Abstract
Seed priming is a widely used technique in crops to obtain uniform germination and high-quality seedlings. In this study, we found a long-term effect of seed priming with gibberellic acid-3 (GA3) on plant growth and production in Leymus chinensis. Seeds were germinated on agar plates containing 0–200 μM GA3, and the germinated seedlings were transplanted to clay planting pots and grown for about one year. The clonal tillers grown from the mother plants were transplanted to field conditions in the second year. Results showed that GA3 treatment significantly increased seed germination rate by 14–27%. GA3 treatment also promoted subsequent plant growth and biomass production, as shown by a significant increase in plant height, tiller number, and fresh and dry weight in both pot (2016) and field (2017) conditions. It is particularly noteworthy that the growth-promoting effect of a single seed treatment with GA3 lasted for at least two years. In particular, GA3 treatment at 50 μM increased aboveground fresh and dry weight by 168.2% and 108.9% in pot-grown conditions, and 64.5% and 126.2% in field-grown conditions, respectively. These results imply a transgenerational transmission mechanism for the GA-priming effect on clonal offspring growth and biomass production in L. chinensis.
Highlights
GAs play important roles in many essential plant growth and development processes, including seed germination, stem elongation, leaf expansion, flower and fruit development, and floral transition[22]
gibberellic acid-3 (GA3) treatment at all concentration levels significantly enhanced seed germination rates compared with the control treatment, with the highest recorded germination rate being 50 μM (Fig. 1)
Generalized linear models (GLMs) analysis showed that GA3 concentrations had significant promoting effects, and the Tukey’s test showed that a concentration of 50 μM was the most effective in promoting seed germination, when compared to the control (p < 0.001)
Summary
GAs play important roles in many essential plant growth and development processes, including seed germination, stem elongation, leaf expansion, flower and fruit development, and floral transition[22]. They are often used to overcome seed dormancy, and can significantly improve seed germination in many species, mainly through the activation of embryo growth, mobilization of reserves, and weakening of the endosperm layer[3,15]. A perennial, rhizomatous grass is one of the most widely distributed types of steppe vegetation in temperate eastern Eurasia[26,27] It is one of the species most preferred for consumption by large herbivores because of its high palatability in terms of forage value, and high crude protein[28]. The objective was to elucidate the priming effects of gibberellic acid-3 (GA3) on seed germination and subsequent growth and grass production in the perennial grass, L. chinensis
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