Seed conditioning of red oak: a recalcitrant North American seed

Abstract

A ten day aerated water soak was developed as a seed conditioning treatment for red oak (Quercus rubra L.). Conditioned seeds had higher germination completeness, uniformity and speed compared to control seeds. Seeds could be conditioned under a wide range of temperatures and durations. Conditioned seeds were maintained at 7 0 C for 30 days without loss of seed quality. During conditioning, pericarps split in response to seed hydration. Split pericarps could be used as a pre-sowing indicator for high quality seeds. Seed conditioning was ineffective on dormant seeds. Increased crop uniformity and higher stand establishment can be realized by subjecting red oak acorns to an aerated water soak treatment followed by selecting seeds with split pericarps. These results are especially important in container production systems where limited numbers of value seeds are available.

Drying and Osmotic Conditioning in Hancornia speciosa Gomes Seeds

“…This is in agreement with previous studies, which have also found that increasing priming might reduce the vigor characteristics of some tree species, as observed in non-primed seeds of Australian royal palm (Archontophoenix alexandrae), which showed a higher germination rate index than those primed with PEG (Teixeira et al, 2007). Water conditioning of red oak (Quercus sp) after pericarp rupture showed faster seedling establishment and uniformity than osmotic conditioning (Struve, 1998). Osmotic priming with PEG reduced the germination rate and seedling growth characteristics of Stryphnodendron adstringens seeds, but did not alter the physiological potential of S. obovatum and S. polyphyllum seeds (Kissmann et al, 2010), native trees from the Brazilian Cerrado, as H. speciosa.…”

How Are Oaks Distributed in the Neotropics? A Perspective from Species Turnover, Areas of Endemism, and Climatic Niches

“…For example, apparently a higher proportion of white oak species are able to predominate in drier regions, where red oaks normally seem to not develop well (Nixon 1993). Other differences between red oak species and white oak species relate to seed dormancy (Struve 1998), which may be important in determining the dispersal patterns of the INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF PLANT SCIENCES seeds. It is possible that a combination of these and other traits has to some extent influenced the distribution of both sections.…”

Influence of Pre-sowing Seed Treatments on Germination Properties and Early Seedling Growth of Acacia cyanophylla.

“…These include hydropriming, halopriming, hardening and osmopriming [17], hormone priming, solid matrix, humidification and stratification and thermal shock [25]- [32].The first four approaches are the most common for the purposes of priming [12]. It has been reported that seed priming results in the enhancement of seed germination of plants such as mungbean (Vigna radiata) [33], common alder (Anlus glutinosa) [4] and several acacia species [29]- [35]- [36]- [9], (Ziziphus spinachristi) [45], okra (Abelmoschus esculentus) [5],enhancement of emergence rate of armada pine (Pinus armadii) [46], Japanese cedar (Cryptomeria japonica) [26], Norway spruce (Picea abies), silver birch (Betula pendula), beech (Fagus sylvatica) and shore pine (Pinus contorta) [40], common alder (Alnus glutinosa) and downy brich (Betula pubescens) [4] maize (Zea mays) and chickpea (Cicer arietinum) [19]- [20], mungbean [33], wheat (Triticum aestivum) [27], cowpea (Vigna unguiculata) [41], increased uniformity and seedling establishment of red oak (Quercus rubra) [44], marica (Mimosa bimucronata) [8], lodgepole pine (Pinus contorta) and white spruce (Picea glauca) [22], and increased output of barley (Hordeum vulgare) [34], maize and chickpea [19]- [21] mungbean [33], and seedlings quality of christimas tress (Pinus brutia) [24], Acacia nilotica [30]. This research is designed to evaluate the response of A. cyanophylla seeds to pre-sowing seed treatments.…”