Seed Dormancy Implications in Grain and Forage Production

Abstract

Seed dormancy has been described for many species, and has promoted the curiosity of ecologists, who have recorded in detail the conditions and periods where seed dormancy is present. Physiologists have focused on understanding the mechanisms involved in seed dormancy induction and release. Agronomists have found seed dormancy to be problematic since it is related to the development of persistent weed seed banks and to the problems in predicting establishment of weed stands. If the crop seed has dormancy, its germination is restricted to a very narrow range of micro-environmental conditions. In this paper, we discuss how seed dormancy and the knowledge of its nature could be used to improve agronomic practices for grain and forage production. Crops selected to have dormant seeds, or artificially generated dormant seeds, could be sown at any time. When seedling establishment is desired, seed dormancy level could be lowered to produce synchronic germination and seedling emergence by modifying the environment, (i.e., changing the light and thermal environment of the seeds) so that physiological changes could occur and trigger germination. Seed germination could be naturally induced by seasonal changes or artificially induced by sonication. Selecting crops with dormant seeds during ripening and storage could also prevent seeds from germinating in moist environments. Artificially induced seed dormancy could be achieved by spraying hormones or oils. With adequate knowledge about the seed dormancy characteristics of plant populations, environmental situations can be engineered to encourage release from seed dormancy, to promote or inhibit certain species in weed and range management.