Factors Involved in the Dormancy and Germination of Capsella Bursa- Pastoris (L.) Medik. and Senecio Vulgaris L.
1970; Wiley; Volume: 58; Issue: 1 Linguagem: Inglês
10.2307/2258171
ISSN1365-2745
Autores Tópico(s)Botany, Ecology, and Taxonomy Studies
Resumobute to the main bulk of the seed population are very similar. Two of the most important of these species are Capsella bursa-pastoris and Senecio vulgaris. We chose them for study in order to gain further insight into the germination characteristics which lead to the success of annual weeds in cultivated or disturbed soil. This paper describes a laboratory investigation into the dormancy and germination behaviour of the two species in relation to some of the major factors which are likely to affect seed germination in the soil. As Koller (1964) has pointed out that there are difficulties in relating petri dish experiments to field conditions. Nevertheless it is believed that laboratory studies under controlled conditions are an essential beginning to an understanding of the behaviour of seeds in response to the complex and fluctuating conditions in the field. In the second paper, an attempt will be made to relate field behaviour to the physiological responses investigated here. MATERIALS AND METHODS Source of seed Seeds were collected in Cheshire in September 1965: those of Capsella bursa-pastoris (L.) Medik. from the Experimental Grounds, Jodrell Bank, and those of Senecio vulgaris L. from Morton's Rose Nursery, Alderley Edge. They were dried to about 800 moisture content in a stream of dry air at room temperature and were then stored in Kilner jars at 4 + 20 C until needed. Occasional checks on viability and dormancy during the 2-year period of these investigations showed that there were no changes, except for a slight loss of dormancy in the case of Senecio.
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