Dormancy release, germination and ex situ conservation of the southern highland papaya (Vasconcellea quercifolia, Caricaceae), a wild crop relative

Urtasun, María Manuela; Giamminola, Eugenia Mabel; Baskin, Carol C.; Viana, Marta Leonor de; Morandini, Marcelo; Lamas, Carola Yanina; Rojas, Macarena Fernanda

doi:10.1016/j.scienta.2019.109134

Cited by 8 publications

(12 citation statements)

References 44 publications

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“…However, in another experiment with the same species, a reduction of MC to 5% either improved germination or did not affect it, depending on the seed lot [22]. Similar to our results, ultra-drying promoted germination in Vasconcellea quercifolia [7]. Reducing seed MC can promote germination via several mechanisms.…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 85%

“…Numerous studies have documented enhanced germination rates in Carica papaya with the application of GA 3 [35]. Similarly, GA 3 promotes germination in a few species of Vasconcellea [7,8]. However, apart from these ndings, there is currently a lack of information regarding the effects of GA 3 in other Caricaceae species.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Seed dormancy is classi ed into four general classes [5]: 1) morphological dormancy (MD), where a seed is immature when the fruit falls and requires a period of growth and embryo differentiation for germination to occur; 2) physical dormancy (PY), where the seed coat is impermeable and prevents water from entering the seed, thus requiring mechanical or chemical scari cation for germination to occur; 3) physiological dormancy (PD), where a physiological inhibiting mechanism in the embryo results in low growth potential, which prevents the emergence of the radicle through covering layers, hence seeds require a speci c set of conditions (i.e., often a combination of temperature, moisture, and light) to initiate germination and; 4) combinational dormancy (PY + PD). Most seeds have PD, and depending on the strength of the physiological inhibitory mechanism, they can exhibit one of three levels of PD: 1) nondeep (dormancy can be broken with chemical reagents, gibberellic acid (GA 3 ), warm or cold strati cation, after-ripening in dry storage, and mechanical or chemical scari cation), 2) intermediate (dormancy can be broken after a long period of cold strati cation, and GA 3 may or may not break dormancy), or 3) deep (dormancy can be broken after a long period of cold or warm strati cation, and GA 3 does not break dormancy) [2,3,[7][8][9].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Dormancy-breaking and germination requirements for seeds of the threatened Austral papaya (Carica chilensis)

Loayza,

García-Guzmán,

Carozzi-Figueroa

et al. 2023

Preprint

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Seed dormancy is one of the most important adaptive mechanisms in plants, which optimizes germination, seedling emergence, and establishment so that these processes occur when environmental conditions are favorable for plant survival and growth. Endemic to rocky environments of the southern Atacama Desert, the Austral papaya (Carica chilensis) is the papaya species with the southernmost distribution of the Caricaceae and the species growing in the most extreme environmental conditions. This threatened plant has minimal natural regeneration, attributed to low germination rates, but no information regarding seed dormancy release exists. Here we investigated the dormancy-breaking requirements and germination of C. chilensis by assessing the combined effects of desiccation with nine pre-sowing treatments. We hypothesized that, as in other members of the family, C. chilensis seeds would possess physiological dormancy. Our results confirmed this hypothesis and revealed that ultra-drying (< 3% moisture content) and treating seeds with sulfuric acid, gibberellic acid, or potassium nitrate are the most effective methods for germinating C. chilensis. These treatments are thus recommended to propagate this threatened papaya species.

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Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 85%

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

See 1 more Smart Citation

Dormancy-breaking and germination requirements for seeds of the threatened Austral papaya (Carica chilensis)

Loayza,

García-Guzmán,

Carozzi-Figueroa

et al. 2023

Preprint

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

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“…Although V. chilensis can store water in its stems (Carlquist, 1998 ), it appears that these reserves may be more critical for sustaining vegetative growth (prior flowering) and the development of fleshy fruits rather than directly contributing to seed set (Ghassemi‐Golezani et al., 2009 ; Killingbeck, 2019 ; Matthews & Shackel, 2005 ). Additionally, the desiccation ability of seeds in V. chilensis and its sister species, V. quercifolia (Loayza et al., 2023 ; Urtasun et al., 2020 ) suggests that water content may not be a crucial trait for early survival and growth of seedlings.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Lonesome plants: How isolation affects seed set of a threatened dioecious shrub

