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Smoke derived from burnt vegetation stimulates germination of arable weeds

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  22 February 2007

S.W. Adkins  and
N.C.B. Peters
S.W. Adkins*
Affiliation:
School of Land and Food Sciences, The University of Queensland, St Lucia Campus, Brisbane, Queensland 4072, Australia
N.C.B. Peters
Affiliation:
Institute of Arable Crops Research, Long Ashton Research Station, Department of Agricultural Science, University of Bristol, Bristol BS41 9AF, UK
*
*Correspondence Fax: +61 7 3365 1177 Email: s.adkins@mailbox.uq.edu.au
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Abstract

A commercially available smoke-water solution (Seed Starter®) stimulated the germination of caryopses and intact florets of Avena fatuaL. The solution was most effective when diluted (5–50%) and presented to intact or dehulled grain that had received a short period of dry after-ripening. It was less effective when applied at full strength or to grains that had been freshly harvested. The same stimulatory effect was observed in partly after-ripened caryopses of nine different wild oat biotypes obtained from three different cropping regions of the world. When freshly harvested caryopses were re-tested with the commercial solution (100%) for just 7 days prior to placement on to distilled water, a much higher germination percentage was possible than seen with continuous smoke-water incubation. The stimulatory ability of smoke water was more closely matched to that of gibberellic acid than to potassium nitrate, which had little or no effect on freshly harvested caryopses. The smoke-water solution (5–100%) was tested on the germination of 18 other cool temperate arable weed species. All monocotyledonous species tested (viz. Avena sterilis ssp. ludoviciana L., Alopecurus myosuroides, Sorghum halepense, Phalaris paradoxa) responded positively, while those of the dicotyledonous species were either strongly stimulated (≥40%stimulation Malva neglecta), moderately stimulated (≥20% stimulation Galium aparine, Veronica persica), slightly stimulated (Polygonum persicaria, P. pennsylvanicum, Fallopia convolvulus), unaffected (P. aviculare, Sinapis arvensis, Heracleum sphondylium, Angelica sylvestris, Mercurialis annua, Veronica hederifolia) or inhibited (Lamium purpureum). The optimal concentrations required to stimulate germination of the monocotyledonous species were similar to those observed for A. fatua (5–10%). However, for the dicotyledonous species slightly stronger solutions were required (10–20%). When the unaffected species were retested using a 10-day pre-chilling treatment, smoke water showed a small promotive response in three (S. arvensis, P. aviculare and V. hederifolia) of the six species. When four different smoke-water solutions (Seed Starter®, ®, charred-wood solution and wheat-straw solution) were tested on two representative species (A. fatua and M. neglecta), three formulations were effective in promoting the germination of both species, while the fourth (charred-wood solution) was only active on A. fatua. The active concentrations were different for the four solutions. Three solutions were active in the 2–20% dilution range, while the fourth (®) was only active in the 1–2% dilution range and was inhibitory at higher concentrations. These observations are discussed in the context that smoke may play an important ecological role in the management and control of introduced weeds in native and arable communities.

Keywords

Avena fatuagerminationseed dormancysmoke waterweeds
Type
Research Article
Information
Seed Science Research , Volume 11 , Issue 3 , September 2001 , pp. 213 - 222
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 2001

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