Induction and release of secondary dormancy under field conditions in Bromus tectorum

Abstract

Bromus tectorum L. is a facultative winter annual grass originally from Eurasia. During the past century, this species has become highly invasive in the western United States, where it has displaced millions of hectares of native vegetation. Seeds of B. tectorum lose primary dormancy through dry after-ripening, and nearly all seeds are capable of germinating in response to autumn precipitation. We have successfully characterized and modeled the loss of primary dormancy and germination in both laboratory and field studies (e.g., Christensen et al. 1996; Meyer and Allen 2009). However, a fraction of B. tectorum seeds may enter secondary dormancy in the soil and carry over across years as a component of the soil seed bank. Field studies were conducted to characterize the induction and release of this secondary dormancy.

Parent Publication

• Conference Proceedings: Seed Ecology III - The Third International Society for Seed Science Meeting on Seeds and the Environment - "Seeds and Change"; June 20-June 24, 2010; Salt Lake City, Utah, USA

Citation

Allen, Phil S.; Meyer, S. E.; Foote, K. 2010. Induction and release of secondary dormancy under field conditions in Bromus tectorum. In: Pendleton, Rosemary; Meyer, Susan; Schultz, Bitsy, eds. Conference Proceedings: Seed Ecology III - The Third International Society for Seed Science Meeting on Seeds and the Environment - "Seeds and Change"; June 20-June 24, 2010; Salt Lake City, Utah, USA. Albuquerque, NM: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Rocky Mountain Research Station. p. 2-3.