Dead Seeds Research Articles

Treatment with insecticide and fungicide on the physiological quality of lentil seeds.

The low Brazilian productive index and the high demand have aroused interest in the cultivation of lentils, however the legume is little known and needs further studies. The objective of this study was to analyze and identify the effects of treatments with insecticides and fungicides on the physiological quality of lentil seeds, CA-1512 strain. The experiments were conducted in the seed laboratory in a completely randomized design with seven treatments and four replicates. Seed treatment with Thiophanate-methyl; Fluazinam® (180 ml) + Pyraclostrobin; Thiophanate-methyl; Fipronil® (150 ml) promoted higher levels of germination under accelerated aging, lower number of abnormal seedlings and longer lengths of shoot and radicle for the emergence in paper. Treatment with Carboxin; Thiram® (250 ml) + Imidacloprid® (150 ml) allowed a higher value in the first count of germination in sand, lower number of dead seeds under accelerated aging and longer root length, in the emergence in sand. Shoot length in the emergence in sand increased after seed treatment with Metalaxyl-M; Fludioxonil® (75 ml) + Pyraclostrobin; Thiophanate-methyl; Fipronil® (150 ml). Treatments with fungicides and insecticides considerably improved the physiological properties of the seeds, thus being able to guarantee greater phytosanitary qualities in the field, generating healthier seedlings and with protection against possible pests and diseases, and consequently guaranteeing greater productivity.

Gibberellic Acid Concentrations and Storage of Caryocar brasiliense (Caryocaraceae) Seeds Propagated in Tubes

The immersion of seeds in gibberellic acid solutions can promote dormancy breaking. Storage can be dynamic in seed longevity. The objective of this work was to evaluate different concentrations of gibberellic acid applied to seeds isolated from two storage times on the emergence of C. brasiliense tree seedlings grown in tubes. There were two experiments with different planting and storage times. The seeds were extracted from the endocarp. In both, a randomized block design was used with the following seven treatments: 0, 50, 100, 500, 1000 and 2000 mg L−1 of GA3 and dry seeds without pre-soaking, with five replications of 20 seeds. The seeds were treated with fungicide and sown in tubes containing substrate. After 60 days, evaluations and transplantation were carried out. In the experiment with older pyrenes (seeds stored for seven months), there was high seed mortality (96.54%) and a small emergence rate (3.45%). On the other hand, when new pyrenes were used, the percentage of dead seeds was 32.71% and emergence was 62.28%. GA3 did not stimulate germination or the diameter of C. brasiliense tree seedlings, except for stem length. The 2000 concentration provided a greater stem length and greater leaf area compared to dry seeds.

The Effect of Immersion Time at Initial Water Temperature of 50°C and Gibberellin Concentration on Viability of Arabica Coffee Seeds (Coffea arabica L.)


 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 The coffee nursery process takes a relatively long time hence it can affect the production period of coffee plants because of it a seed treatment is needed before planting i.e. immersion with the initial water temperature and in the gibberellin solution. This research aim was to obtain the immersion time of the seeds at the initial water temperature of 50°C and the optimal gibberellins concentration to increase the viability of Arabica coffee seeds. The method used was Factorial Randomized Group Design with two factors and three replications. The first factor was the immersion time with an initial water temperature of 50°C with 4 levels, namely; 0, 10, 20, and 30 minutes. The second factor was the gibberellins concentration with 4 levels, namely; 0, 50, 100 and 150 ppm. The results showed that an increase in the immersion time of the seeds at the initial water temperature of 50°C was able to accelerate the germination rate and accelerate the time of leaves appearance. The increased of gibberellin concentration can accelerate germination rates, increase the percentage of normal sprouts, decrease the percentage of dead seeds, increase the vigor index, increase hypocotyl length, increase root length, accelerate leaf emergence and decrease the percentage of abnormal sprouts but reduce the percentage growth potential. The treatments interaction can increase the viability of Arabica coffee seeds, namely germination rate for 21.74 days, the percentage of abnormal germination by 0%, vigor index of 0.85 germinating seeds/day, and root length of 8.78 cm.

