HOME HELP FEEDBACK SUBSCRIPTIONS ARCHIVE SEARCH TABLE OF CONTENTS		QUICK SEARCH:   [advanced] Author: Keyword(s): Year:  Vol:  Page:

This Article Full Text (PDF) Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Services Similar articles in this journal Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Citing Articles Citing Articles via HighWire Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Tischler, C. R. Articles by Young, B. A. Search for Related Content PubMed Articles by Tischler, C. R. Articles by Young, B. A. Agricola Articles by Tischler, C. R. Articles by Young, B. A.

Development and Characteristics of a Kleingrass Population with Reduced Post-Harvest Seed Dormancy¹

Kleingrass (Panicum coloratam L.) seed has a period of postharvestdormancy lasting approximately 0.5 yr. Six cycles of recurrentselection (selecting seedlings germinating within 3 days) forreduced post-harvest dormancy were used to generate a plant population(LD-6) in which germination of freshly harvested seed wasapproximately 90%, compared to 5 to 20% for unselected material.Four germination treatments (light, light-acid, dark, dark-acid) wereapplied to LD-6, fresh dormant (non-afterripened), and 1-year-olddormant seed (afterripened) at three temperature regimes (35/25°C,25/15°C, and 40°C). Germination counts for the light treatmentswere continued for 27 days. Germination counts for the dark treatmentswere made only at 6 days. Comparisons of data from light- anddark-grown treatments were based on total germination percentagesat Day 6 only, while comparisons of light treatments werebased on data for the entire 27-day counting period. The LD-6 seedperformed similarly (but with higher germination percentages)afterripened seed (27-day count) at all germination temperatures.Rankings of the three seedlots were the same at all temperatures inthe light, with germination of LD-6 being the highest and that ofnon-afterripened being the lowest. Rankings were also consistentacross temperatures for the acid treatments. Acid treatments significantlyimproved germination in all cases except for the afterripenedseedlot at the alternating temperatures and LD-6 at 25/15°C.In most cases for the light and light-acid treatments, germination ofseedlots was highest at 35/25°C and lowest at 40°C. Germinationwas uniformly low in darkness, but germination of dark-acid treatmentswas normally higher than that of light treatments (6-daycounts). Coefficients of velocity (data from 27 days) were calculatedas an index of rapidity of germination. In all cases, acid treatmentshad higher coefficients of velocity. Coefficients of velocity for LD-6were similar to those for the afterripened seedlot, indicating thatselection for reduced dormancy did not increase speed of germination.

Key Words: Panicum coloratum L. • Germination • Coefficient of velocity • Acid scarification • Recurrent selection

² Plant physiologist and research geneticist, USDA-ARS, P.O. Box 6112, Temple, TX 76503-6112.

Received for publication November 20, 1986.

This article has been cited by other articles:

				R.S. Kalmbacher, S.H. West, and F.G. Martin Seed Dormancy and Aging in Atra Paspalum Crop Sci., November 1, 1999; 39(6): 1847 - 1852. [Abstract] [Full Text]