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Acta Prataculturae Sinica ›› 2011, Vol. 20 ›› Issue (6): 109-117.

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A study on the causes of Iris tenuifolin dormancy and the methods for breaking dormancy

ZHANG Dan1,2, ZHANG Jin-zheng1, SUN Guo-feng1, LI Xiao-dong1, HE Qing3   

  1. 1.Beijing Botanical Garden, Institute of Botany, the Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100093, China;
    2.Graduate School of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100039, China;
    3.Patent Examination Collaborating Center, State Intellectual Property Office, Beijing 100190, China
  • Received:2010-08-23 Online:2011-06-25 Published:2011-12-20

Abstract: The causes of Iris tenuifolin seed dormancy were studied by the hygroscopicity of seeds, different scarification treatments and germination inhibitor tests. The embryo was not responsible for dormancy, while the seed coats and micropylar endosperm played important roles in reducing germination percentage. Additionally in the seed coats, there were polar germination inhibitors which were soluble in methanol. Sulphuric acid treatment for 60 min or cold-warm stratification (4℃/25℃) for 120 or 150 d effectively promoted germination percentage, from 0 to 51.11%, 36.67% and 40.00%, respectively, and also increased the germination index to 0.45, 0.42 and 0.51. The germination percentage was only 7.78% if the seeds were stratified at 4℃ for 150 d. The main reason why cold-warm stratification was better for germination, was that the mechanical resistance to embryo growth was considerably reduced and the growth potential of embryos was considerably enhanced. In summary, the seed of I. tenuifolin has a physiological dormancy, which is caused by both the mechanical resistance of micropylar tissue and germination inhibitors in seed coats.

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