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Seed germination in Chenopodium album L.: further evidence for the dependence of the effects of growth regulators on nitrate availability
Author(s) -
SAINI H. S.,
BASSI P. K.,
SPENCER M. S.
Publication year - 1985
Publication title -
plant, cell and environment
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.646
H-Index - 200
eISSN - 1365-3040
pISSN - 0140-7791
DOI - 10.1111/1365-3040.ep11611829
Subject(s) - germination , ethylene , potassium nitrate , nitrate , chenopodium , gibberellic acid , chemistry , chenopodiaceae , horticulture , botany , gibberellin , biology , potassium , biochemistry , weed , organic chemistry , catalysis
Chenopodium album L. plants, grown under controlled environmental conditions on different levels of soil nitrate, produced seeds with proportionately different NO − 3 contents. Regardless of the endogenous NO − 3 content, few seeds germinated in water or upon treatment with KNO 3 . Ethylene promoted germination, and the extent of germination was positively correlated with the endogenous seed NO − 3 content. Combined application of ethylene and KNO 3 in the dark had a synergistic effect on NO − 3 ‐deficient seed. The synergism between ethylene and KNO 3 was attributable to the NO − 3 moiety of the nitrate salt. Ethylene and light showed moderate synergism in seeds with low or high endogenous nitrate. Addition of nitrate, however, masked the interaction between ethylene and light. Gibberellic acid 4+7 (GA 4+7 ) or red light, each alone or combined with KNO 3 , had little effect on germination. When applied together in the dark, ethylene and GA 4+7 synergistically enhanced the germination of NO − 3 ‐deficient seed. The combined effects of the two hormones on this seed were further enhanced by the addition of KNO 3 . There was no synergism between ethylene and GA 4+7 in NO − 3 ‐rich seed. These interactions among GA 4+7 , ethylene and KNO 3 were not affected by light. The results confirm and further elaborate our earlier finding that the sensitivity of C. album seeds to ethylene may depend on nitrate availability.