Hostname: page-component-78c5997874-g7gxr Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-11-13T04:21:46.117Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Stimulatory and inhibitory effects of light on Cereus repandus (Cactaceae) seed germination are strongly dependent on spectral quality

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  06 September 2022

X-Y. Yang Open the ORCID record for X-Y. Yang [Opens in a new window]  and
Hugh W. Pritchard Open the ORCID record for Hugh W. Pritchard [Opens in a new window]
X-Y. Yang
Affiliation:
Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming Institute of Botany, 132 Lanhei Road, Heilongtan, Kunming, Yunnan 650201, PR China Chinese Academy of Sciences, Xishuangbanna Tropical Botanical Garden, Menglun, Mengla, Yunnan 666303, PR China
Hugh W. Pritchard*
Affiliation:
Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming Institute of Botany, 132 Lanhei Road, Heilongtan, Kunming, Yunnan 650201, PR China Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, Wakehurst, Ardingly, Haywards Heath, West Sussex RH17 6TN, UK
*
*Author for Correspondence: Hugh W. Pritchard, E-mail: hwp@mail.kib.ac.cn
Get access Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Abstract

In small seeds, light often promotes germination and longer-term exposure to darkness reduces light sensitivity. In cacti inhabiting harsh environments, a rapid response to light exposure is potentially advantageous for seedling establishment. We exposed dark-imbibed seeds of the cactus Cereus repandus to doses of red (RED) light and far-red (FR) light. The seeds exhibited positive photoblastism to RED light. Although the initial levels of germination varied between seed lots, the sensitivity to increasing the RED dose did not. As little as 5 min per day for 4 d was sufficient to saturate the light requirement for germination. The effects of RED light were reversed by FR exposure as long as the interval between RED and FR did not extend to 2 d, by which time the seeds had ‘committed’ to germinate. Dark incubation for 1–2 weeks prior to RED exposure reduced light sensitivity in two seed lots, such that RED only promoted around 20% germination. Phytochrome is assumed to mediate the reversibility of the RED:FR response. High sensitivity to light spectral quality suggests that seeds of C. repandus are able to germinate quickly in high-quality microsites, but seed burial or shading may commit the seeds to form a soil seed bank. The light characteristics of the germination trait in this species are typical of many small seeded species of the drylands.

Keywords

dark-induced dormancylight doseneglected and underutilized speciesR–FR light reversibilityseed traits
Type
Research Paper
Information
Seed Science Research , Volume 32 , Special Issue 3: Seed Innovation Systems for the 21st Century , September 2022 , pp. 166 - 174
Check for updates
Copyright
Copyright © The Author(s), 2022. Published by Cambridge University Press

