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Title: Seed germination of five Poa species at negative water potentials

Author
item Springer, Timothy
item Goldman, Jason

Submitted to: American Journal of Plant Sciences
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 3/4/2016
Publication Date: 3/24/2016
Publication URL: http://handle.nal.usda.gov/10113/62191
Citation: Springer, T.L., Goldman, J.J. 2016. Seed germination of five Poa species at negative water potentials. American Journal of Plant Sciences. 7:601-611.

Interpretive Summary: Moisture stress affected the percentage of seed germination, rate of seed germination and seedling growth of five bluegrass (Poa) species. An experiment was conducted to determine the effects of simulated dry conditions on germination and seedling growth of five bluegrass species including: Texas, P. arachnifera Torr.; annual, P. annua L.; mutton, P. fendleriana Vasey; Kentucky, P. pratensis L., and Sandberg, P. secunda J. Presl.; bluegrasses. For these five bluegrass species very little germination occurred in water of -1.6 MPa potential (the driest condition) and as water potential decreased from -1.6 Mpa to 0 MPa there was a curvilinear increase in percentage seed germination. Annual bluegrass and Sandberg bluegrass had the highest rates of germination compared with other bluegrass species. Seedling root and shoot lengths increased as water stress decreased. Selection for increased seed germination at low water potentials should be possible in Poa species after determining the water potential treatment where 5% of the seed germinate in a set time period.

Technical Abstract: Under field conditions water is often inadequate for satisfactory seed germination. An experiment was conducted to determine the effects of simulated dry conditions on germination and seedling growth of five bluegrass (Poa) species including: Texas, P. arachnifera Torr.; annual, P. annua L.; mutton, P. fendleriana Vasey; Kentucky, P. pratensis L., and Sandberg, P. secunda J. Presl., bluegrasses. Fifty-seed samples of each species were germinated at water potentials of –1.6, –0.8, –0.4, –0.2, and 0 MPa for a 42-d period. Annual and Sandberg bluegrass tolerated moisture stress at germination better than the other species; requiring 14 d to reach 40% germination in water of -0.8 MPa potential. Kentucky bluegrass required 21 d to reach 40% germination under similar conditions. Mutton and Texas bluegrass were least tolerant of low water potentials, requiring 42 d to reach 20% germination. Selection for increased seed germination at low water potentials should be possible in Poa species.