Measurement of Seed Responses to Environment

Abstract

The objective of this work was to develop a method for evaluating seed responses to field environments. Seeds placed in soil in the field were brought into the laboratory for germination tests under controlled conditions. Hastening of germination, an indicator of seed responses to environment, was determined by subtracting the number of days required for samples placed in soils in the field to reach 50% germination from the days required for air-dry control samples to reach 50% germination. A temperature of 5 C provided a more sensitive test for measuring hastening of germination than 10 or 20 C. Measurements of environment and of seed responses to environment will help explain why seeds sometimes fail to germinate on harsh rangeland sites.