Effects of seed water content, storage temperature and seed dormancy on the storage life of seed from three tree species native to Canada
2001
Beardmore, T. (NRCan, Canadian Forest Service - Atlantic Region, 1350 Regent St. S., Fredericton, New Brunswick (Canada))
The effect of initial seed water content (3-4, 5-6 and 15-20% on a fresh weight basis), storage temperature (+4, -20, -80 and-196 deg C) and seed dormancy on the ability to store three tree species, white spruce (Picea glauca (Moench) Voss), black spruce (P Mariana B.S.P.) and lodgepole pine (Pinus contorta var. latifolia) native to Canada was investigated. The germination of white spruce control (untreated) seed and seed conditioned to 3-4% and 5-6% water content started to decline when stored for 48 months at -80 and -196 deg C, at 60 months. A further decline in germination occured at -20, -80, -196 deg C, and when stored at +4 deg C, germination remained high over all storage durations. Generally, black spruce and lodgepole pine seed conditioned to 3-4% and 5-6% water contents, and the control (untreated) seed exhibited high germination at all storage temperatures, for up to 60 months in storage. Germination declined for all three species when seed was conditioned to 15-20% water content. This loss in germination was partially recovered in white spruce seed stored at +4, -20 and -80 deg C after storage durations of 24, 12 and 48 months, respectively. In black spruce, it was recovered after seeds were stored at -20 and -196 deg C after storage durations of 24 months. This recovery in germination could be due to natural repair mechanism occuring in the seed, or changes in seed dormancy
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