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Acta Prataculturae Sinica ›› 2022, Vol. 31 ›› Issue (5): 92-102.DOI: 10.11686/cyxb2021141

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A preliminary study on substances that inhibit germination in the seeds of Agropyron mongolicum

Jin-tian YU1,2(), Jing WANG1,2, Bing-zhe FU1,2, Xue-qin GAO1,2()   

  1. 1.Agricultural College,Ningxia University,Yinchuan 750021,China
    2.Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region Grass and Animal Husbandry Engineering Technology Research Center,?Yinchuan 750021,China
  • Received:2021-04-14 Revised:2021-05-31 Online:2022-05-20 Published:2022-03-30
  • Contact: Xue-qin GAO

Abstract:

Agropyron mongolicum, commonly known as Mongolian wheatgrass, is one of the main plants in desert steppe and typical steppe vegetation in sandy land. It has excellent characteristics of resistance to drought, cold, disease, salt, and alkali. However, the seeds of A. mongolicum retain some wild characteristics such as a low germination rate and a long duration of germination. This affects the artificial seed reproduction, production, and utilization of A. mongolicum. To explore the dormancy mechanism of A. mongolicum seeds, the seed husks were extracted with five different solvents (petroleum ether, ether, ethyl acetate, methanol, acetone, and pure water) and the inhibitory effects of the extracts on seed germination of Brassica pekinensis (cabbage) were evaluated. In addition, gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) analyses were conducted to determine the types of compounds in the extracts. The five extracts from the husks of A. mongolicum seeds inhibited the germination rate, root length, and seedling height of cabbage to different degrees. Among the five types of extracts, the water extract had the strongest inhibitory effect, followed by the ethyl acetate extract and then the methanol extract. In the GC-MS analyses, 32 kinds of organic substances in nine classes (alkanes, alcohols, esters, ketones, benzenes, amides, acetals, acids, and phenols) were detected in the extracts of A. mongolicum. Most of those substances were water soluble, and the most abundant substances were alcohols, ketones and alkanes. Therefore, one of the main reasons for the dormancy of A. mongolicum seeds is the presence of inhibitors such as alcohols, ketones, and alkanes in the husks. The results of this study will be useful for developing methods to break the dormancy of A. mongolicum seeds.

Key words: Agropyron mongolicum, dormancy, inhibitory substance, GC-MS