Non-Destructive Viability Discrimination for Individual Scutellaria baicalensis Seeds Based on High-Throughput Phenotyping and Machine Learning

It is crucial to identify and select high-quality seeds for improving Scutellaria baicalensis yield. In this study, we present a non-destructive and accurate method for predicting Scutellaria baicalensis seed viability that used seed phenotypic data with machine-learning algorithms to distinguish between vital and dead seeds. Meanwhile, the SMOTE was used to balance the dataset and make the established viability discrimination model more efficient by avoiding problems of overfitting or under-fitting. The results showed that hyperspectral imaging (HSI) combined with detrend (DT) preprocessing and a support vector machine (SVM) model could predict Scutellaria baicalensis seed viability with a 93.3% accuracy, and increased the germination percentage of the seed lot to 99.1%, while machine vision imaging provided the highest 87.9% accuracy and 87.0% germination percentage. This strategy is suitable for large-scale Scutellaria baicalensis seed viability discrimination operations for ensuring seed quality, expanding the cultivation and production scales of Scutellaria baicalensis, and accelerating the present solving of the problem of short supply. It can help to accelerate the breeding of quality Scutellaria baicalensis varieties.

Acclimatization of coffee seedlings obtained from zygotic embryos of aged seeds

Coffee seeds rapidly lose viability during storage, which hinders the development of vigorous seedlings for crop establishment. There are reports that seed endosperm is more sensitive to deterioration than embryos, which can be excised and cultivated in vitro. However, a substantial number of plants grown in vitro do not survive during transfer to a greenhouse or field environment. The objective of this study was to evaluate the acclimatization of coffee seedlings of cultivar Catuaí Amarelo IAC 62, developed from zygotic embryos obtained from aged seeds in different substrates and environments, for the production of well-developed seedlings suitable for planting. For this purpose, seedlings were obtained from the in vitro cultivation of embryos obtained from seeds of two quality levels: freshly harvested seeds and artificially aged seeds. Zygotic embryos were extracted from the seeds and cultivated in MS medium. At 60 days, the percentages of normal and abnormal seedlings and dead seeds were evaluated. The good-quality seedlings grown in vitro for 60 days were transplanted into two different substrates (Tropstrato and coconut fiber) and acclimatized in two environments (growth room and greenhouse with a misting system). The plants were evaluated for height, stem diameter, number of leaves, chlorophyll content, and growth rate. The greenhouse environment was better for seedling growth, possibly due to its higher sunlight and temperature. The best substrate was coconut fiber, as it ensured better development of plants from freshly harvested seeds and those from aged seeds. It is possible to develop healthy seedlings from seeds with low viability

PENYULUHAN PEMELIHARAAN AYAM BROILER YANG RENDAH KOLESTEROL DENGAN PEMBERIAN SUPLEMEN DI DESA BANGLAS, KABUPATEN KEPULAUAN MERANTI

In the village of Banglas, Meranti Islands, there are poultry farmers, namely broiler chickens, who supply the chickens to markets in the Meranti Islands area. However, the problem faced by farmers is that the number of chicken seeds with chickens ready to sell is far lower than the number of initial seeds. Based on the importance of this, counseling on the maintenance of low-cholesterol broiler chickens by providing supplements in Banglas Village, Meranti Islands Regency. In this outreach activity, the instructor provides information on the importance of giving probiotics to farm chickens so that the risk of dead seeds before being sold can decrease the number, then the extension worker provides supplements and provides supplements to farmers. After giving supplements and being monitored for three months, it was found a decrease in the mortality rate of the broiler chickens.

