Role of temperature in regulating timing of germination in soil seed reserves of Thlaspi arvense L.

Abstract

Summary. Most freshly‐matured seeds of Thlaspi arvense L. (Brassicaceae) were dormant at maturity in May. Seeds sown on soil germinated in autumn and spring, but mostly in autumn. Buried seeds exhumed at monthly intervals and tested in light and darkness over a range of thermoperiods exhibited annual dormancy/non‐dormancy cycles. However, the dormant period was short, usually only in April, but sometimes May, and in some years 1–6% of the seeds remained conditionally dormant. After‐ripening occurred during summer, and seeds were non‐dormant during autumn. Seeds entered conditional dormancy in winter and dormancy in late winter or early spring. When buried dormant seeds were kept at 25/15, 30/15 or 35/20°C for 12 weeks, they gained the ability to germinate to 95–100% at 15/6, 20/10, 25/15, 30/15 and 35/20°C. After burial for 12 weeks at 15/6 and 20/10°C, seeds germinated to 80–100% at 15/6, 20/10 and 25/15°C. but to only 11–64% at 30/15 and 35/20°C. After 4 weeks at 5°C, initially‐dormant seeds germinated to 100% at all thermoperiods except 35/20°C, where only 15% of them germinated. However, after 18 weeks at 5°C, only 0–1% of the seeds germinated at all thermoperiods. Most non‐dormant seeds exposed to 1, 5 and 15/6°C for 16 weeks were induced into dormancy; 1–15% entered conditional dormancy and thus germinated only at 15/6, 20/10 and 25/15°C. This study indicates that seeds of winter annual plants of T. arvense are non‐dormant in autumn and enter dormancy in winter, while those from summer annuals are dormant in autumn and become non‐dormant during winter.