Dormancy and germination responses of kiwifruit (Actinidia deliciosa) seeds to environmental cues

P. INSAUSTI; M. IZAGUIRRE; F. BIGANZOLI; L.B. WINDAUER; R. L BENECH ARNOLD

SEED SCIENCE RESEARCH

CAMBRIDGE UNIV PRESS

Lugar: Cambridge; Año: 2016 vol. 26 p. 342 - 350

0960-2585

Seed germination of the kiwifruit (Actinidia deliciosaA. Chev. C.F. Liang and A.R. Ferguson), a deciduous,perennial vine, is low because of seed dormancy. Themain purpose of this study was to characterize kiwifruitseed dormancy and germination in response to environmentalfactors such as temperature and light.Dormancy of hydrated seeds is alleviated by the perceptionof a period at low temperatures (stratification)of at least 3 weeks at 2 or 5°C. Alleviation of dormancyis accomplished by incubation at fluctuating temperatures(20/30°C). A red light pulse did not affect germination,whereas a far-red light pulse strongly inhibitedgermination. This inhibition was readily reverted by asecond pulse of red light, indicating that phytochromesare also involved in dormancy alleviation. Althoughseed germination was inhibited by the fruit pulp, thelatter prevented neither perception of low temperaturenor changes in the light sensitivity of the seeds.Therefore, it can be advanced that kiwifruit seeds willonly germinate after dispersal if the time?temperaturerequirement for dormancy alleviation and fluctuatingtemperatures for dormancy termination are fulfilled.Perception of a closed canopy might interfere with dormancytermination.