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Genetic basis for seed dormancy

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  19 September 2008

Michael E. Foley  and
Steven A. Fennimore
Michael E. Foley*
Affiliation:
Department of Botany and Plant Pathology, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN 47907-1155, USA
Steven A. Fennimore
Affiliation:
Department of Vegetable Crops, University of California, Davis, CA 95616-8746, USA
*
*correspondence Fax +1765 494 0363 E-mail foley@btny.purdue.edu
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Abstract

Seed dormancy is an important physiological stage in the life cycle of many seed-bearing plants. In an ever-changing environment, dormancy increases survival by distributing germination over time. In general, seed dormancy is a quantitative trait that is influenced by environmental factors. Depending on the species and accession, dormancy is controlled by nuclear factors, maternal factors or both, and dormancy can be genetically the dominant or recessive form of the trait. Wild oat (Avena fatua) is a well developed system for dormancy investigations. Dormancy in wild oat is regulated by three major genes as well as environmental factors, and dormancy is conditionally the recessive form of the trait. This paper summarizes current knowledge on genetic and environmental factors, and the interaction of these factors, on seed dormancy in several cereal grain and dicotyledonous species. Some applications of this knowledge to improve crops and manage weeds are outlined.

Keywords

afterripeningdormancyenvironmentgeneticsgerminationseedAvena fatuaHordeumTriticumOryza

Information

Type
Research Papers
Information
Seed Science Research , Volume 8 , Issue 2 , June 1998 , pp. 173 - 182
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 1998

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