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Sensitivity cycling and its ecological role in seeds with physical dormancy

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  01 March 2009

K.M.G. Gehan Jayasuriya ,
Jerry M. Baskin  and
Carol C. Baskin
K.M.G. Gehan Jayasuriya*
Affiliation:
Department of Biology, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY40506, USA
Jerry M. Baskin
Affiliation:
Department of Biology, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY40506, USA
Carol C. Baskin
Affiliation:
Department of Biology, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY40506, USA Department of Plant and Soil Sciences, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY40546, USA
*
*Correspondence Fax: +94-81-238 8018 Email: gejaya@gmail.com
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Abstract

Cycling of physically dormant (PY) seeds between states insensitive and sensitive to dormancy-breaking factors in the environment has recently been demonstrated in Fabaceae and Convolvulaceae, and it may be a common phenomenon in seeds with water-impermeable seed coats. In contrast to seeds of many species with physiological dormancy (PD), those with PY cannot cycle between dormancy and non-dormancy (ND). In this paper, we evaluate the role of sensitivity cycling in controlling the timing of germination of seeds with PY in nature, and show that sensitivity cycling in seeds with PY serves the same ecological role as dormancy cycling in seeds with PD. Thus, sensitivity cycling in seeds with PY ensures that germination in nature occurs only at (a) time(s) of the year when environmental conditions for growth are, and are likely to remain, suitable long enough for the plant to complete its life cycle or to form a perennating structure. Further, we describe the experimental procedures necessary to determine whether sensitivity cycling is occurring, and discuss briefly the possible relevance of sensitivity cycling to dormancy classification.

Keywords

dormancy cyclinghilar fissurephysical dormancysensitivity cyclingwater gap
Type
Research Opinion
Information
Seed Science Research , Volume 19 , Issue 1 , March 2009 , pp. 3 - 13
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 2009

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