PT - JOURNAL ARTICLE AU - Jones, Thomas A AU - Bushman, B Shaun AU - Crockett, R Trapper AU - Forsyth, Kyle C TI - Scarification and pre-chilling requirements for germination of the native forb Utah trefoil (<em>Lotus utahensis</em> Ottley) AID - 10.3368/npj.23.2.148 DP - 2022 Jun 20 TA - Native Plants Journal PG - 148--155 VI - 23 IP - 2 4099 - http://npj.uwpress.org/content/23/2/148.short 4100 - http://npj.uwpress.org/content/23/2/148.full SO - NATIVE PLANTS JOURNAL2022 Jun 20; 23 AB - Additional native forb species are desired to diversify the structure and functioning of restoration plant communities in the Intermountain West. Utah trefoil (Lotus utahensis Ottley [Faba-ceae]) is a perennial legume native to the southern portions of this region, but its germination and establishment are untested. To determine if seed dormancy is present, we germinated acid-scarified and (or) prechilled seed plus an untreated control in 2 laboratory experiments. In both experiments, the untreated control yielded only 0.3% germinants. Likewise, when applied alone, acid scarification failed (P &gt; 0.10) to increase germination in laboratory experiment 1, while increasing (P &lt;0.10) it only slightly (to 1.8%) in experiment 2. Similarly, pre-chilling, intended to mimic overwintering conditions, failed (P&gt;0.10) to increase germination in experiment 1, while generating only a small (P &lt;0.01) increase (to 4.6%) in experiment 2. Nevertheless, when the 2 treatments were applied sequentially, germination increased to 56.9% and 73.6% in the 2 experiments, respectively, implying combinational (physical, that is, hard seed + physiological) seed dormancy. Two field experiments were conducted to verify laboratory results. In a fall-dormant planting seeded for spring germination, acid scarification resulted in more (P &lt;0.0001) established seedlings than did unscarification (3.10% compared to 0.06%). When seeded in spring, acid scarification again yielded more (P &lt;0.0001) seedlings than from unscarification, though numbers were lower (0.59% compared to 0.00%). In summary, acid scarification followed by laboratory prechilling (or field overwintering) greatly facilitated germination (or seedling establishment), overcoming combinational seed dormancy, but seedling establishment in the field was low.