The effects of water stress on morphometric characteristics of wild radish seeds as well as the expression of its seed dormancy were investigated in a pot trial at Roseworthy, South Australia in 2005. This experiment was carried out in a completely randomised design with five water regimes (control, S4, S5, S6 and S8) and four replicates. The water stress was exerted by withholding irrigation a...

BACKGROUND AND AIMS Hard-seeded (physical) dormancy is common among plants, yet mechanisms for dormancy release are poorly understood, especially in the tropics. The following questions are asked: (a) whether dormancy release in seed banks of the tropical shrub Parkinsonia aculeata (Caesalpiniaceae) is determined by wet heat (incubation under wet, warm to hot, conditions); and (b) whether its e...

The effect of stratification on dormancy release of grape seeds crossing from the sub- to the supraoptimal range of temperatures and water contents was analysed by modified threshold models. The stratification impacted on dormancy release in three different ways: (i) dormancy was consistently released with prolonged stratification time when stratified at temperatures of <15 degrees C; (ii) at 1...

The mechanisms underlying cancer dormancy are poorly understood. We have developed a preclinical murine model in which immunosurveillance restrains spontaneous metastases in permanent dormancy. The model faithfully recapitulates human metastatic dormancy and may be useful to decipher the immune mechanisms constraining disease progression, thereby facilitating the development of novel immunother...

In warm-winter regions, induction of dormancy release by hydrogen cyanamide (HC) is mandatory for commercial table grape production. Induction of respiratory stress by HC leads to dormancy release via an uncharacterized biochemical cascade that could reveal the mechanism underlying this phenomenon. Previous studies proposed a central role for abscisic acid (ABA) in the repression of bud meriste...

Environmental regulation of growth and dormancy of four Sorbus genotypes was studied in controlled environments. Emphasis was placed on assessment of the presence and nature of the deficient photoperiodic dormancy regulation system that has previously been reported for some woody Rosaceae species. Two genotypes of Sorbus aucuparia L. maintained indeterminate growth for 8 weeks and 9 weeks at te...

The changes in germination potential of freshly harvested seeds of Arabidopsis thaliana stored in various combinations of temperature and relative humidity were investigated over 63 weeks of storage. Seeds of the wild type Col-0 and of two mutants displaying low and high levels of dormancy, cat2-1 and mtr4-1, respectively, were stored at harvest in 24 different environments including a combinat...

should provide new insight into seed dormancy and resistance to preharvest sprouting. Seed dormancy contributes to the adaptability of plants in nature Rice germplasm (Oryza spp.) varies in degree of seed and is of considerable importance in agriculture. The weedy rice dormancy (Roberts, 1961a; Wu, 1978; Oka, 1988, p. 87– (Oryza sativa L.) strains LD, SS18-2, and TKN12-2 and cultivar ‘N22’ 123;...

In the wild, seed dormancy promotes fitness by preventing germination before conditions are optimal for plant growth. During crop domestication, however, seed dormancy was selected against to ensure uniform germination upon sowing. Despite this, too little dormancy can be problematic, especially in cereal crops where it causes yield losses due to preharvest germination. Seed dormancy has long b...

Seed dormancy has fundamental importance in plant survival and crop production; however, the mechanisms regulating dormancy remain unclear [1-3]. Seed dormancy levels generally decrease during domestication to ensure that crops successfully germinate in the field. However, reduction of seed dormancy can cause devastating losses in cereals like wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) and barley (Hordeum vu...