Abstract
Whether or not a viable seed germinates and the time at which it does so depend on a number of factors, including those present in the seed’s environment. First, the chemical environment must be right. Water must be available, oxygen may have to be present since the seed must respire, and noxious or inhibitory chemicals should be absent. The physical environment, too, must be favorable. The temperature must be suitable and so also, in many cases, must the light quality and quantity. But in many instances all these conditions may be satisfied and nevertheless the seed fails to germinate. The reason for this, as we have indicated in Chapter 1, is that there exists within the seed (or dispersal unit) itself some block(s) that must be removed or overcome before the germination process can proceed: such a seed is said to be dormant. To be released from dormancy, a seed must experience certain environmental factors or must undergo certain metabolic changes. Hence, the control of germination exists at two levels. One—dormancy—is due entirely to the state of the seed itself, and the second involves the operation of environmental factors on both dormancy and germination. We call these the internal and external controls, respectively. The relationship between dormancy and germination and the points at which control exists is shown in Figure 5.1.
Access this chapter
Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout
Purchases are for personal use only
Preview
Unable to display preview. Download preview PDF.
Useful Literature References
Section 5.2
Ballard, L. A. T., 1973, Seed Sci. Technol. 1:285–303 (seed coat effects).
Barton, L. V., 1965, in: Encyclopedia of Plant Physiology, Volume 15/2 (W. Ruhland, ed.), Springer, Berlin, pp. 909–924 (general review on dormancy types).
Barton, L. V., 1965, in: Encyclopedia of Plant Physiology, Volume 15/2 (W. Ruhland, ed.), Springer, Berlin, pp. 727–745 (coat-imposed dormancy).
Bewley, J. D., and Black, M., 1982, Physiology and Biochemistry of Seeds, Volume 2, Springer, Berlin (all aspects of dormancy).
Cavers, P. B., and Harper, J. L., 1966, J. Ecol. 54:367–382 (polymorphism in Rumex).
Côme, D., and Thevenot, C., 1982, in: The Physiology of Biochemistry of Seed Development, Dormancy and Germination (A. A. Khan, ed.), Elsevier Biomedical Press, Amsterdam, pp. 271–298 (embryo dormancy).
Coumans, M., Côme, D., and Gaspar, T., 1976, Bot. Gaz. 137:274–278 (oxygen consumption by beet seed coats).
Datta, S. C., Evenari, M., and Gutterman, Y., 1970, Isr. J. Bot. 19:463–483 (polymorphism in Aegilops).
Edwards, M. M., 1969, J. Exp. Bot. 20:876–894 (oxygen and coat effects in Sinapis arvensis).
Esashi, Y., and Leopold, A. C., 1968, Plant Physiol. 43:871–876 (coat strength and embryo thrust).
Esashi, Y., Watanabe, K., Ohhara, Y., and Katoh, H., 1976, Aust. J. Plant Physiol. 3:701–710 (ethylene and oxygen in Xanthium).
Hamly, D. H., 1932, Bot. Gaz. 93:345–375 (seed coat structure).
Le Page-Degivry, M.-T., 1973, Biol. Plant. 15:264–269 (ABA and embryo dormancy).
McKee, G. W., Pfeiffer, R. A., and Mohsenin, N. N., 1977, Agron. J. 69:53–58 (seed coat impermeability to water).
Porter, N. G., and Wareing, P. F., 1974, J. Exp. Bot. 25:583–594 (coat permeability to oxygen).
Rolston, M. P., 1978, Bot. Rev. 44:365–396 (coat impermeability to water).
Taylorson, R. B., and Hendricks, S. B., 1977, Ann. Rev. Pl. Physiol. 28:331–354 (review on dormancy).
Thevenot, C., and Côme, D., 1973, C. R. Acad. Sci. Ser. D 277:1873–1876 (cotyledons and embryo dormancy).
Wareing, P. F., 1965, in: Encyclopedia of Plant Physiology, Volume 15/2 (W. Ruhland, ed.) Springer, Berlin, pp. 909–924 (germination inhibitors).
Section 5.3
Bewley, J. D., and Black, M., 1982, Physiology and Biochemistry of Seeds, Volume 2, Springer, Berlin (metabolism, control of dormancy).
Hendricks, S. B., and Taylorson, R. B., 1979, Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 76:778–781 (membranes, dormancy, and germination).
Roberts, E. H., and Smith, R. D., 1977, in: The Physiology and Biochemistry of Seed Dormancy and Germination (A. A. Khan, ed.), North Holland, Amsterdam, pp. 385–411 (pentose phosphate pathway and germination).
Simmonds, J. A., and Simpson, G. M., 1971, Can. J. Bot. 49:1833–1840 (respiration of dormant wild oats).
Section 5.4
Balboa-Zavala, O., and Dennis, F. G., 1977, J. Am. Soc. Hort. Sci. 102:633–637 (ABA and the onset of dormancy in apple).
Cresswell, E. G., and Grime, J. P., 1981, Nature (London) 291:583–585 (green enclosing tissue and the onset of dormancy).
Gutterman, Y., 1980/81, Isr. J. Bot. 29:105–117 (onset of dormancy).
Hayes, R. G., and Klein, W. H., 1974, Plant Cell Physiol. 15:563–643 (spectral quality of light and onset of dormancy).
Karssen, C. M., 1970, Acta Bot. Neerl. 19:81–94 (photoperiodic induction of dormancy in Chenopodium).
Karssen, C. M., 1980/81, Isr. J. Bot. 29:45–64 (secondary dormancy).
Sawhney, R., and Naylor, J. M., 1979, Can. J. Bot. 57:59–63 (genetic aspects of dormancy in Avena fatua).