Uji Viabilitas dan Vigor Benih Telang(Clitoria ternatea) dari Berbagai Lokasi Tumbuh

The flower of Telang usually grows in the yard or the edge of the forest. This plant typically is a gourd plant. Its seed is classified as orthodox seed, meaning that its seed naturally can be characterized as dried without being damaged. This study aimed to determine the viability and vigor of the Telang seeds (Clitoria ternatea L). A Completely Randomized Design (CRD) consisted of 6 treatments based on seed origin: South Ternate, North Ternate, Tidore, Thailand, Subaim, and Central Ternate. The experiment was repeated four times, so it consisted of 24 units. The observation variables consisted of growth potential, germination capacity, the vigor of sprouts, growth speed, synchronous growth, and dead seeds. We performed an Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) to analyze the data. The results showed that the origin of seeds had a significant effect on growth potential, germination, sprout vigor, growth speed, synchronous growth, and dead seed. The best seed viability and vigor were found in North Ternate seeds.

Effect of acetic acid treatments and storage on the quality of lettuce (Lactuca sativa L.) seeds

Seedborne fungi negatively affect the quality of lettuce (Lactuca sativa L.) seeds and they are impact on their storability. Using the acetic acid can be an alternative to chemical treatment. Seeds were soaked for 30 minutes in a solution of acetic acid at concentrations of 0.25%, 0.5%, and 2%. Untreated seeds, seeds soaked for 30 minutes with distilled water and seeds treated with Dithane NeoTec 75 were controls. Seeds germination, vigour and seed health before and after 18 months of storage at 4 and 20 °C were tested. Before storage the acetic acid solution at concentrations of 0.25 and 0.5% significantly decreased number of dead seeds and increased germination at first and final counts, 2.0% solution worsened germination and vigour of seeds of both samples. Generally acetic acid solutions limited occurrence of fungi. Seeds stored at a lower temperature (4 °C) were characterized by significantly higher percentages of total germinating seeds (Gmax) and percentage of germination at first and final counts. Deterioration of the germination at first and final counts was found only after soaking the seeds in acetic acid solution at a concentration of 2%. Acetic acid solutions at concentration 0.5 and 2.0% effectively reduced occurrence of Alternaria alternata.

PENGARUH PEMBERIAN FUNGISIDA BENOMIL DENGAN DOSIS YANG BERBEDA DAN LAMA PENYIMPANAN TERHADAP KUALITAS BENIH Indigofera sp.

This study aimed to determine the effect of benomyl fungicide with different doses and storage time on the quality of Indigofera sp. This research was conducted in April – July 2021 at the Nutrition and Animal Feed Laboratory, Department of Animal Husbandry, Faculty of Agriculture, University of Lampung. This study used a completely randomized design (CRD) with a factorial pattern (4 x 3) with the first treatment being the dose of the fungicide benomyl P0, P1, P2, and P3 (0%, 2%, 4%, and 6%) and the second treatment was duration storage T1, T2, and T3 (1, 2, and 3 months). Parameters observed were germination, normal germination, abnormal germination, hard seeds, dead seeds, and seeds attacked by pests. The data obtained were analyzed using analysis of variance (ANOVA) with a level of 5% and the least significant difference further test (LSD) was performed on the data which showed significantly different results. The results showed that there was no interaction between the dose of benomyl fungicide and the storage time on the quality of Indigofera sp. The best dose of benomyl fungicide for seed storage of Indigofera sp. was treatment P1 (2 mg/gr), because treatment P1 resulted in the highest percentage of gemination potency and normal germination and resulted in a low percentage of seeds attacked by pests. The best storage time for storing Indigofera sp seeds was treatment T1 (storage time of 1 month) because treatment T1 produced the highest percentage of germination and normal germination, which was 9.77% and 4.39%, respectively.
 
 Keywords: Benomyl fungicide, germination, Indigofera sp.

