Birdsfoot trefoil （Lotus corniculatus L.） is high in nutritional value and adapted to slightly acidic, droughty, infertile, or wet soils. However, the impermeable seed coat restricts water imbibition and results in ...Birdsfoot trefoil （Lotus corniculatus L.） is high in nutritional value and adapted to slightly acidic, droughty, infertile, or wet soils. However, the impermeable seed coat restricts water imbibition and results in poor seed germination and subse- quent stand establishment. The aim of this study was to identify the dormancy mechanism of Birdsfoot trefoil seeds, and investigate the suitable pretreatment to overcome the poor seed germination. Germination behavior was characterized by using the final germination percentage and the mean germination time. The results indicated that coat thickness of dormant seeds was significant larger. The average hard seed rate was up to 92.3%. It was found that mechanical scarification, chemi- cal scarification with concentrated sulfuric acid （98% H_2SO_4）, and gibberellic acid soaking following freezing below zero temperature were effective in reducing hard- seededness and lead to increases of seed germination.展开更多
基金Supported by National Natural Science Foundation of China(No.31601997)~~
文摘Birdsfoot trefoil （Lotus corniculatus L.） is high in nutritional value and adapted to slightly acidic, droughty, infertile, or wet soils. However, the impermeable seed coat restricts water imbibition and results in poor seed germination and subse- quent stand establishment. The aim of this study was to identify the dormancy mechanism of Birdsfoot trefoil seeds, and investigate the suitable pretreatment to overcome the poor seed germination. Germination behavior was characterized by using the final germination percentage and the mean germination time. The results indicated that coat thickness of dormant seeds was significant larger. The average hard seed rate was up to 92.3%. It was found that mechanical scarification, chemi- cal scarification with concentrated sulfuric acid （98% H_2SO_4）, and gibberellic acid soaking following freezing below zero temperature were effective in reducing hard- seededness and lead to increases of seed germination.
