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Germination

About: Germination is a research topic. Over the lifetime, 51948 publications have been published within this topic receiving 877937 citations.


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Journal ArticleDOI
01 Feb 2000-Oikos
TL;DR: How theoretical models deal with seed limitation and how seed sowing experiments can be used to unravel the extent of seed limitation in natural systems are considered.
Abstract: We define seed limitation to be an increase in population size following seed addition. Here, we briefly consider how theoretical models deal with seed limitation and how seed sowing experiments can be used to unravel the extent of seed limitation in natural systems. We review two types of seed addition experiments: seed augmentation studies where seeds are added to existing populations; and seed introductions where seeds are sown in unoccupied sites. Overall, approximately 50% of seed augmentation experiments show evidence of seed limitation. These studies show that seed limitation tends to occur more commonly in early successional habitats and in early successional species. Most of the studies have concentrated on simply categorising populations as seed- or microsite-limited, but we believe that seed sowing experiments could be used to reveal much more about community structure, and we discuss possible future directions. In 53% of introduction studies (where seeds were sown at sites from which the species was known to be absent) the introduced species was recorded in at least one of the experimental sites following sowing. However, of the subset of studies where both seedlings and adult plants were recorded, 64% of sites contained seedlings while only 23% contained adults. This implies that, for many species, conditions for establishment are more stringent than conditions for germination. The successful establishment of plants in unoccupied patches indicates the potential for immigration to enhance local diversity (the spatial mass effect). Few studies continued monitoring for long enough to determine whether or not self-sustaining populations were successfully established, and no study attempted to link introduction sites to a putative natural source of propagules, or considered the dynamics of the metapopulation as a whole.

967 citations

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: Active oxygen species, which occurs during seed desiccation, germination and ageing, may lead to oxidative stress and cellular damage, resulting in seed deterioration, but cells are endowed with detoxifying enzymes and antioxidant compounds that scavenge AOS and participate in seed survival.
Abstract: Active oxygen species (AOS) are involved in various aspects of seed physiology. Their generation, which occurs during seed desiccation, germination and ageing, may lead to oxidative stress and cellular damage, resulting in seed deterioration. However, cells are endowed with detoxifying enzymes and antioxidant compounds that scavenge AOS and participate in seed survival. The detoxifying mechanisms play a key role in acquisition of desiccation tolerance of developing seeds, completion of seed germination and seed storability. However, AOS must also be regarded as molecules intervening in cellular signalling. They are involved in growth processes occurring at early embryogenesis during seed development, and participate in the mechanisms underlying radicle protrusion during seed germination. AOS might also have a regulatory function in the changes in gene expression during seed development, dormancy and germination. Their interplay with other molecules, particularly with hormones such as abscisic acid, suggests that they should be considered as key components of an integrated signalling network involved in many aspects of seed physiology.

962 citations

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: Under constant temperature conditions, the majority of grasses, legumes and composites germinated over a wide range of temperature, and the same feature was evident in species of ubiquitous or southern distribution in the British Isles.
Abstract: seeds for immediate germination. Of the 403 species examined, 158 failed to exceed 10% germination but 128 attained values greater than 80%. Germination was high in the majority of grasses and low in many annual forbs and woody species. With respect to initial germinability, major families could be arranged in the series Gramineae > Compositae > Leguminosae = Cyperaceae > Umbelliferae. Many small-seeded species were able to germinate immediately after collection and seeds of these species were often elongated or conical and had antrorse hairs or teeth on the dispersule. High initial germinability was conspicuous among the species of greatest abundance in the Sheffield flora. (4) In the majority of species, germination percentage increased during dry storage; this effect was most marked in small-seeded species. Among the seventy-five species which responded to chilling, some germinated at low temperature in darkness whilst others were dependent upon subsequent exposure to light or to higher temperature or to both. Responses to chilling were characteristic of the Umbelliferae. In all of the legumes examined, rapid germination to a high percentage was brought about by scarification. (5) Under the experimental conditions, all of the annual grasses showed the potential for rapid germination. High rates were also observed in many of the annual forbs and perennial grasses. Low rates of germination occurred in the majority of sedges, shrubs and trees, and were particularly common in species of northern distribution in Britain. Rapid germination was characteristic of the species of greatest abundance in the Sheffield flora. Rate of germination showed a progressive decline with increasing seed weight, and, with some exceptions, there was a positive correlation between rate of germination and the relative growth rate of the seedling. (6) In sixteen species, germination in the light was found to be dependent upon exposure to diurnal fluctuations in temperature. Under constant temperature conditions, the majority of grasses, legumes and composites germinated over a wide range of temperature, and the same feature was evident in species of ubiquitous or southern distribution in the British Isles. A requirement for relatively high temperature was apparent in sedges, in plants of northern distribution and in a majority of the marsh plants. The range of constant temperatures conducive to germination tended to be wider in grassland plants than in woodland species. Rapid germination over a wide range of temperature occurred in many of the species which attain greatest abundance in the Sheffield flora. 0022-0477/81/1100-1017 $02.00 (?1981 Blackwell Scientific Publications

962 citations

Book
22 Aug 1983
TL;DR: Physiology and biochemistry of seeds in relation to germination, Physiology andBiochemistry of seed germination and the role of environment in germination are discussed.
Abstract: Physiology and biochemistry of seeds in relation to germination , Physiology and biochemistry of seeds in relation to germination , مرکز فناوری اطلاعات و اطلاع رسانی کشاورزی

947 citations

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: It is reported that the basic leucine zipper transcription factor ABI5 confers an enhanced response to exogenous ABA during germination, and seedling establishment, as well as subsequent vegetative growth.
Abstract: Seed dormancy is a trait of considerable adaptive significance because it maximizes seedling survival by preventing premature germination under unfavorable conditions. Understanding how seeds break dormancy and initiate growth is also of great agricultural and biotechnological interest. Abscisic acid (ABA) plays primary regulatory roles in the initiation and maintenance of seed dormancy. Here we report that the basic leucine zipper transcription factor ABI5 confers an enhanced response to exogenous ABA during germination, and seedling establishment, as well as subsequent vegetative growth. These responses correlate with total ABI5 levels. We show that ABI5 expression defines a narrow developmental window following germination, during which plants monitor the environmental osmotic status before initiating vegetative growth. ABI5 is necessary to maintain germinated embryos in a quiescent state thereby protecting plants from drought. As expected for a key player in ABA-triggered processes, ABI5 protein accumulation, phosphorylation, stability, and activity are highly regulated by ABA during germination and early seedling growth.

854 citations


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Performance
Metrics
No. of papers in the topic in previous years
YearPapers
20241
20232,368
20225,240
20211,581
20202,080
20192,234