Method to overcome dormancy in seeds from unconventional food plant: Phytolacca americana (Phytolaccaceae)

Plant species Phytolacca americana (Phytolaccaceae) can be classified as UFP (Unconventional Food Plant); it is used for food and/or medicinal purposes due to its analgesic, anti-inflammatory, anti-rheumatic and anti-arthritic properties; moreover, it is suitable to treat different skin diseases. However, its seeds present integumentary dormancy caused by uneven germination. The aim of the present study is to assess the effect of chemical scarification in sulfuric acid on dormancy overcome in Phytolacca americana (Phytolaccaceae) seeds. Seeds were immersed in 4 ml sulfuric acid, which was concentrated through different immersion times (2, 5, 8, 11 and 15 min), and compared to the control treatment (without sulfuric acid). The study followed a completely randomized design with six treatments and four repetitions, with 50 seeds per treatment. The following parameters were assessed: days to start germination (DSG), germination (G), germination speed index (GSI), abnormal plantlets (AP), dead seeds (DS), hard seeds (HS) and total dry mass (TDM). Data were subjected to Shapiro-Wilk test for variance normality. The analysis of variance and regression were carried out in RStudio software, version 4.1.0. Means recorded for treatments were compared through Tukey test (p ≤ 0.05). The treatment based on immersion in sulfuric acid for 2 min was the most efficient in overcoming dormancy in this species, since it led to the best results for germination variables and total biomass accumulation in plantlets.

Influence of Biopolymer Synthesized from Tamarind Seed Polysaccharide (TSP) on Physiological and Biochemical Parameters of Maize Hybrid COH(M) 8 Seeds

The experiment was conducted in Department of Seed Science and Technology, Tamil Nadu Agricultural University, Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu during 2021. Biopolymer was synthesized from Tamarind Seed Polysaccharide (TSP) and added with different additives and coated maize seeds to know how they effect their physiological and biochemical parameters. The seeds were given with four treatments viz., T0- control (untreated seed), T1- biopolymer (B.P) - 10g kg-1, T2- B.P (10g) + Humic acid (0.3g) + Zimmu (Allium cepa × Allium sativum) leaf extract (0.5 ml) and T3- T2+ Ascorbic acid (0.2 g) and evaluated for seed quality parameters. The results of the present investigation revealed that T3 was significantly superior viz., higher percentage of germination (95%), rate of germination (31.64), seed metabolic efficiency (2.78), seedling root length (25.92 cm), seedling shoot length (15.57 cm), total biomass production (9.41 g), vigour index I (3942), vigour Index-II (94.15). This treatment also recorded highest value of biochemical parameters such as α-amylase (2.23), dehydrogenase (1.87 OD value), catalase (29.94) and peroxidase (7.00) activities. It reduced the abnormal seedlings (2%), dead seeds (3%), days to 50% germination (2.54), mean emergence time (3.02) and pathogen infection (0.25%). We concluded that maize seeds coated with T3 had better seedling establishment and may be recommended as pre sowing seed treatment under organic agriculture.

Non-Destructive Testing of Alfalfa Seed Vigor Based on Multispectral Imaging Technology.

Seed vigor is an important index to evaluate seed quality in plant species. How to evaluate seed vigor quickly and accurately has always been a serious problem in the seed research field. As a new physical testing method, multispectral technology has many advantages such as high sensitivity and accuracy, nondestructive and rapid application having advantageous prospects in seed quality evaluation. In this study, the morphological and spectral information of 19 wavelengths (365, 405, 430, 450, 470, 490, 515, 540, 570, 590, 630, 645, 660, 690, 780, 850, 880, 940, 970 nm) of alfalfa seeds with different level of maturity and different harvest periods (years), representing different vigor levels and age of seed, were collected by using multispectral imaging. Five multivariate analysis methods including principal component analysis (PCA), linear discriminant analysis (LDA), support vector machine (SVM), random forest (RF) and normalized canonical discriminant analysis (nCDA) were used to distinguish and predict their vigor. The results showed that LDA model had the best effect, with an average accuracy of 92.9% for seed samples of different maturity and 97.8% for seed samples of different harvest years, and the average sensitivity, specificity and precision of LDA model could reach more than 90%. The average accuracy of nCDA in identifying dead seeds with no vigor reached 93.3%. In identifying the seeds with high vigor and predicting the germination percentage of alfalfa seeds, it could reach 95.7%. In summary, the use of Multispectral Imaging and multivariate analysis in this experiment can accurately evaluate and predict the seed vigor, seed viability and seed germination percentages of alfalfa, providing important technical methods and ideas for rapid non-destructive testing of seed quality.

