The maternal environment during the reproductive phase in Polygonum aviculare regulates the dormancy level of seeds so that those dispersed at different times all germinate within an optimal period. Photoperiod plays an important role in this regulation.
Emergence timing of weed species has critical ecological and agronomical implications. In several species, emergence patterns largely depend on the seedbank dormancy level, which is modulated by specific environmental factors. In addition, environmental conditions during seed maturation on the mother plant have shown marked effects on dormancy level at seed dispersal time. Thus, maternal environment has been suggested to affect seedbank dormancy dynamics and subsequent emergence. However, this modulation has been barely analyzed under field conditions, and the mechanisms involved are only partly understood. Combining lab and field assays with population-based models, we investigated how dormancy level and emergence in the field are affected by mother plant sowing date and photoperiod extent in Amaranthus hybridus, a troublesome worldwide weed. Results showed that an earlier sowing date and a longer photoperiod enhanced dormancy level by increasing embryo- and seed-coat imposed dormancy. However, these variations in dormancy level did not affect the timing and extent of emergence in the field; on the contrary, they contributed to synchronize next generation emergence with the time period which maximizes population fitness. These results largely coincide with effects observed in other species such as Polygonum aviculare and Arabidopsis thaliana, suggesting a common effect on different species.
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