Skip Navigation

This Article
Right arrow FREE Full Text (PDF) Freely available
Right arrow Alert me when this article is cited
Right arrow Alert me if a correction is posted
Services
Right arrow Email this article to a friend
Right arrow Similar articles in this journal
Right arrow Similar articles in ISI Web of Science
Right arrow Alert me to new issues of the journal
Right arrow Add to My Personal Archive
Right arrow Download to citation manager
Right arrow Search for citing articles in:
ISI Web of Science (14)
Right arrowRequest Permissions
Google Scholar
Right arrow Articles by BUNGARD, R. A.
Right arrow Articles by MORTON, J. D.
Right arrow Search for Related Content
PubMed
Right arrow Articles by BUNGARD, R. A.
Right arrow Articles by MORTON, J. D.
Agricola
Right arrow Articles by BUNGARD, R. A.
Right arrow Articles by MORTON, J. D.
Social Bookmarking
Add to CiteULike   Add to Connotea   Add to Del.icio.us  
What's this?

Annals of Botany 79: 643-650, 1997
© 1997 Annals of Botany Company

Effects of Chilling, Light and Nitrogen-containing Compounds on Germination, Rate of Germination and Seed Imbibition of Clematis vitalba L.

R. A. BUNGARD+, D. MCNEIL and J. D. MORTON

Department of Plant Science, Lincoln University, Canterbury, New Zealand Animal and Veterinary Sciences Group, Lincoln University, Canterbury, New Zealand

Received September 25, 1996 ; Accepted December 28, 1996

Effects of chilling (5 °C) period, light and applied nitrogen (N) on germination (%), rate of germination (d to 50% of total germination; T50%) and seed imbibition were examined inClematis vitalba L. In the absence of chilling, light and N, germination was minimal (3%). When applied alone, both chilling and N increased germination. Chilling for 12 weeks increased germination to 64%, and 2.5 mM NO-3or NH+4increased germination to 10–12%. Light did not increase germination when applied alone, but did when applied in combination with chilling and/or N. Half the seed germinated when light was combined with 2.5 mM NO-3or NH+4. The influence of chilling, light and/or N on germination was greater when combined, than when either factor was applied alone. Both oxidized (NO-3) and reduced (NH+4) forms of N increased germination, but non-N-containing compounds did not, suggesting the response was due to N and not ionic or osmotic effects.

Without additional N, T50%decreased from 16–20 d at zero chilling, to around 5 d at 8 and 12 weeks chilling. Although T50%was not influenced by an increase in NO-3or NH+4from 0.5 to 5.0 mM , it did increase with additional applied N thereafter. However, the magnitude of the N effect was small compared to that of chilling. Like germination, seed imbibition increased with a longer chilling period, but in contrast imbibition decreased slightly with increased applied NO-3or NH+4. It is argued that increased imbibition is not directly related to an increase in total germination, but that it may be related to the rate of germination. Possible mechanisms involved in the reduction in dormancy ofC. vitalba seed are discussed.

Clematis vitalba L.; germination; dormancy; imbibition; rate of germination; chilling; light; nitrate; ammonium; nitrogen; phytochrome


Add to CiteULike CiteULike   Add to Connotea Connotea   Add to Del.icio.us Del.icio.us    What's this?




Disclaimer: Please note that abstracts for content published before 1996 were created through digital scanning and may therefore not exactly replicate the text of the original print issues. All efforts have been made to ensure accuracy, but the Publisher will not be held responsible for any remaining inaccuracies. If you require any further clarification, please contact our Customer Services Department.