Dormancy and viability of Ferocactus peninsulae (Cactaceae) seeds
Por:
Rojas-Arechiga, Mariana, Garcia-Morales, Erick
Publicada:
1 mar 2022
Resumen:
Knowledge on seed dormancy is crucial for the understanding of plant
population dynamics, as it controls seed germination and seed bank
formation. Dormant seeds have high potential to establish in soil seed
banks, but such information within Cactaceae is scarce, although it is
essential for conservation programs. The aim of this study was to
determine if seeds of Ferocactus peninsulae showed any kind of dormancy
and to test their germination capacity after storage. This was assessed
with 15 seed sowing experiments done over 4 years with seeds stored
under room conditions (20 +/- 2 degrees C). We demonstrated the
existence of physiological dormancy in F. peninsulae seeds that is
broken with an after-ripening period. Germination was low during the
first 3 months of storage (d = 0.206) but increased after 10 months of
storage (d = 0.654), and seeds maintained their viability at 48 months
(d = 0.707). Also, their speed of germination increased with storage
time. Ferocactus peninsulae seeds are positively photoblastic, and the
requirement for light for germination persisted over all experiments.
The results provide crucial information for propagation and conservation
research and may allow us to infer that F. peninsulae seeds are able to
form a persistent soil seed bank, as they maintained their viability
after dormancy is released.
Filiaciones:
Rojas-Arechiga, Mariana:
Univ Nacl Autonoma Mexico, Dept Ecol Biodiversidad, Inst Ecol, Ciudad Univ, Mexico City 04510, DF, Mexico
Garcia-Morales, Erick:
Univ Nacl Autonoma Mexico, Dept Biol, Fac Ciencias, Ciudad Univ, Mexico City, DF, Mexico
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