Intermediate morphophysiological dormancy allows for life-cycle diversity in the annual weed, Turgenia latifolia (Apiaceae)

Miregul Nurulla, Carol C. Baskin, Juan J. Lu, Dun Y. Tan, Jerry M. Baskin

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

6 Scopus citations

Abstract

Our aim was to determine the seed dormancy-breaking requirements and type of life cycle of Turgenia latifolia in north-western China. At dispersal in July, only 0-9% of the seeds germinated at 5/2°C, 15/2°C, 20/10°C and 25/15°C; thus, 91% of the seeds exhibited physiological dormancy (PD) and 9% were non-dormant. Also, the embryo was underdeveloped and embryo length:seed length ratio increased from 0.38 in fresh seeds to 0.79 at germination. Seeds buried in dry soil at the four temperature regimes for 12 weeks germinated to ≥50% when tested in darkness at 5/2°C, and those buried at 15/2°C and 20/10°C germinated to ≥50% when tested at 15/2°C. Seeds have intermediate complex morphophysiological dormancy (MPD). PD was broken at high and/or low temperatures, but embryo growth was completed only at low temperatures; gibberellic acid (GA3) promoted germination. Seeds buried under natural conditions during summer germinated to ∼70% and ∼55% at 5/2°C and 15/2°C, respectively, in darkness in autumn. In a germination-phenology study, cumulative germination was ∼20% and ∼80% in autumn and spring, respectively. Intermediate complex MPD allows the species to behave as a winter annual and as a short-lived summer annual.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)630-637
Number of pages8
JournalAustralian Journal of Botany
Volume62
Issue number8
DOIs
StatePublished - 2014

Bibliographical note

Publisher Copyright:
© 2014 CSIRO.

Keywords

  • embryo growth
  • morphophysiological dormancy
  • seed germination
  • winter annual

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Ecology, Evolution, Behavior and Systematics
  • Plant Science

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