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

Alcorn, SM and Kurtz, EB (1959) Some factors affecting the germination of seeds of the saguaro cactus (Carnegiea gigantea). American Journal of Botany 46, 526–529.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Aragón-Gastélum, JL, Flores, J, Yáñez-Espinosa, L, Reyes-Olivas, Á, Rodas-Ortiz, JP, Robles-Díaz, E and González, FJ (2017) Advantages of vivipary in Echinocactus platyacanthus, an endemic and protected Mexican cactus species. Journal of Arid Environments 141, 56–59.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Barrios, D, Sanchez, JA, Flores, J and Jurado, E (2020) Seed traits and germination in the Cactaceae family: a review across the Americas. Botanical Sciences 98, 417–440.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Barzani, O, Quaye, M, Ohali, S, Barzilai, M and Kigel, J (2012) Photo-thermal regulation of seed germination in natural populations of Eruca sativa Miller (Brassicaceae). Journal of Arid Environments 85, 93–96.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Baskin, CC and Baskin, JM (2014) Seeds: ecology, biogeography, and evolution of dormancy and germination. New York, Elsevier.Google Scholar
Bewley, JD and Black, M (1994) Seeds. Physiology of Development and Germination, 2nd Edition Springer, Boston, MA. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4899-1002-8_1CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Bliss, D and Smith, H (1985) Penetration of light into soil and its role in the control of seed germination. Plant, Cell and Environment 8, 475–483.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Borthwick, HA, Hendricks, SB, Parker, MW, Toole, EH and Toole, VK (1952) A reversible photoreaction controlling seed germination. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the USA 38, 662–666.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Carta, A, Skourti, E, Mattana, E, Vandelook, F and Thanos, CA (2017) Photoinhibition of seed germination: occurrence, ecology and phylogeny. Seed Science Research 27, 131–153.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Cone, JW, Jaspers, PAPM and Kendrick, RE (1985) Biphasic fluence-response curves for light induced germination of Arabidopsis thaliana seeds. Plant Cell and Environment 8, 605–612.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Cota-Sánchez, JH (2004) Vivipary in the Cactaceae: its taxonomic occurrence and biological significance. Flora – Morphology, Distribution, Functional Ecology of Plants 199, 481–490.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Cota-Sánchez, JH, Reyes-Olivas, Á and Abreu, DD (2011) Vivipary in the cactus family: a reply to Ortega-Baes’ et al. evaluation of 25 species from northwestern Argentina. Journal of Arid Environments 75, 878–880.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Crawley, MJ (1993) GLIM for ecologists. Oxford, Blackwell Scientific Publications.Google Scholar
Daws, MI, Burslem, DFRP, Crabtree, LM, Kirkman, P, Mullins, CE and Dalling, JW (2002) Differences in seed germination responses may promote coexistence of four sympatric Piper species. Functional Ecology 16, 258–267.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Daws, MI, Lydall, E, Chmielarz, P, Leprince, O, Matthews, S, Thanos, CA and Pritchard, HW (2004) Developmental heat sum influences recalcitrant seed traits in Aesculus hippocastanum L. across Europe. New Phytologist 162, 157–166.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
De la Barrera, E and Nobel, PS (2003) Physiological ecology of seed germination for the columnar cactus Stenocereus queretaroensis. Journal of Arid Environments 53, 297–306.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
del Castillo, RF (1986) Semillas germinacion y establecimiento de Ferocactus histrix. Cactaceas u Suculentas Mexicanas 31, 5–11.Google Scholar
De Petter, E, van Wiemeersch, L, Rehty, R, Dedonder, A, Fredericq, H and De Greef, J (1988) Fluence-response curves and action spectra for the very low fluence and low fluence response for the induction of Kalanchoë seed germination. Plant Physiology 88, 276–283.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Federer, CA and Tanner, CB (1966) Spectral distribution of light in forest. Ecology 47, 555–560.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Flores, J, Briones, O, Flores, A and Sánchez-Colón, S (2004) Effect of predation and solar exposure on the emergence and survival of desert seedlings of contrasting life-forms. Journal of Arid Environments 58, 1–18.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Flores, J, Jurado, E and Arredondo, A (2006) Effect of light on germination of seeds of Cactaceae from the Chihuahuan Desert, Mexico. Seed Science Research 16, 149–155.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Flores, J, Jurado, E, Chapa-Vargas, L, Ceroni-Stuva, A, Dávila-Aranda, P, Galíndez, G, Gurvich, D, León-Lobos, P, Ordóñez, C, Ortega-Baes, P, Ramírez-Bullón, N, Sandoval, A, Seal, CE, Ullian, T and Pritchard, HW (2011) Seeds photoblastism and its relationship with some plant traits in 136 cacti taxa. Environmental and Experimental Botany 71, 79–88.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Flores, J, González-Salvatierra, C and Jurado, E (2016) Effect of light on seed germination and seedling shape of succulent species from Mexico. Journal of Plant Ecology 9, 174–179.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Jankowska-Blaszczuk, M and Daws, MI (2007) Impact of red:far red ratios on germination in temperate forest herbs in relation to shade tolerance, seed mass and persistence in the soil. Functional Ecology 21, 1055–1062.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Jung, J-H, Domijan, M, Klose, C, Biswas, S, Ezer, D, Gao, M, Khattak, AK, Box, MS, Charoensawan, V, Cortijo, S, Kumar, M, Grant, A, Locke, JCW, Shafer, E, Jaeger, KE and Wigge, PA (2016) Phytochromes function as thermosensors in Arabidopsis. Science 354, 886–889.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Leivar, P and Quail, PH (2011) PIFs: pivotal components in a cellular signaling hub. Trends in Plant Science 16, 19–28.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Lindow-Lopez, L, Galindez, G, Aparicio-Gonzalez, M, Suhring, S, Rojas-Arechiga, M, Pritchard, HW and Ortega-Baes, P (2018) Effects of alternating temperature on cactus seeds with a positive photoblastic response. Journal of Arid Environments 148, 74–77.