Plant Protection Science (2000) 36, 101-106

Z. Martinkova and A. Honek (2000)
Variation in the germination of seeds of Rumex obtusifolius in the Czech Republic
Plant Protection Science 36 (3), 101-106
Abstract: In 1995-1998 we investigated the variation in the germination of 215 seed accessions of Rumex obtusifolius L. collected at various sites of Bohemia (Western Czech Republic). Seeds of 5-15 randomly selected plants were harvested at each site and 100 or 150 seeds of each plant were germinated at constant 25°C and 4 h light daily. The average proportion of germinating seeds was 12.7%. At some sites there was a significant variation between plants as well as between fertile shoots within plants. At many other sites the proportion of germinating seeds was low in all plants. As a consequence, the variation between sites was significant in all years except 1998. By contrast, in all years the average germination did not differ between samples collected in October-December, January-March and April-June. There was no correlation between plant stature and germination percentage. The variation in germination percentage was probably caused by differences in the occurrence of primary seed dormancy, and controlled by genetic or maternal differences between plants but only slightly influenced by seasonal or annual variation of the weather.
(The abstract is excluded from the Creative Commons licence and has been copied with permission by the publisher.)
Database assignments for author(s): Alois Honek, Zdenka Martinkova

Research topic(s) for pests/diseases/weeds:
general biology - morphology - evolution

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Pest and/or beneficial records:

Beneficial	Pest/Disease/Weed	Crop/Product	Country	Quarant.
	Rumex obtusifolius (weed)		Czech Republic