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ARS Home » Plains Area » Lincoln, Nebraska » Wheat, Sorghum and Forage Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #134549
Title: THE CHALLENGE: HIGH QUALITY SEED OF NATIVE PLANTS TO ENSURE SUCCESSFUL ESTABLISHMENT

Author
item Vogel, Kenneth

Submitted to: Seed Technology Journal
Publication Type: Review Article
Publication Acceptance Date: 8/13/2001
Publication Date: 1/1/2003
Citation: VOGEL, K.P. 2002. THE CHALLENGE: HIGH QUALITY SEED OF NATIVE PLANTS TO ENSURE SUCCESSFUL ESTABLISHMENT. SEED TECHNOLOGY JOURNAL. 24:9-15.

Interpretive Summary: Native species are planted to re-vegetate former cropland, degraded pastures and rangelands, mined lands, natural areas, roadside right-of-ways, and other land management areas with plants, usually perennials, to stabilize and provide desirable classes of vegetation. Acceptable stands need to be obtained in a reasonable time. Seed of native plants varies widely in seed quality factors including seed size, purity, dormancy, germination, and vigor. Seed quality tests required for sale of native seeds usually include germination, purity, and hard or dormant seeds. These laboratory tests do not always predict the capability of a seed lot to establish a stand under field conditions and do not give the end user enough information to determine planting rate. The number of emerged seedlings per gram of seed in species specific stress tests may be a method of quantifying seed quality that is predictive of the seeds capability of producing a stand under field conditions. A standardized establishment test based on a unit of weight could be used to directly calculate planting rates.

Technical Abstract: Native species are planted to re-vegetate former cropland, degraded pastures and rangelands, mined lands, natural areas, roadside right-of-ways, and other land management areas with plants, usually perennials, to stabilize and provide desirable classes of vegetation. Acceptable stands need to be obtained in a reasonable time. Seed of native plants varies widely in seed quality factors including seed size, purity, dormancy, germination, and vigor. Seed quality tests required for sale of native seeds usually include germination, purity, and hard or dormant seeds. These laboratory tests do not always predict the capability of a seed lot to establish a stand under field conditions and do not give the end user enough information to determine planting rate. The number of emerged seedlings per gram of seed in species specific stress tests may be a method of quantifying seed quality that is predictive of the seeds capability of producing a stand under field conditions. A standardized establishment test based on a unit of weight could be used to directly calculate planting rates.