Water stress and temperature effects on germination and early seedling growth of Digitaria eriantha

BREVEDAN R; BUSSO C.A.; FIORETTI M.N.; TORIBIO M.; BAIONI S; TORRES Y.A.; FERNÁNDEZ O.A.; GIORGETTI H.D; BENTIVEGNA D.J.; ENTÍO J; ITHURRART L; MONTENEGRO O.A.; MUJICA M.M.; RODRIGUEZ H.D.; TUCAT G

ANNALES BOTANICI FENNICI

FINNISH ZOOLOGICAL BOTANICAL PUBLISHING BOARD

Lugar: Helsinki; Año: 2012

0003-3847

We assessed seed germination and seedling survival of the grass Digitaria eriantha cv. Irene to determine potential for consideration as a species for revegetation  in arid Argentina. We evaluated the effects of (1) water stress and temperature on germination, and (2) water stress on early seedling growth under controlled conditions. Germination exceeded 50 % (one-way ANOVA: F3,20=67.40, p<0.001) during the first 2400 hrs at constant than at the 30--10oC alternating temperatures, although the total germination was about 80% in all temperature treatments. Germination percentages and coefficients of velocity were lower (two-way ANOVA main effect of water potential: F6,70≥2.46, p≤0.0325) as water potentials decreased. Early seedling growth was lower (three-way-ANOVA main effect of water potential: F5,120=19.14, p=0.000) at lower water potentials. The high sensitivity of the two study processes in D. eriantha suggests that it is quite susceptible to be considered for re-vegetation purposes in the rangelands of arid Argentina.