Changes in seed dormancy were selected during the domestication of crop plants from wild-plant species, because some features of dormancy that provide ecological advantages presented agronomic disadvantages within a farmed system. Seed dormancy varies widely among seed batches, even for seeds of the same genotype, indicating large environmental influences. For genetic studies, it is essential t...

Environmental signals drive seed dormancy cycling in the soil to synchronize germination with the optimal time of year, a process essential for species' fitness and survival. Previous correlation of transcription profiles in exhumed seeds with annual environmental signals revealed the coordination of dormancy-regulating mechanisms with the soil environment. Here, we developed a rapid and robust...

The physiological and biochemical bases of seed dormancy in Lolium rigidum (annual ryegrass) are largely unknown, and study of this process is complicated by the outcrossing nature of the species and the strong influence of environment on seed dormancy. In order to identify heritable biochemical factors contributing to seed dormancy in L. rigidum, seeds from a field-collected population were us...

effects of gibberellic acid (ga) and abscisic acid (aba) on dormant and after-ripened wheat seed, cultivar rl4137, were studied. the aim of the study was to evaluate the effects of seed after-ripening in comparison with gibberellin application on breaking of seed dormancy. moreover, the effect of abscisic acid on dormancy induction was also evaluated. acid and alkaline posphatase activity of se...

Bud dormancy in grapevine is an adaptive strategy for the survival of drought, high and low temperatures and freeze dehydration stress that limit the range of cultivar adaptation. Therefore, development of a comprehensive understanding of the biological mechanisms involved in bud dormancy is needed to promote advances in selection and breeding, and to develop improved cultural practices for exi...

The mechanism of dormancy and dormancy release in lily (Lilium spp.) bulbs is still incomplete and ambiguous. Based on a summary of dormancy characteristics, we review the effects of low temperature on dormancy release. This paper highlights the metabolic changes in carbohydrates, endogenous hormones, free amino acids and phenols during low temperature storage, and the key stages in dormancy re...

BACKGROUND AND AIMS The duration of the plant life cycle is an important attribute that determines fitness and coexistence of weeds in arable fields. It depends on the timing of two key life-history traits: time from seed dispersal to germination and time from germination to flowering. These traits are components of the time to reproduction. Dormancy results in reduced and delayed germination, ...

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...

Seed dormancy controls germination and plays a critical role in regulating the beginning of the life cycle of plants. Seed dormancy is established and maintained during seed maturation and is gradually broken during dry storage (after-ripening). The plant hormone abscisic acid (ABA) and DELAY OF GERMINATION1 (DOG1) protein are essential regulators of seed dormancy. Recent studies revealed that ...

Seed dormancy is a key adaptive trait in plants responsible for the soil seed bank. The long established hormone-balance theory describes the antagonistic roles of the dormancy promoting plant hormone abscisic acid (ABA), and the germination promoting hormone gibberellin (GA) in dormancy control. Light, temperature, and other dormancy-breaking signals function to modulate the synthesis and perc...