Seed Quality of Lablab Beans (Lablab purpureus L.) as Influenced by Drying Methods and Storage Temperature

Drying and storage are the common postharvest issues in seed production. Normally, seeds are harvested at physiological maturity when the moisture is higher than desired for safe storage. This study aims to evaluate the use of common drying methods and suggest a suitable storage temperature for the lablab bean seed. Pods at 30 days after anthesis are harvested and the seeds subjected to drying using sun, shade, oven, and drying beads to obtain target moisture contents of 14%, 12%, and 10%. Dried seeds are then stored at two storage temperatures; ambient (27.7–34.2 °C; 74 ± 5% relative humidity) and refrigerated (2.0–5.0 °C; 25 ± 5% relative humidity) for six months. Both shade and drying beads provided good results. However, drying beads gave the highest germination percentage (≥70%) and the shortest drying duration to achieve safe moisture content of 10%, along with the economic benefit from the repeated usage. The beads can be reused indefinitely by recharging in an oven between uses, thus, indicating the potential adoption by farmers. Two commonly used methods (sun and oven) have been proven to be unsuitable as they increase dead seeds due to heating damage. It is further explained that during six months of storage in the ambient temperature, declines were recorded in antioxidant enzyme activities, germination performance, and seedling growth. Therefore, lablab bean seeds are best stored refrigerated (≤5 °C) in which the germination and defense mechanism are maintained, and it is highly recommended to the farmers and seed producers as it is easily accessible, cost-saving, and sustainable.

SOYBEAN GENERATIONS UNDER GAMMA RAYS AND EFFECTS ON SEED QUALITY

Mutation induction is used to improve existing or generate new varieties. The objective of this study was to evaluate the effect of gamma radiation doses under successive generations of cultivation on seed quality of two soybean lines (VX04-6828 and VX04-5692). Different gamma-ray doses (60Co) were evaluated (0; 50; 150 and 250 Gray) in the M0 (first sowing) generation, and analyzed for water content, germination, vigor, abnormal seedlings, dead seeds, and hilum color. Then, sowing (M0) was carried out to obtain plants and seeds of the first production cycle (M1 generation), and then those of the subsequent cycle (M2 generation). The same analyses of M0 were performed for M2 and M3 generations, with the addition of germination rate and emergence speed index in the field. The data were submitted to analysis of variance in a factorial arrangement. The generations were compared using Tukey’s test, while doses were evaluated by regression analysis. Seeds of the two soybean lines showed significant interaction for the different generations and gamma-ray doses in all the variables analyzed, except for water content. The application of gamma rays in soybean seeds showed effects on successive generations of cultivation, with better physiological quality up to the dose of 150 Gy (Gray) and greater sensitivity to gamma radiation for the VX04-5692 line.

