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Stimulatory and inhibitory effects of light on Cereus repandus (Cactaceae) seed germination are strongly dependent on spectral quality

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  06 September 2022

X-Y. Yang Open the ORCID record for X-Y. Yang [Opens in a new window]  and
Hugh W. Pritchard Open the ORCID record for Hugh W. Pritchard [Opens in a new window]
X-Y. Yang
Affiliation:
Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming Institute of Botany, 132 Lanhei Road, Heilongtan, Kunming, Yunnan 650201, PR China Chinese Academy of Sciences, Xishuangbanna Tropical Botanical Garden, Menglun, Mengla, Yunnan 666303, PR China
Hugh W. Pritchard*
Affiliation:
Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming Institute of Botany, 132 Lanhei Road, Heilongtan, Kunming, Yunnan 650201, PR China Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, Wakehurst, Ardingly, Haywards Heath, West Sussex RH17 6TN, UK
*
*Author for Correspondence: Hugh W. Pritchard, E-mail: hwp@mail.kib.ac.cn
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Abstract

In small seeds, light often promotes germination and longer-term exposure to darkness reduces light sensitivity. In cacti inhabiting harsh environments, a rapid response to light exposure is potentially advantageous for seedling establishment. We exposed dark-imbibed seeds of the cactus Cereus repandus to doses of red (RED) light and far-red (FR) light. The seeds exhibited positive photoblastism to RED light. Although the initial levels of germination varied between seed lots, the sensitivity to increasing the RED dose did not. As little as 5 min per day for 4 d was sufficient to saturate the light requirement for germination. The effects of RED light were reversed by FR exposure as long as the interval between RED and FR did not extend to 2 d, by which time the seeds had ‘committed’ to germinate. Dark incubation for 1–2 weeks prior to RED exposure reduced light sensitivity in two seed lots, such that RED only promoted around 20% germination. Phytochrome is assumed to mediate the reversibility of the RED:FR response. High sensitivity to light spectral quality suggests that seeds of C. repandus are able to germinate quickly in high-quality microsites, but seed burial or shading may commit the seeds to form a soil seed bank. The light characteristics of the germination trait in this species are typical of many small seeded species of the drylands.

Keywords

dark-induced dormancylight doseneglected and underutilized speciesR–FR light reversibilityseed traits
Type
Research Paper
Information
Seed Science Research , Volume 32 , Special Issue 3: Seed Innovation Systems for the 21st Century , September 2022 , pp. 166 - 174
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Copyright
Copyright © The Author(s), 2022. Published by Cambridge University Press

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