Abstract
To facilitate the restoration of disturbed vegetation, seeds of wild species are collected and held in dry storage, but often there is a shortage of seeds for this purpose. Thus, much research effort is expended to maximize the use of the available seeds and to ensure that they are nondormant when sown. Sowing nondormant (versus dormant) seeds in the field should increase the success of the restoration. Of the various treatments available to break seed dormancy, afterripening, that is, dormancy break during dry storage, is the most cost-effective. Seeds that can undergo afterripening have nondeep physiological dormancy, and this includes members of common families such as Asteraceae and Poaceae. In this review, we consider differences between species in terms of seed moisture content, temperature and time required for afterripening and discuss the conditions in which afterripening is rapid but could lead to seed aging and death if storage is too long. Attention is given to the induction of secondary dormancy in seeds that have become nondormant via afterripening and to the biochemical and molecular changes occurring in seeds during dry storage. Some recommendations are made for managing afterripening so that seeds are nondormant at the time for sowing. The most important recommendation probably is that germination responses of the seeds need to be monitored for germinability/viability during the storage period.
Highlights
Seeds of many wild species are collected and placed in dry storage because they are needed for habitat restoration projects [1]
Various solutions to the seed-shortage problem have been proposed, including the development of seed production areas for wild species [9,12,13,14]; establishment of community seed banks [6]; and formation of regional [15] and national [16] strategies to deal with the collection, production and management of seeds needed for restoration
Many plant researchers are aware that a period of dry storage at room temperatures may break seed dormancy, but the potential of this method to break seed dormancy of species to be used in restoration projects has not been fully realized
Summary
Seeds of many wild species are collected and placed in dry storage because they are needed for habitat restoration projects [1]. Seeds usually are sown in the field when environmental factors are perceived to be favorable for germination, and sometimes experimental seed-sowing plots are watered at least once, for example [28]. Many plant researchers are aware that a period of dry storage at room temperatures may break seed dormancy (for example [41,50,51,52,53,54]), but the potential of this method to break seed dormancy of species to be used in restoration projects has not been fully realized. If seeds are water-permeable and will afterripen during dry storage, this is a cost-effective method to break dormancy prior to sowing. The purpose of this paper is to provide an overview of dormancy break during dry storage and make recommendations with regard to the management of afterripening so that it is a useful tool and not a major headache for restoration
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