A quantitative analysis of temperature-dependent dormancy changes in Polygonum aviculare seeds

DIEGO BATLLA; ANDREA GRUNDY; KATHERINE DENT; HEATHER CLAY; WILLIAM FINCH-SAVAGE

Vancouver, Canada

Congreso; V International Weed Science Congress; 2008

Internationla Weed Science Society

Establishing quantitative relationships between environmental signals and changes in weed seed dormancy status is essential for the prediction of weed emergence. The objective of this work was to quantify the effect of temperature on P. aviculare seed dormancy release and induction. Seeds were stratified for different periods at 2, 6 and 10 °C and then placed to germinate at constant temperatures (6, 10, 15, 20 and 25°C). The seeds which remained un-germinated were then incubated in an alternating temperature regime (6/22 °C).Final germination percentage recorded in these experiments was simulated through an optimisation procedure based on a simple model: G (%) = dt * (drt -dit); where d is days of stratification at temperature t, and drt and dit, are the dormancy release and induction rates at temperature t, respectively. Results showed that temperature ranges that induced and released dormancy overlapped.