Ocena kvaliteta semena različitih partija kupusa tokom starenja

The aim of the research was to evaluate the influence of the year and the seed lots on the most important indicators of cabbage seed quality. Quality testing of nine different seed lots of Potomac F1 cabbage was performed during three years (2019, 2020 and 2021). Analyses of variance showed a significant effect (p<0.01) of the year (Y), while seed lot (L) and their interaction (Y × L) showed a significant effect (p<0.05) on all observed parameters quality (germination energy, total germination, abnormal seedlings and dead seeds). The strongest correlation between the examined parameters was in the first year and weakened in the second and third years. In the first year as expected, significant positive correlation between germination energy and total germination was found (r = 0.84779, p<0.01). The highly and negative interdependence was achieved between total germination and dead seeds (r = - 0.94363, p<0.001) and abnormal seedlings (r = -0.78019, p<0.05). Also negative interdependence was found between germination energy and dead seeds (r = -0.80000, p<0.01) and abnormal seedlings (r = -0.66144, p<0.05). The germination energy and the total germination of the cabbage seeds considered were found to decrease with the increasing seed age, in contrast to the numbers of their abnormal seedlings and dead seeds which continued to increase with seed aging. The obtained results indicate that the germination of highly hybrid conventional cabbage seeds decreases significantly during aging, as a direct consequence of a very significant increase in the number of abnormal seedlings.

Uticaj hibrida kukuruza i veličine semena nakon dorade na fizičke osobine semena, klijavost i rast klijanca

In these studies, the physical and physiological seed properties and seedling's vigour properties in five ZP maize hybrids (ZP1, ZP2, ZP3, ZP4 and ZP5) were investigated. Hybrid seed was divided into small (SF) and large fractions (LF) The hybrid combination and seed size did not significantly (p ≥ 0.05) affect seed germination. Width, thickness, length, seed weight, dead seeds, abnormal seedling, stem and root growth and fresh seedling weight were significantly influenced by hybrid and seed fraction LF produced higher stems by 1.18 cm, longer roots by 2.94 cm and higher seedling weight by 0.032 g (the hybrid average) as compared to SF. The influence of hybrids on stem growth differed by 1.9 cm on SF seed and 1.7 cm on LF seed. Significant and positive dependence (p ≥ 0.001) between seed germination was determined with the growth of stem, root and seedling weight, as well as with the 1000 seed weight (p ≥ 0.01) and with a thickness (TS) (p ≥ 0.05). Seed germination with abnormal seedlings achieved a negative (p ≥ 0.01) significant correlation.

The seed vigour of spelt produced at the Maize Research Institute “Zemun Polje”

Spelt (Triticum spelta L.) has been increasingly attracting producers due to the biological properties and chemical composition of its seeds. As high-quality seeds are necessary for successful production, the vigour of organically and conventionally produced spelt seeds has been studied and results are presented in this paper. The seeds of the variety Nirvana produced by both methods at the Maize Research Institute ?Zemun Polje? in 2015 were observed. According to the results, the germination energy of conventionally and organically produced seeds amounted to 30% and 69%, respectively. The total germination of conventionally and organically produced spelt seeds amounted to 99% and 93%, respectively. The percentage of abnormal seedlings of spelt produced by both methods amounted to 1% on average. The participation of diseased and dead seeds was higher in organically produced seeds (6%) than in conventionally produced seeds (0%). After the seed accelerated ageing test, a higher germination was observed in conventionally produced seeds (75%) than in organically produced seeds (68%). The electric conductivity of conventionally produced seeds amounted to 189.4 ?S/cm and 195.2 ?S/cm in the first and the second replication, respectively, while the values of organically produced seeds amounted to 95.5 ?S/cm and 98.6 ?S/cm, in the first and the second replication, respectively. The results obtained by the electrical conductivity test indicated that the conventionally produced spelt seeds (32.33 ?S/cm g) were classified into the category of low vigour seeds in comparison to organically produced spelt seeds (27.65 ?S/cm g).

Soybean sowing under low water availability conditions: impacts of seed treatment and soil management

Abstract: The aim of this work was to evaluate the impact of soybean sowing in soil with low water availability, under two management systems, using seeds with and without chemical treatment, on the physiological quality of seeds and seedling emergence. For this, two experiments were set up, one under no-tillage system (NTS) and the other under conventional tillage system (CTS), in a randomized block design, both in a 2x6 factorial scheme, with two seed treatment conditions (with and without) and six periods of seed permanence in the soil (0, 24, 48, 72, 96 and 120 h), with four replications. Germination, vigor, percentage of abnormal seedlings and percentage of dead seeds were evaluated. Seed treatment made it possible to maintain germination at acceptable levels for up to five days of permanence of the seeds in the soil, even in CTS. Sowing in soils with low water availability can lead to reductions of 0.2 and 0.5 percentage points per hour of exposure to dry soil in germination and vigor of soybean seeds, respectively.

