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Environmental Regulation of Dormancy and Germination

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Seeds

Abstract

The seed stage of the higher plant life cycle allows for the survival of individual species, as well as populations, over long periods of time. Emergence of seedlings from the soil seed bank depends on a range of environmental factors of which water and temperature are the most important. The existence of germination response thresholds for (soil) water and temperature has allowed for the development of hydrothermal time models to predict germination and emergence. Additional environmental cues that determine germination are light (through phytochrome), nitrate, and smoke components. These factors are pivotal in sensing competitors and vegetation gaps. Seeds in the soil seed bank undergo dormancy cycling in synchrony with the seasons. In this way precise timing of emergence in the correct season and location are ensured. The survival of a population of annual species predominantly depends on flowering time and dormancy.

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Useful Literature References

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, University of Guelph, Guelph, Ontario, Canada

    J. Derek Bewley PhD, DSc

  2. Seed Biotechnology Center Department of Plant Sciences, University of California, Davis, California, USA

    Kent J. Bradford

  3. Laboratory of Plant Physiology Wageningen Seed Laboratory, Wageningen University, Wageningen, The Netherlands

    Henk W. M. Hilhorst

  4. Department of Horticulture, Oregon State University, Corvallis, Oregon, USA

    Hiro Nonogaki

Authors
  1. J. Derek Bewley PhD, DSc
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  2. Kent J. Bradford
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  3. Henk W. M. Hilhorst
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  4. Hiro Nonogaki
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Bewley, J.D., Bradford, K.J., Hilhorst, H.W.M., Nonogaki, H. (2013). Environmental Regulation of Dormancy and Germination. In: Seeds. Springer, New York, NY. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4614-4693-4_7

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