New Forests

, Volume 36, Issue 1, pp 93–102 | Cite as

Upgrading germinability of ponderosa pine seeds from Patagonia, Argentina, by adjusting prechilling periods and applying the IDS technique

  • Nora M. Pasquini
  • Guillermo E. Defossé
  • Olga Del Longo
Article
First Online:
Received:
Accepted:

Abstract

Ponderosa pine (Pinus ponderosa Dogl. ex. Laws.) is the most planted conifer species in the forest-steppe ecotone of Patagonia, Argentina, because of its adaptability and excellent growth rates. In spite of this, and the increasing demand for this species, local commercial seed lots showed low quality, making hazardous seedling production. Aiming to upgrade germinability of a local seed lot, we set an experiment to determine the duration of the prechilling period (0, 10, 20, 30, 40 and 60 days) that promoted the highest seed germination speed (GE) and percentage (GP). Moreover, part of that lot was IDS treated, in an attempt to separate empty and dead filled seeds from viable seeds. Results showed that after 40 days prechilling, GE reached 62%, and GP 70%, both higher than the values obtained under customary conditions. The application of the IDS technique, after 40 days prechilling, 8 h drying at ambient conditions (16 ± 2°C and 50% HR), and 25% seed moisture content (mc), increased GE and GP to 68% and 89%, respectively. Optimal prechilling periods and the application of the IDS technique successfully improved germinability of ponderosa pine seeds from Patagonian stands.

Keywords

Pinus ponderosa Cold moist stratification Viable seed separation Germination improvement 

Résumé

Le pin á bois lourd (Pinus ponderosa Dogl. ex. Laws.) c’est l’éspèce de conifère la plus plantée dans l’écotone forêt-steppe en Patagonie, Argentine, dû à son adaptabilité et ses excellents taux de croissance. Par cette cause, et aussi par la demande croissante pour cette espèce, l’approvisionnement local de semences manque encore de qualité ce qui fait incertaine la production en pépinière. Afin d’améliorer le taux de germination des semences locales, nous avons cherché à déterminer la période de stratification froide (0, 10, 20, 30, 40 and 60 jours) donnant la plus grande vitesse de germination (GE) et le plus haut pourcentage (GP). Aussi, une partie des graines ont été traitées par IDS, pour essayer de trier les graines valables de celles mortes ou vides. Les résultats ont montré qu’après 40 jours de stratification froide, GE atteignit 62% et GP 70%, toutes deux plus hautes que les valeurs obtenues dans les conditions initiales. L’emploi de la technique IDS, -avec 40 jours de stratification froide, 8 hs de désechement dans des conditions ambiantes (16 ± 2°C et 50% HR), et 25% de contenu d’humidité de graine- fit augmenter GE et GP jusqu’à 68% et 89%, respectivement. L’ajustement des périodes de stratification froide et l’utilisation de la technique IDS a réussi à améliorer le taux de germination des graines de pin à bois lourd issus de Patagonie.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in to check access.

Notes

Acknowledgements

This study was supported, in part, by a grant from the Proyecto Forestal de Desarrollo, (SAGPyA-BIRF PIA 05/01) of Argentina. Authors would like to acknowledge Mr. Fernando Coronato, for translating the abstract to the French language.

