Marne Durnin, Emma Dalziell, Suzanne M. Prober, Petra Marschner
{"title":"Variable seed quality hampers the use of Themeda triandra (Poaceae) for seed production, agriculture, research and restoration: a review","authors":"Marne Durnin, Emma Dalziell, Suzanne M. Prober, Petra Marschner","doi":"10.1071/bt24011","DOIUrl":null,"url":null,"abstract":"<p><i>Themeda triandra</i> (Forssk.) is a tussock grass of international importance for its keystone role in grassy ecosystems and, hence, is often a focus for seed production, research and ecological restoration. However, these applications can be challenged by its seed biology, including seed dormancy and the variability of seed traits among populations. The literature on these topics has not been well synthesised. To address this, we reviewed the relevant literature for <i>Themeda triandra</i> seed and found that seed quality is often poor but highly variable, and there are no current quality-assurance standards. Seed characteristics such as weight, awn length and desiccation tolerance can vary with seed ploidy (i.e. the number of chromosome sets). Germination rates of fresh <i>Themeda triandra</i> seed can be as low as 5%, which may be due to seed dormancy. Dormancy varies among populations and with seasonal conditions, and a period of dry storage at room temperature for 8–10 months may be needed before it will reach its full germination potential. No single treatment is effective in overcoming dormancy across all populations. The application of gibberellic acid can increase germination by ~30% in some populations. Although plant-derived smoke products can be effective, they also lack standardisation. Other treatments including the application of heat, or wet–dry cycling warrant further investigation. We recommend the standardisation of <i>Themeda triandra</i> seed testing and labelling, which would allow end users to assess value for money when purchasing seed commercially.</p>","PeriodicalId":8607,"journal":{"name":"Australian Journal of Botany","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":0.9000,"publicationDate":"2024-08-27","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":"0","resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":null,"PeriodicalName":"Australian Journal of Botany","FirstCategoryId":"99","ListUrlMain":"https://doi.org/10.1071/bt24011","RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":null,"EPubDate":"","PubModel":"","JCR":"Q4","JCRName":"PLANT SCIENCES","Score":null,"Total":0}
引用次数: 0
Abstract
Themeda triandra (Forssk.) is a tussock grass of international importance for its keystone role in grassy ecosystems and, hence, is often a focus for seed production, research and ecological restoration. However, these applications can be challenged by its seed biology, including seed dormancy and the variability of seed traits among populations. The literature on these topics has not been well synthesised. To address this, we reviewed the relevant literature for Themeda triandra seed and found that seed quality is often poor but highly variable, and there are no current quality-assurance standards. Seed characteristics such as weight, awn length and desiccation tolerance can vary with seed ploidy (i.e. the number of chromosome sets). Germination rates of fresh Themeda triandra seed can be as low as 5%, which may be due to seed dormancy. Dormancy varies among populations and with seasonal conditions, and a period of dry storage at room temperature for 8–10 months may be needed before it will reach its full germination potential. No single treatment is effective in overcoming dormancy across all populations. The application of gibberellic acid can increase germination by ~30% in some populations. Although plant-derived smoke products can be effective, they also lack standardisation. Other treatments including the application of heat, or wet–dry cycling warrant further investigation. We recommend the standardisation of Themeda triandra seed testing and labelling, which would allow end users to assess value for money when purchasing seed commercially.
期刊介绍:
Australian Journal of Botany is an international journal for publication of original research in plant science. We seek papers of broad interest with relevance to Southern Hemisphere ecosystems. Our scope encompasses all approaches to understanding plant biology.
Australian Journal of Botany is published with the endorsement of the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO) and the Australian Academy of Science.