Sidhu, S. S., and Cavers, P. B., 1977, Bot. Gaz. 138:174–182 (onset of dormancy in Medicago).
Section 5.5
Bartley, M. R., and Frankland, B., 1982, Nature (London) 300:750–752 (high-irradiance inhibition of germination).
Bewley, J. D., 1979, in: The Plant Seed (I. Rubenstein, R. L. Phillips, C. B. Green, and B. E. Gengenbach, eds.), Academic Press, New York, pp. 219–239 (hormonal and chemical effects on dormancy).
Black, M., 1980/81, Isr. J. Bot. 29:181–192 (hormones and dormancy).
Borthwick, H. A., Hendricks, S. B., Toole, E. H., and Toole, V. K., 1954, Bot. Gaz. 115:205–225 (action spectrum for breaking of dormancy in lettuce).
Carpita, N. C., Nabors, M. W., Ross, C. W., and Petretic, N. L., 1979, Planta 144:225–233 (phytochrome and cell elongation).
Esashi, Y., Ishihara, N., Saijoh, K., and Saitoh, M., 1983, Plant Cell Environ. 6:47–54 (cyanide-resistant respiration and dormancy).
Hanke, J., Hartmann, K. M., and Mohr, H., 1969, Planta 86:235–241 (phytochrome photoequilibria).
Hartmann, K. M., 1966, Photochem. Photobiol. 5:349–354 (absorption spectrum of phytochrome).
Hendricks, S. B., and Taylorson, R. B., 1978, Plant Physiol. 61:17–19 (temperature shifts and phytochrome).
Heydecker, W., Higgins, J., and Gulliver, R. L, 1973, Nature 246:42–44 (advancing germination with PEG).
Kendrick, R. E., 1976, Sci. Prog. (London) 63:347–367 (light and germination).
Kendrick, R. E., and Frankland, B., 1982, Phytochrome and Plant Growth. Arnold, London (a general account of phytochrome).
Kendrick, R. E., and Spruit, C. J. P., 1977, Photoehem. Photobiol. 26:201–204 (phytochrome intermediates).
Koller, D., and Negbi, M., 1959, Ecology 40:20–36 (dual effect of light on generation).
Labouriau, L. G., and Pacheco, A., 1979, Bol. Venez. Cienc. Nat. 34:73–112 (temperature and germination).
Mohr, H., and Appuhn, U., 1963, Planta 60:274–288 (high-irradiance far-red effects).
Nabors, M. W., and Lang, A., 1971, Planta 101:1–25 (light and embryo water relations).
Roberts, E. H., 1965, J. Exp. Bot. 16:341–349 (temperature and afterripening).
Roberts, E. H., and Smith, R. D., 1977, in: The Physiology and Biochemistry of Seed Dormancy and Germination (A. A. Khan, ed.), North Holland, Amsterdam, pp. 385–411 (pentose phosphate pathway and germination).
Rollin, P., 1972, in: Phytochrome (K. Mitrakos and W. Shropshire, eds.), Academic Press, London, pp. 229–256 (light and seed germination).
Stokes, P., 1965, in: Encyclopedia of Plant Physiology, Volume 15/2 (W. Ruhland, ed.), Springer, Berlin, pp. 746–803 (temperature and seed dormancy).
Taylorson, R. B., 1982, in: The Physiology and Biochemistry of Seed Development, Dormancy and Germination (A. A. Khan, ed.), Elsevier Biomedical Press, Amsterdam, pp. 323–346 (light and other factors in seed germination).
Thomas, T. H., 1977, in: The Physiology and Biochemistry of Seed Dormancy and Germination (A. A. Khan, ed.), North Holland, Amsterdam, pp. 111–114 (growth regulators and germination).
Thompson, P. A., 1973, in: Seed Ecology (W. Heydecker, ed.), Butterworths, London, pp. 31–58 (temperature and germination).
Toole, V. K., 1973, Seed Sci. Technol. 1:339–396 (light, temperature and other factors in germination).
Totterdell, S., and Roberts, E. H., 1979, Plant Cell Environ. 2:131–137 (chilling of Rumex).
Totterdell, S., and Roberts, E. H., 1980, Plant Cell Environ. 3:3–12 (alternating temperatures and germination).
Upadhyaya, M. K., Simpson, G. M., and Naylor, J. M., 1981, Can. J. Bot. 59:1640–1646 (pentose phosphate pathway enzymes and dormancy).
Van Der Woude, W. J., and Toole, V. K., 1980, Plant Physiol. 66:220–224 (chilling and phytochrome action).
Vincent, E. M., and Roberts, E. H., 1977, Seed Sci. Technol. 5:659–670 (interacting factors and dormancy).
Visser, T., 1956, Proc. K. Ned. Akad. Wet. C 59:314–324 (chilling and apple seed dormancy).
Webb, D. P., Van Staden, J., and Wareing, P. F., 1973, J. Exp. Bot. 24:105–116 (chilling and hormonal changes).
Williams, P. M., Bradbeer, J. W., Gaskin, P., and MacMillan, J., 1974, Planta 117:101–108 (chilling and gibberellins in hazel).
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
Copyright information
© 1985 Springer Science+Business Media New York
About this chapter
Cite this chapter
Bewley, J.D., Black, M. (1985). Dormancy and the Control of Germination. In: Seeds. Springer, Boston, MA. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4615-1747-4_5
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4615-1747-4_5
Publisher Name: Springer, Boston, MA
Print ISBN: 978-1-4613-5703-2
Online ISBN: 978-1-4615-1747-4
eBook Packages: Springer Book Archive