethylene and light on dormant weed seeds. Pages 233249 in Heydecker, W., ed. Seed Ecology. Butterworths, London.Google Scholar
13. Roberts, E. H. and Smith, R. D. 1977. Dormancy and the pentose phosphate pathway. Pages 385411 in Khan, A. A., ed. The Physiology and Biochemistry of Seed Dormancy and Germination. North-Holland Publishing Co., Amsterdam.Google Scholar
14. Saini, H. S., Bassi, P. K., and Spencer, M. S. 1985. Seed germination in Chenopodium album L. – Relationships between nitrate and the effects of plant hormones. Plant Physiol. 77:940943.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
15. Schimpf, D. J. and Palmblad, I. G. 1980. Germination response of weed seeds to soil nitrate and ammonium with and without simulated overwintering. Weed Sci. 28:190193.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
16. Sexsmith, J. J. and Pittman, U. J. 1963. Effects of nitrogen fertilizers on germination and stand of wild oats. Weeds 11:99101.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
17. Sharma, M. P. and Vanden Born, W. H. 1978. The biology of Canadian weeds. 27. Avena fatua L. Can. J. Plant Sci. 58:141157.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
18. Sharma, M. P., McBeath, D. K., and Vanden Born, W. H. 1976. Studies on the biology of wild oats. I. Dormancy, germination and emergence. Can. J. Plant Sci. 56:611618.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
19. Simpson, G. M. 1978. Metabolic regulation of dormancy in seeds – A case history of the wild oat (Avena fatua). Pages 167220 in Clutter, M., ed. Dormancy and Developmental Arrest. Academic Press, New York.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
20. Simpson, G. M. 1983. A review of dormancy in wild oats and the lessons it contains for today. Pages 320 in Smith, A. E. and Hsiao, A. I., eds. Canadian Plains Proceedings 12, Wild Oat Symposium: Proceedings, Vol. 2, Univ. Regina.Google Scholar
21. Taylor, J. S. and Simpson, G. M. 1980. Endogenous hormones in after-ripening wild oat (Avena fatua) seed. Can. J. Bot. 58:10161024.CrossRefGoogle Scholar