Pollinators in general and monarch butterflies in particular are in decline due to habitat loss. Efforts to restore habitats for insects that rely on specific plant groups as larvae or adults depend on the ability of practitioners to grow and produce these plants. Monarch larvae feed exclusively on milkweed species, primarily in the genus Asclepias, making propagation and restoration of these p...

should provide new insight into seed dormancy and resistance to preharvest sprouting. Seed dormancy contributes to the adaptability of plants in nature Rice germplasm (Oryza spp.) varies in degree of seed and is of considerable importance in agriculture. The weedy rice dormancy (Roberts, 1961a; Wu, 1978; Oka, 1988, p. 87– (Oryza sativa L.) strains LD, SS18-2, and TKN12-2 and cultivar ‘N22’ 123;...

As seed dormancy is released within a seed population, both the rate and percentage of germination increase progressively with increasing dose of a dormancy-breaking treatment or condition. Population-based models can account for this behaviour on the basis of shifting response thresholds as dormancy is alleviated. In particular, hydrothermal time analysis of germination sensitivity to water po...

The effects of water stress on morphometric characteristics of wild radish seeds as well as the expression of its seed dormancy were investigated in a pot trial at Roseworthy, South Australia in 2005. This experiment was carried out in a completely randomised design with five water regimes (control, S4, S5, S6 and S8) and four replicates. The water stress was exerted by withholding irrigation a...

seed dormancy has a critical role in ecological adaptation of wild plant species such as hordeum spontaneum, a wild relative of barley. in this study, 192 ecotypes of hordeum spontaneum maintained in national plant gene bank of iran (npgbi) originating from different climatic zones of the country were evaluated. morphological, phenological and physiological traits were recorded in the field. af...

Seed dormancy is defined as the failure of a viable seed to germinate under favorable conditions. Besides playing an adaptive role in nature by optimizing germination to the most suitable time, a tight control of dormancy is important in crop plants. Extensive genetic and physiological studies have identified the involvement of several factors, but the molecular mechanisms underlying this proce...

Annual forbs form short-term persistent soil seed banks whereas perennial grasses form mostly transient ones in the central Monte desert. A conceptual framework predicts that annual forb seeds will have primary dormancy, whereas perennial grasses will have low dormancy levels. We assessed whether the dormancy traits of four annual forb species and five perennial grass species can account for th...

Rumex confertus is a biennial species native to Eastern Europe and Asia, where it thrives on meadow-steppes and glades in forest-steppe. This species has increased its range rapidly within central Europe, yet its biology is not well understood, which has led to poorly timed management. Effects of temperature, light, sodium chloride (NaCl), hydrogen ion concentration (pH), potassium nitrate (KNO...

After-ripening (AR) is a time and environment regulated process occurring in the dry seed, which determines the germination potential of seeds. Both metabolism and perception of the phytohormone abscisic acid (ABA) are important in the initiation and maintenance of dormancy. However, molecular mechanisms that regulate the capacity for dormancy or germination through AR are unknown. To understan...