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Mancinelli, AL (1994) The physiology of phytochrome action. Pp. 211–269 in Kendrick RE and Kronenberg GHM (eds.), Photomorphogenesis in Plants Springer, Dordrecht.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Mascot-Gomez, E, Flores, E, Lopez-Lozano, NE and Yanez-Espinosa, L (2020) Seed germination of Southern Chihuahuan desert cacti: effect of mucilage, light and phytohormones. Flora 263, 151528.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Meiado, MV, Rojas-Aréchiga, M, de Siqueira-Filho, JA and Leal, IR (2016) Effects of light and temperature on seed germination of cacti of Brazilian ecosystems. Plant Species Biology 31, 87–97.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Millberg, P, Anderson, L and Thompson, K (2000) Large seeded species are less dependent on light for germination than small-seeded ones. Seed Science Research 10, 99–104.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Mizrahi, Y (2014) Cereus peruvianus (Koubo) new cactus fruit for the world. Revista Brasileira de Fruticultura 36. doi:10.1590/0100-2945-447/13.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Nobel, PS (1988) Environmental biology of agaves and cacti. New York, Cambridge University Press.Google Scholar
Oh, J, Park, E, Song, K, Bae, G and Choi, G (2020) Phytochrome interacting factor8 inhibits phytochrome A-mediated far-red light responses in Arabidopsis. The Plant Cell 32, 186–205.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Ordoñez-Salanueva, CA, Seal, CE, Pritchard, HW, Orozco-Segovia, A, Canales-Martínez, M and Flores Ortiz, CM (2015) Cardinal temperatures and thermal time in Polaskia backeb (Cactaceae) species: effect of projected soil temperature increase and nurse interaction on germination timing. Journal of Arid Environments 115, 73–80.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Ordoñez-Salanueva, CA, Orozco-Segovia, A, Canales-Martinez, M, Seal, CE, Pritchard, HW and Flores-Ortiz, CM (2017) Ecological longevity in the soil seed bank, seedling emergence and survival of Polaskia chende (Rol-.Goss.) A.C.Gibson & K.E.Horak (Cactaceae). Plant Biology 19, 973–982.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Ortega-Baes, P and Rojas-Aréchigo, M (2007) Seed germination in Trichocereus terscheckii (Cactaceae): light, temperature and gibberellic acid effects. Journal of Arid Environments 69, 169–176.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Pearson, TRH, Burslem, DFRP, Mullins, CE and Dalling, JW (2002) Germination ecology of neotropical pioneers: interacting effects of environmental conditions and seed size. Ecology 83, 2798–2807.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Pritchard, HW and Manger, K (1990) Quantal response of fruit and seed germination rate in Quercus robur L. and Castanea sativa Mill, to constant temperatures and photon dose. Journal of Experimental Botany 41, 1549–1557.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Rojas-Aréchiga, M, Orozco-Segovia, A and Vázquez-Yánes, C (1997) Effect of light on germination of seven species of cacti form the Zapotitlan Valley in Puebla, Mexico. Journal of Arid Environments 36, 571–578.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Rojas-Aréchiga, M, Mandujano, MC and Golubov, JK (2013) Seed size and photoblastism in species belonging to tribe Cacteae (Cactaceae). Journal of Plant Research 126, 373–386.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Seal, CE, Daws, MI, Flores, J, Ortega-Baes, P, Galíndez, G, León-Lobos, P, Sandoval, A, Ceroni Stuva, A, Ramírez Bullón, N, Dávila-Aranda, P, Ordoñez-Salanueva, CA, Yáñez-Espinosa, L, Ulian, T, Amosso, C, Zubani, L, Torres Bilbao, A and Pritchard, HW (2017) Thermal buffering capacity of the germination phenotype across the environmental envelope of the Cactaceae. Global Change Biology 23, 5309–5317.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Seal, CE, Flores, J, Ceroni Stuva, A, Dávila Aranda, P, León-Lobos, P, Ortega-Baes, P, Galíndez, G, Aparicio-González, MA, Castro Cepero, V, Daws, MI, Eason, M, Flores Ortiz, CM, del Fueyo, PA, Olwell, P, Ordonez, C, Peñalosa Castro, I, Quintanar Zúñiga, R, Ramírez Bullón, N, Rojas-Aréchiga, M, Rosas, M, Sandoval, A, Stuppy, W, Ulian, T, Vázquez Medrano, J, Walter, H, Way, M and Pritchard, HW (2008) The cactus seed biological database. Release 1, London, UK, Board of Trustees of the Royal Botanic Gardens.Google Scholar
Sheerin, DJ and Hiltbrunner, A (2017) Molecular mechanisms and ecological function of far-red light signaling. Plant, Cell and Environment 40, 2509–2529.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Shi, H, Wang, Z, Mo, X, Tang, C, Zhong, S and Deng, XW (2015) Arabidopsis DET1 degrades HFR1 but stabilizes PIF1 to precisely regulate seed germination. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the USA 112, 3817–3822.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Sosa Pivatto, M, Funes, G, Ferreras, AE and Gurvich, DE (2014) Seed mass, germination and seedling traits for some central Argentinian cacti. Seed Science Research 24, 71–77.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Tester, M and Morris, C (1987) The penetration of light through soil. Plant, Cell and Environment 10, 281–286.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Vaistij, FE, Barros-Galvao, T, Cole, AF, Gilday, AD, He, Z, Li, Y, Harvey, D, Larson, TR and Graham, IA (2018) MOTHER-OF-FT-AND-TFL1 represses seed germination under far-red light by modulating phytohormone responses in Arabidopsis thaliana. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the USA 115, 8442–8447.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Williams, PM and Arias, I (1978) Physico-ecological studies of plant species from the arid and semi-arid regions of Venezuela. I. The role of endogenous inhibitors in the germination of seeds of Cereus griseus (Haw.) Br. & R. (Cactaceae). Acta Científica Venezolana 29, 93–97.Google Scholar
Wood, CB, Pritchard, HW and Amritphale, D (2000) Desiccation-induced dormancy in papaya (Carica papaya L.) is alleviated by heat shock. Seed Science Research 10, 135–145.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Yang, X-Y (1999) Storage, germination and characterisation of Cactaceae seed. PhD thesis, Jilin Agricultural University, Changchun, PR China.Google Scholar