Seed Germination Characteristics of <i>Lolium multiflorum</i> Populations from Wheat Fields of Eastern China
2026
Bingbing Cao | Jiahao Xue | Linjing Ye | Guoqi Chen
<i>Lolium multiflorum</i> is of worldwide agricultural importance as both a pasture crop and as a weed. We collected the seeds of 67 <i>L. multiflorum</i> populations from wheat lands in eastern China and three populations as commercial crop seeds; tested seed germination responses to temperature, osmotic potentials, and light/dark conditions; and also tested seed dormancy. Under constant temperatures, the germination percentages at 3 d after treatement (DAT) at 10, 15, 20, 25, 30, and 35 °C were 0%, 2.6 ± 0.5%, 37.1 ± 2.4%, 66.6 ± 1.9%, 68.2 ± 2.3%, and 37.3 ± 2.2%, respectively, and increased to 72.4 ± 2.0%, 95.6 ± 0.7%, 97.0 ± 0.7%, 98.3 ± 0.6%, 94.9 ± 1.0%, and 86.3 ± 1.2% at 14 DAT. The seed germination percentages in complete darkness at 14 DAT (averagely 87.4%) did not show significant differences with those in 12 h light/12 h dark treatment. The osmotic potential required for 50% germination (GO<sub>50</sub>) was −0.53 to −0.13 MPa, with an average of −0.38 MPa, and the average germination percentage under −0.6 MPa at 14 DAT was 0.9%. The germination percentages of freshly mature seeds stored for 0, 15, 30, and 60 d were 61.3%, 66.5%, 68.4%, and 88.0%. <i>L. multiflorum</i> populations collected from wheat fields with rice as the preceding crop (paddy fields) showed significantly higher germination percentages under 10 °C, and lower germination percentages under osmotic stresses, compared with those collected from wheat fields with corn as the preceding crop (drylands). This is the first report of <i>L. multiflorum</i> seed germination biology based on multiple populations with different sources in China and provides insights for improving its management strategies.
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