Document Type
Article
Publication Date
3-1-2002
Journal or Book Title
American Journal of Botany
Volume
89
Issue
3
First Page
410
Last Page
416
DOI
10.3732/ajb.89.3.410
Abstract
The effects that naturally occurring gases (oxygen, nitrogen, carbon monoxide) may cause in dormant giant foxtail (Setaria faberii) seed germination under favorable temperature and moisture conditions were investigated. The germination responses to gas mixtures supported the hypothesis that S. faberii germination behavior is regulated by the amount of oxygen taken into hydrated seed over time. Setaria faberii seed germination was markedly affected by O2 concentration (in N2) above and below that of air (20% O2): the largest increase in germination (from 37 to 60%) occurred between 20–25% O2; between 0–10% O2, germination increased from 0–30%; and surprisingly germination at 10 and 20% O2 was similar. These observations reveal an asymmetrical response to incremental changes in O2above and below that typically found in agricultural soils. Carbon monoxide had opposite effects on S. faberii germination in air depending on concentration, stimulation, and inhibition: germination increased from 37 to 56% with the addition of 1% CO, but decreased from 37 to 14% with 75% added CO. An explanation may be that there are two separate effects of CO, each occurring in different physiological systems of dormant seeds at the same time. At high concentrations (75%) in air CO inhibited seed germination, probably by inhibiting mitochondrial respiration. But low CO concentrations (0.1 or 1%) in air stimulated seed germination. It was not apparent which physiological system(s) CO and O2 affected. It seems unlikely that CO-stimulated germination arises from effects on the respiratory apparatus, but may be a consequence of CO interactions with an as yet unknown physiological factor in the seed. We provide a model of Setaria spp. dormancy consistent with its seed morphology, the gas-germination data, and the hypothesized second physiological factor that may be involved in CO stimulated germination.
Copyright Owner
American Journal of Botany
Copyright Date
2002
Language
en
File Format
application/pdf
Recommended Citation
Dekker, Jack H. and Hargrove, Mark S., "Weedy adaptation in Setaria spp. V. Effects of gaseous environment on giant foxtail (Setaria faberii) (Poaceae) seed germination" (2002). Agronomy Publications. 6.
https://lib.dr.iastate.edu/agron_pubs/6
Included in
Agricultural Science Commons, Agriculture Commons, Agronomy and Crop Sciences Commons, Biochemistry Commons, Molecular Biology Commons, Weed Science Commons
Comments
This article is from American Journal of Botany 89 (2002): pp. 410–416, doi:10.3732/ajb.89.3.410. Posted with permission.