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Wet heat as a mechanism for dormancy release and germination of seeds with physical dormancy

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  20 January 2017

Rieks D. van Klinken  and
Lloyd Flack
Lloyd Flack
Affiliation:
CSIRO Entomology, Indooroopilly, Brisbane, Queensland 4068, Australia
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Abstract

Mexican palo-verde is a serious woody weed in tropical parts of the world. Like many such leguminous species, it has relatively large seeds with hard-seeded (physical) dormancy. It therefore has the potential for long-lived seed banks that are difficult to manage. The physiology of hard-seeded dormancy is still relatively poorly understood but has important implications for weed management. We propose that wet heat is a potentially important dormancy release mechanism for summer rainfall tropical regions. We described the relationships between wet heat and dormancy release (in water; three seed sources) and germination (near saturation; single seed source) by testing seeds at constant temperatures between 10 and 60 C. The logistic transformation of the temperature–dormancy relationship was best described by a quadratic equation below a threshold of ∼ 33.6 C and a linear equation above that threshold. The relationship was the same for all seed sources other than a phase shift of up to 6.6 C, which is likely to be of biological significance. Germination occurred between 15 and 40 C and was limited by cold stress at ≤ 20 C and heat stress > 35 C. The sensitivity of dormancy to naturally encountered temperature ranges suggests that wet heat is an important dormancy release mechanism and one that can be exploited when developing management strategies for invasive populations.

Keywords

Mexican palo-verde, Parkinsonia aculeata L. PAKACHard-seedednessimbibitionlegumesseed longevitystratificationtemperature
Type
Weed Biology and Ecology
Information
Weed Science , Volume 53 , Issue 5 , October 2005 , pp. 663 - 669
Copyright
Copyright © Weed Science Society of America 

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