Aspects of the determining the sowing properties of seeds of perennial grasses express method effectiveness in comparison with domestic and international rules

Purpose. To theoretically substantiate the methodology for the accelerated determination of the sowing qualities (express method) of seeds of leguminous and cereal grasses, in particular germination capacity, the amount of hard seeds and viability in comparison with the defining those indicators according to the State standard of Ukraine (SStU 4138-2002), international methodology (ISTA – International seed testing association). Methods. Quantitative, laboratory, mathematical-statistical, observation, comparison, analysis and synthesis. Results. Determination of sowing qualities (germination energy, germination rate, amount of hard seeds) of forage crops according to the methods of SStU 4138-2002; ISTA (international rules for the analysis of seeds) and the express method of accelerated determination, showed the high efficiency and effectiveness of the latter (improved method of swelling seeds of leguminous grasses and preparatory caving of films and swelling of seeds of cereal grasses), which can be used in production conditions to obtain objective information on the sowing properties of seeds of the formed harvest. Conclusions. The express method can be used to determine the viability of legume grass seeds within 3-4 hours by establishing the difference between the number of live and dead seeds. The data obtained are close to the germination rates when analyzing seeds according to the SStU 4138-2002 and ISTA methods and make up 90-95; 93-95; 92-95% respectively. Germination of seeds of cereal grasses using the caryopsis method allows determining the viability of seeds on the 2nd-5th day in species with high germination energy (Bromus inermis, different types of Lolium perenne) and 7th-10th day in species with slow germination (Festuca rubra L). Seed germination of these species according to the express method was 84- 92%, while according to the SStU 4138-2002 and ISTA methods it made up 91-94; 90-96%, and the analysis was carried out on the 10th and 21st day.

Diversity of the Seed Material of Selected Plant Species of Naturally Valuable Grassland Habitats in Terms of the Prognosis of Introduction Success

The current conservation status of semi-natural grassland habitats in Poland indicates that actions for their restoration are necessary. Many of the degraded sites require the introduction of diaspores of representative species because other methods of improving their condition are not sufficiently effective. Meanwhile, little is known about the diaspores of native wild-flower species and the biology of their seeds. The aim of the present study was to find an answer to the question of which features of the seed material can guarantee the success of the introduction. The study covered 28 plant species of 4 non-forest natural habitats (codes: 6440, 6410, 6510, 6210) occurring in river valleys. Diaspores were collected in 2015–2017. Morphometric measurements of diaspores were performed, the weight of 1000 diaspores was determined and the germination capacity analysis was carried out in accordance with ISTA Rules. The analysis was made with the division into normal seedlings, abnormal seedlings, dead seeds and fresh ungerminated seeds. Species with similar parameters of seed material were selected using the method of hierarchical clustering and PCA analysis. Three groups of species were distinguished: (1) with good seed germination capacity (above 65%), which, regardless of weather conditions during the generative development, and despite the small size of diaspores, can guarantee successful introductions (Verbascum thapsus, Veronica longifolia, Daucus carota, Plantago lanceolata); (2) species of little suitability for introduction, due to the large proportion (over 50%) of dead seeds (Armeria maritima, Linaria vulgaris, Potentilla erecta, Centaurea stoebe, Sanguisorba officinalis, Cnidium dubium); (3) species with relatively large size of diaspores and low seed germination capacity, due to the high proportion of fresh ungerminated seeds which means dormant seeds (Lathyrus pratensis, Geranium pratense).