García‐Guzmán,

Carvajal,

Carozzi‐Figueroa

et al. 2024

Ecology and Evolution

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Plant reproductive failure is a critical concern for conserving rare and endangered species that typically have low‐density and sparse populations. One important factor contributing to reproductive failure is the spatial arrangement of plants within a population, which can lead to isolation and negatively affect seed production, particularly in obligate outcrossers. Additionally, plant size can compound this effect, influencing seed production via multiple processes. Here, we investigate how spatial distribution and size influence the reproductive success of Vasconcellea chilensis, an endemic‐threatened papaya species in Chile. We first examined whether V. chilensis can produce seeds via apomixis using pollinator exclusion experiments. We then used Spatial Point Pattern Analysis (SPPA) in three populations to explore the spatial arrangement of plants. Finally, we assessed whether plant size and neighbor distance influence the reproductive success V. chilensis is a dioecious shrub unable to produce fruits through apomixis. The SPPA revealed significant clustering of female and male plants at different spatial scales, indicating a non‐random distribution. Moreover, a significant spatial association between the sexes was observed. In two populations, closer proximity to male plants was linked to higher seed production. Our study revealed that the reproductive system of V. chilensis is susceptible to distance‐dependent reproductive failure due to pollen limitation. While the species' spatial structure may partially mitigate this risk, female plants isolated from male counterparts will likely experience reduced seed set.

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“…Seed dormancy is classified into five general classes 5 : (1) morphological dormancy (MD), where a seed is immature when the fruit falls and requires a period of growth and embryo differentiation for germination to occur; (2) physical dormancy (PY), where the seed coat is impermeable and prevents water from entering the seed, thus requiring mechanical or chemical scarification for germination to occur; (3) physiological dormancy (PD), where a physiological inhibiting mechanism in the embryo results in low growth potential, which prevents the emergence of the radicle through covering layers, hence seeds require a specific set of conditions (i.e., often a combination of temperature, moisture, and light) to initiate germination; (4) morphophysiological dormancy (MPD), in which an underdeveloped embryo has physiological dormancy, and (5) combinational dormancy, where multiple mechanisms, including physiological, morphological and ecological factors, as well as environmental triggers prevent germination. Most families of plants have seeds with PD 3 , and depending on the strength of the physiological inhibitory mechanism, they can exhibit one of three levels of PD: (1) non-deep (dormancy can be broken with chemicals, gibberellic acid (GA 3 ), warm or cold stratification, after-ripening in dry storage, and mechanical or chemical scarification), (2) intermediate (dormancy can be broken after a long period of cold stratification, and GA 3 may or may not break dormancy), or (3) deep (dormancy can be broken after a long period of cold or warm stratification, and GA 3 does not break dormancy) 2 , 3 , 7 – 9 .…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Dormancy-break and germination requirements for seeds of the threatened Austral papaya (Carica chilensis)

Loayza,

García-Guzmán,

Carozzi-Figueroa

et al. 2023

Sci Rep

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Seed dormancy is one of the most important adaptive mechanisms in plants, optimizing germination, seedling emergence, and establishment to ensure these processes occur when environmental conditions are favorable for plant survival and growth. Endemic to rocky environments of the southern Atacama Desert, the Austral papaya (Carica chilensis) is the papaya species with the southernmost distribution within the Caricaceae, thriving in the most extreme environmental conditions. This threatened plant exhibits low natural regeneration, primarily attributed to low germination, yet no information regarding seed dormancy release is available. In this study, we investigated the dormancy-break and germination requirements of C. chilensis. We hypothesized that if C. chilensis seeds exhibit physiological dormancy, then seeds with reduced moisture content and those treated with chemicals or growth hormones would exhibit higher germination percentages and faster germination than control seeds akin to other members of Caricacea. Our results confirmed this prediction and revealed that ultra-drying (< 3% moisture content) and treating seeds with sulfuric acid, gibberellic acid, or potassium nitrate are the most effective methods for germinating C. chilensis. Consequently, we suggest using these treatments to propagate this threatened papaya species.

show abstract

Dormancy release, germination and ex situ conservation of the southern highland papaya (Vasconcellea quercifolia, Caricaceae), a wild crop relative

Cited by 8 publications

References 44 publications

Dormancy-breaking and germination requirements for seeds of the threatened Austral papaya (Carica chilensis)

Dormancy-breaking and germination requirements for seeds of the threatened Austral papaya (Carica chilensis)

Lonesome plants: How isolation affects seed set of a threatened dioecious shrub

Dormancy-break and germination requirements for seeds of the threatened Austral papaya (Carica chilensis)

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