References

  1. Association of Official Seed Analysts (AOSA) (1981–1984) Rules for testing seeds. J Seed Technol 6:1–124Google Scholar
  2. Basil G, Leanza M (2001) Planta procesadora de semillas forestales. Patagonia Forestal 7:12–13Google Scholar
  3. Bonner FT (1989) Seed testing. In: Seed of woody plants in the United States. USDA, Washington DC. Agric Handbook 450:136–152Google Scholar
  4. Bonner FT, McLemore BF, Barnett JP (1989) Presowing treatment of seed to speed germination. In: Seed of woody plants in the United States. USDA, Washington DC. Agric Handbook 450. pp 126–135Google Scholar
  5. Bonner FT, Vozzo JA, Elam WW, Land SB Jr (1994) Tree seed technology training course. Instructor’s manual. Gen. Tech. Rep. SO-106. New Orleans, LA. USDA, Forest Service, Southern Forest Experiment Station. 160 ppGoogle Scholar
  6. Bradbeer JW (1992) Seed dormancy and germination. Blackie and Son Ltd., London UKGoogle Scholar
  7. Demelash L, Tigabu M, Odén PC (2002) Separation of empty and dead-filled seeds from a seed lot on Pinus patula with IDS technique. Seed Sci Technol 30:677–681Google Scholar
  8. Downie B, Bergsten U (1991) An invigoration regime for Pinus strobus seeds. Can J For Res 21:1343–1348CrossRefGoogle Scholar
  9. Downie B, Wang BSP (1992) Upgrading germinability and vigour of jack pine, lodgepole pine and white spruce by the IDS technique. Can J For Res 22:1124–1131CrossRefGoogle Scholar
  10. Gonda HE (2001) Pino Ponderosa. Productividad de las plantaciones en la Patagonia Andina. Folleto de Divulgación N° 16. CIEFAP. Esquel, Argentina. 8 ppGoogle Scholar
  11. Gosling PG, Rigg P (1990) The effect of moisture content and prechill duration on the efficiency of dormancy breakage in sitka spruce (Picea sitchensis) seed. Seed Sci Technol 18:337–343Google Scholar
  12. Henckel PA (1961) Drought resistance of plants, methods of recognition and intensification. Madrid Symposium, Plant-Water Relationships in Arid and Semiarid conditions. UNESCO, Paris, pp 167–174Google Scholar
  13. InfoStat (2002) Infostat/Estudiantil, version 2.0. Grupo Infostat FCA. Universidad Nacional de Córdoba. Ed. Brujas. Córdoba, ArgentinaGoogle Scholar
  14. International Seed Testing Association (ISTA) (1993) International rules for seed testing. Rules 1993. Seed Sci Technol 21(Suppl)Google Scholar
  15. International Seed Testing Association (ISTA) (1996) International rules for seed testing. Rules 1996. Seed Sci Technol 24(Suppl)Google Scholar
  16. International Seed Testing Association (ISTA) (1999) International rules for seed testing. Rules 1999. Seed Sci Technol 27(Suppl)Google Scholar
  17. International Seed Testing Association (ISTA) (2003) International rules for seed testing. Rules 2003. Seed Sci Technol 31(Suppl)Google Scholar
  18. Krugman SL, Stein WI, Schmitt DM (1989) Seed Biology. In: Seed of woody plants in the United States. USDA, Washington DC. Agric Handbook 450. pp 5–40Google Scholar
  19. Laclau P, Leanza M (1997) Viveros Forestales de la Región Cordillerana: Neuquén, Río Negro y Chubut. Actas V Jornadas Viveros Forestales de la Patagonia. San Martín de los Andes, Neuquén, Argentina, pp 28–35Google Scholar
  20. Mc Donald MB (1999) Seed deterioration: physiology, repair and assessment. Seed Sci Technol 27:177–237Google Scholar
  21. Parera CA, Cantliffe D (1994) Presowing Seed Priming. Horticultural Reviews, vol 16. John Wiley and Sons Inc, New YorkGoogle Scholar
  22. Poulsen KM (1995) Application of IDS-method to Pinus caribaea seed. Seed Sci Technol 23:269–275Google Scholar
  23. Simak M (1984) A method for removal of filled-dead seeds from a sample of Pinus contorta. Seed Sci Technol 12:767–775Google Scholar
  24. Simak M (1991) Testing of forest trees and shrubs seeds by X-Radiography. In: Tree and shrub seed handbook. ISTA. Zurich, Switzerland pp 14–1/14–28Google Scholar
  25. Tanaka Y, Edwards DC (1986) An improved an more versatile method for prechilling in Abies procera Rehd seeds. Seed Sci Technol 14:457–464Google Scholar
  26. Tillman Sutela E (1996) Effect of incubation temperature on the variation of imbibition in northern pine (Pinus sylvestris L.) seeds. Seed Sci Technol 25:101–113Google Scholar
  27. Wang BSP, Pitel JA (1991) Germination of dormant tree and shrub seeds. In: Tree and shrub seed handbook. ISTA. Zurich, Switzerland pp 6–1/6–16Google Scholar
  28. Weber JC (1988) Geographic variation in central Oregon ponderosa pine (Pinus ponderosa Laws.): seed germination; seed wing and cone morphology; seed color. Ph.D. Dissertation. Oregon State University, Corvallis, ORGoogle Scholar
  29. Weber JC, Sorensen FC (1990) Effect of stratification and temperature on seed germination speed and uniformity in central Oregon ponderosa pine (Pinus ponderosa Dougl. Ex Laws.). USDA For Serv Res Pap PNW-Rp-429Google Scholar
  30. Wenny DL, Dumroese RK (1987) A growing regime for containerized ponderosa pine seedlings. Forest, Wildlife and Range Experiment Station, University of Idaho, Bulletin Number 43Google Scholar
  31. Willan RL (ed) (1991) Guía para la manipulación de semillas forestales, con especial referencia a los trópicos. Estudio FAO Montes 20/2, p 502Google Scholar

Copyright information

© Springer Science+Business Media B.V. 2008

Authors and Affiliations

  • Nora M. Pasquini
    • 1
  • Guillermo E. Defossé
    • 2
  • Olga Del Longo
    • 3
  1. 1.Seeds LaboratoryUniversidad Nacional de la Patagonia – CIEFAPEsquelArgentina
  2. 2.CONICET-CIEFAP, Universidad Nacional de la PatagoniaEsquelArgentina
  3. 3.Facultad de Ciencias AgropecuariasUniversidad Nacional de CórdobaCordobaArgentina

Personalised recommendations