The Role of Fluctuating Temperatures in Germination and Establishment of Sorghum halepense. Regulation of Germination at Increasing Depths

Abstract

Field and laboratory tests explored the response of Sorghum halepense seeds to fluctuations in soil temperature, and whether that response serves as a mechanism for sensing depth and regulating seed germination. Seedling production in the field was severely curtailed when seeds were planted at increasing soil depths. Soil-temperature fluctuations were strongly dependent on depth. When soil columns containing seeds were incubated at alternating temperatures of 20 and 30°C, however, seed germination did not diminish with increasing depth, and an evaluation of how soil-surface shading affects the perception of depth by the seeds indicated that soil cover reduced germination of only those seeds in the upper strata of the profile (...)