Seed dormancy article

While doing some library work recently, I came across an article entitled 'Testing Native Species with Deep Dormancy'.  It was written by Nancy Vivrette and Aleta Meyr of the Ransom Seed Laboratory in Carpenteria, California.  It is from a talk given at a symposium on Testing Native Seeds at the Association of Official Seed Analysts and Society of Commercial Seed Technologists annual meeting in May 2001 in Albuquerque NM.  It was published in the journal Seed Technology (Vol 24, No. 1. Pages 43-51)

In this paper, the authors report on tests of the viability of seed of several native species, including Iris missouriensis.  Their interest was in being able to accurately judge the viability of seed lots.  To measure this, they tried various methods to break deep dormancy.  Their work on I. missouriensis was very interesting.  The found that lengthening the time of cold stratification was very effective.  The following is taken from their Table 1.

Days at 5 C (41 F)          % germ -30 days @ 20 C (68 F)
30                                          0
60                                          47
120                                        59
180                                        90

Part of the discussion states: "I missouriensis is an example of a species with a small undeveloped or rudimentary embryo. It continues to develop under moist conditions (It does not develop in dry storage.) "

This helps explain my VERY poor germ with I missouriensis seed.  My seeds are going into the cold room for six months in a wet paper towel burrito.

Bill Chaney


SPONSORED LINKS
Iris plants Photographs of Biology
North america Signa

YAHOO! GROUPS LINKS



Other Mailing lists | Author Index | Date Index | Subject Index | Thread Index