Abstract
There is a need to develop effective techniques for establishing native vegetation in dryland ecosystems. We developed a novel treatment that primes (hydrates) seeds in a matrix of absorbent materials and bio-stimulants and then forms the mixture into pods for planting. In the development process, we determined optimal conditions for priming seeds and then compared seedling emergence from non-treated seeds, non-primed-seed pods, and primed-seed pods. Emergence trials were conducted on soils collected from a hillslope and ridgetop location on the Kaibab Plateau, Arizona, USA. Poa fendleriana and Pseudoroegneria spicata were used as test species. Seeds were primed from -0.5 to -2.5 MPa for up to 12 d. Seeds primed under drier conditions (-1.5 to -2.5 MPa) tended to have quicker germination. Days to 50% emergence for primed-seed pods was between 66.2 to 82.4% faster (5.2 to 14.5 d fewer) than non-treated seeds. Seedling emergence from primed-seed pods for P. fendleriana was 3.8-fold higher than non-treated seeds on the ridgetop soil, but no difference was found on the other soil. Final density of P. spicata primed-seed pods were 2.9 to 3.8-fold higher than non-treated seeds. Overall, primed-seed pods show promise for enhancing germination and seedling emergence, which could aid in native plant establishment.
Highlights
Two-thirds of the globe’s ecosystems are considered degraded [1]
Poa fendleriana had a wide range in which seeds could be primed wherein it did not show coleorhizae protrusion at any water potential (-0.5, -1.0, -1.5, -2.0, or -2.5 MPa) for any time period (4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, or 12 d)
P. spicata had a relatively narrow range of water potentials (-1.5, -2.0, and -2.5 MPa) and durations (4–7 d) in that seeds could be primed without showing coleorhizae protrusion
Summary
In North America the sagebrush biome is declining at an alarming rate as large-scale catastrophic wildfires and other disturbances remove native vegetation. These losses allow for the invasion of exotic annual grasses such as Bromus tectorum (downy brome or cheatgrass) [2, 3]. Effective methods for seeding native vegetation back into degraded sagebrush systems are needed to prevent or reduce weed invasion and arrest the invasive plant-fire cycle. Success rates for reestablishing native plants from seeds in disturbed sagebrush systems and other dryland regions are unacceptably low [3, 6], and seeding success is predicted to further decline with climate change [7]
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
