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Natural variation in Miscanthus sinensis seed germination under low temperatures
Author(s) -
Dwiyanti Maria S.,
Stewart J. Ryan,
Nishiwaki Aya,
Yamada Toshihiko
Publication year - 2014
Publication title -
grassland science
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.388
H-Index - 19
eISSN - 1744-697X
pISSN - 1744-6961
DOI - 10.1111/grs.12051
Subject(s) - miscanthus sinensis , germination , miscanthus , biology , biomass (ecology) , agronomy , botany , bioenergy , horticulture , ecology , biofuel
Species within the genus Miscanthus show potential as sustainable bioenergy crops given their low nutrient requirements and high biomass yields. One such species, Miscanthus sinensis , has a wide natural distribution and wide phenotypic variation, including its seed germination characteristics. Such characteristics need to be considered, particularly in ensuring plant establishment in regions with harsh winters. Germination rates were measured for 33 M. sinensis accessions from different latitudinal regions in Japan. Generally, seeds of accessions from regions of higher latitude germinate earlier than those from more southerly regions under both warm (30°C/20°C day/night) and cool temperature (15°C/10°C day/night) treatments. However, accessions that had lighter seeds germinated late regardless of origin. This survey serves as a basis for identifying M. sinensis accessions that are able to germinate early under low‐temperature conditions.