Influence of Stratification, Temperature, and Light on Seed Germination of Selected Provenances of Atlantic White Cedar

Abstract

Cones of six provenances (Escambia Co., Ala., Santa Rosa Co., Fla., Wayne Co., N.C., Burlington Co., N.J., New London Co., Conn., and Barnstable Co., Mass.) of Atlantic white cedar [Chamaecyparis thyoides (L.) B. S. P.], were collected Fall 1994 (Alabama, North Carolina, New Jersey, and Connecticut), Winter 1995 (Massachusetts), or Fall 1995 (Florida). Cones were dried for 2 months, followed by seed extraction and storage at 4°C. Seeds were then graded and stratified (moist-prechilled) for 0, 30, 60, or 90 days. Following stratification, seeds were placed at 25°C or an 8/16-hr thermoperiod of 30°/20°C with daily photoperiods of 0, 1, or 24 hr. Germination was recorded every 3 days for 30 days. Temperature, stratification, and light had significant effects on germination. However, responses to these factors varied according to provenance. Averaged over all treatments, the Alabama provenance exhibited the greatest germination (61%), followed by the Florida provenance (45%), with the remaining provenances ranging from 20% to 38%. However, there were specific treatments for each provenance that resulted in germination > 50%. The three southern provenances (Alabama, Florida, and North Carolina) required 30 days of stratification for maximum germination. They did not exhibit an obligate light requirement, but photoperiods ≥ 1 hr increased germination greatly over seeds in darkness. In contrast, the northern provenances (New Jersey, Connecticut, and Massachusetts) had an obligate light requirement. These provenances only required 30 days stratification with continuous light for maximum germination. When subjected to a 1-hr photoperiod, seeds from the northern provenances required longer durations of stratification for maximum germination. Regardless of the length of stratification, the New Jersey provenance required a 24-hr photoperiod to maximize germination. When averaged over all treatments, total germination for each provenance was greater at 30°/20°C than 25°C (43% vs. 31%).