A quantitative model for loss of primary dormancy and induction of secondary dormancy in imbibed seeds of Orobanche spp

Abstract

Seeds of three species of Orobanche were conditioned (i.e. stored fully imbibed in darkness) for periods up to 210 d in order to model relief of primary dormancy and induction of secondary dormancy. The data were consistent with the hypothesis that periods for loss and induction of dormancy and loss of viability are normally distributed in populations of imbibed seeds and that these three processes are independent. There was a positive, linear relationship between the rate of loss of primary dormancy and temperature from 10–30°C in O. aegyptiaca and O. cernua and 10–25°C in O. crenata. In all three species, the rate of induction of secondary dormancy was highest at 10°C and decreased with increase of temperature up to about 20 °C, above which there was little further change in the rate with temperature. The resulting model explained over 90% of the variation in germination after conditioning in both O. aegyptiaca and O. cernua. In O. crenata, however, this model was only satisfactory at 10 and 15°C. At higher temperatures, dormancy was relatively stable for periods of conditioning from 70 to about 154 d. Possible explanations for this are discussed. Applications of these models for estimating the time required to reduce Orobanche infestations in the field are also briefly discussed.