Studies on the longevity and germination of seed of <i>Eleusine indica</i> and <i>Crotalaria goreensis</i>

Abstract

Summary: The longevity of seed of Eleusine indica (L.) Gaertn. and Crotalaria goreensis Guill. &amp; Perr. stored at various depths in a krasnozem soil in pots was studied over 3 years under natural climatic conditions on the Atherton Tableland of Queensland. Australia. In the first year the maximum percentage of seed which emerged was 68% for E. indica and 48.3% for C. goreensis . In the second year the percentages were 2.0 and 19.3. respectively and in the third year they were 0.2 and 1.4. In the case of both species emergence was greater from the 0–5 cm depth than from the 5–10 cm depth. Some of the seed buried at the 5–10 cm depth germinated but failed to emerge. Significantly more hard seed of C. goreensis remained at the 5–10 cm depth (25.7%) than at the 0–5 cm depth (9.8%) after 3 years. However, much of this seed was either dead or moribund and the percentage of truly viable seed (c. 5%) was the same at both depths. In depth of emergence experiments the emergence of seed of both species did not vary significantly in the 0–4 cm depth ranges. At depths greater than 4 cm emergence declined. No E. indica seed emerged from 8 cm or deeper and no C. goreensis seed emerged from 12 cm or deeper.