Effect of seed storage on seed germination and seedling quality of <i>Festulolium</i> in comparison with related forage grasses

Abstract

Tests of seed germination, seed dormancy and seedling growth were performed on 0-, 6-, 20- and 30-months-old seed lots of Festulolium in comparison with Italian ryegrass (Lolium multiflorum) and meadow fescue (Festuca pratensis). Tests were performed on seeds harvested in 2 different years (2014 and 2015) resulting in no major difference between the years. Seed storage affected seed viability and dormancy and seedling growth in all 3 grasses. The maximum germination of Festulolium seeds was achieved 6 months after harvest (95% normal seedlings); germination decreased significantly thereafter. While maximum germination of L. multiflorum and F. pratensis seeds was also achieved following storage for 6 months, these germination rates (93 and 90%, respectively) were retained until at least 20 months in storage. After storage for 30 months, seed germination of Festulolium, L. multiflorum and F. pratensis had declined to 72, 79 and 83%, respectively. High germination in all species was associated with higher rates of seedling growth. In an artificial seed ageing test, a temperature of 41 °C (during 48 and 72 hours) was found to effectively rank seed lots for germination performance in all 3 grasses. This test seems to have application for use in the seed trade to identify seed lots which could deteriorate more rapidly in storage. Further studies are needed to verify this hypothesis.

Influence of seed pre-treatment and temperatures during germination of four seed lots of Festulolium

“…The accepted definition of seed vitality is the sum of seed properties that represent seed potential for germination in different conditions (Perry 1980), which determines the complex interaction of genetic and environmental factors (Hodgkin and Hegarty 1978;Finch-Savage and Bassel 2016); cultivation technologies (Bewley et al, 2013); and storage period (Stanisavljević et al, 2020(Stanisavljević et al, , 2019(Stanisavljević et al, , 2016. This also explains the significant influence of the seed lot for seed quality in our tests (Tables 1 to 4).…”

“…Festulolium also showed good adaptability to the external environment conditions (Abdelhalim 2016;Humphreys et al, 2013Humphreys et al, , 2014. Studies by Deleuran et al, (2010) gives optimal cultivation technologies for the production of Festulolium seeds, but there is a lack of research and many unknowns about seed storage and aging (Stanisavljević et al, 2020).…”

Impact of essential oils on the seed quality and the seed-borne pathogens of Althea officinalis

“…All these processes lead to a decrease in the germination rate and an increase in the percentage of dead seeds and abnormal seedlings, which in our study happened with three-year-old seeds. The time after which the seed ageing process begins varies over plant species [19,42].…”

“…The previous studies, conducted on seeds of marshmallow populations originating from Serbia, indicated that the germination rate of seeds was 29% [10]. Filipović et al [11] stated that the average germination rate of marshmallow seeds amounted to 19.8%, varying from 9.5-26%. On the other hand, Starović et al [12] recorded the average germination rate of marshmallow seeds of 37.7%.…”

An Endeavor of ‘Deep-underground Agriculture’: Deep-underground Storage in a Gold Mine Impacts the Germination of Canola (Brassica Napus L.) Seeds

“…However, the vigor of seeds after storage in these conditions is often low, which inevitably leads to a decrease in GR. An effective way in which to deal with this problem would be increasing the seeding rate with the aim of obtaining a higher GR, although this approach would come at an additional cost (Stanisavljevic et al, 2020). In addition, speci c pretreatment of canola seeds could be an effective method; for example, thermal pretreatment can effectively break seed dormancy and thereby increase the GR and nal yield (Xu et al, 2020).…”