The role of seed water content for the perception of temperature signals that drive dormancy changes in Polygonum aviculare buried seeds

Abstract

Seedling emergence in the field is strongly related to the dynamics of dormancy release and induction of the seed bank, which is mainly regulated by soil temperature. However, there is limited information on how temperature-driven effects on dormancy changes are modulated by the seed hydration-level. We investigated the effect of seed water content (SWC) on the dormancy release and dormancy induction in Polygonum aviculare L. seeds. We characterised quantitatively the interaction between seed water content (SWC) and temperature through the measurement of changes in the lower limit temperature for seed germination (Tl) during dormancy changes for seeds with different SWC. These relationships were inserted in existing population-based threshold models and were run against field obtained data. The model considering SWC was able to predict P. aviculare field emergence patterns. However, failure to consider SWC led to overestimations in the emergence size and timing. Our results show that in humid temperate habitats, the occurrence of eventual water shortages during late-winter or spring (i.e. short periods of water content below 31% SWC) can affect soil temperature effects on seed dormancy, and might lead reductions in the emergence size rather than to significant temporal displacements in the emergence window. In conclusion, SWC plays an important role for the perception of temperature signals that drive dormancy changes in buried seeds.