The possible effects of seed priming on mitigating the effects of drought stress on germination and early seedling growth of two rangeland plants were evaluated in a laboratory research during 2015-16 growing season. The research was conducted as a 2×3×3 factorial experiment based on completely randomized design with three replications. The first factor was plant type (Festuca ovina and Bromus ...

Expansins are extracellular proteins that facilitate cell wall extension, possibly by disrupting hydrogen bonding between hemicellulosic wall components and cellulose microfibrils. In addition, some expansins are expressed in non-growing tissues such as ripening fruits, where they may contribute to cell wall disassembly associated with tissue softening. We have identified at least three expansi...

The objective of the work was to study the efficacy of carrot seed treatment with antagonistic microorganisms Clonostachys rosea, C. solani, and grapefruit extract (Biosept 33 SLTM). Seeds were artificially inoculated with Alternaria radicina spores prior to treatment. The presence of fungi, seed germination and vigour were determined in laboratory tests, whereas seedling emergence and health w...

BACKGROUND AND AIMS In wetland plant communities, species-specific responses to pulses of white light and to red : far-red light ratios can vary widely and influence plant emergence from the seed bank. Carex species are the characteristic plants of sedge meadows of natural prairie wetlands in mid-continental USA but are not returning to restored wetlands. Little is known about how light affects...

BACKGROUND AND AIMS Germination studies of species from fire-prone habitats are often focused on the role that fire plays in breaking dormancy. However, for some plant groups in these habitats, such as the genus Leucopogon (Ericaceae), dormancy of fresh seeds is not broken by fire cues. In the field, these same species display a flush of seedling emergence post-fire. Dormancy and germination me...

BACKGROUND AND AIMS Seed survival in the soil contributes to population persistence and community diversity, creating a need for reliable measures of soil seed bank persistence. Several methods estimate soil seed bank persistence, most of which count seedlings emerging from soil samples. Seasonality, depth distribution and presence (or absence) in vegetation are then used to classify a species'...