Effects of drying and dl‐strigol on seed conditioning and germination of Striga asiatica (L.) Kuntze

Publisher Website
Google Scholar
Abstract
Summary: Seeds of Striga asiatica (L.) Kuntze required 7 and 14 days at 30°C to become conditioned when they were immersed in water and 10−8mdl‐strigol, respectively. At least 80% of seeds so conditioned germinated with 10−8mdl‐strigol as a terminal stimulation treatment. Seeds that were first immersed in water for 2 days, then subjected to one to three drying periods of 2 days each, either separately or continuously, required only 2 days of water immersion to become conditioned. Seeds first immersed in 10−8mdl‐strigol, then subjected to one or two drying periods, required only 3–4 days of water immersion as compared to a 14 days’requirement without drying treatments. The seeds first immersed in water or 10−8mdl‐strigol and then dried, plus one or two 10−8mdl‐strigol immersions, required 4 days of water immersion to become conditioned. However, the seeds immersed in various combinations of water or 10−8mdl‐strigol solutions plus one, two or three drying periods of 2 days each required 6 days of water immersion to become conditioned. The results indicate that the interaction of prolonged drying treatments and dl‐strigol immersions delay conditioning processes in the seeds. Both water immersion and short drying treatments, however, seem to enhance certain required processes that occur during conditioning, thereby reducing the time required for the seeds to become conditioned when re‐immersed in water.