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To germinate or not to germinate: a question of dormancy relief not germination stimulation

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  10 September 2012

William E. Finch-Savage  and
Steven Footitt
William E. Finch-Savage*
Affiliation:
School of Life Sciences, Warwick University, Wellesbourne Campus, Wellesbourne, WarwickCV35 9EF, UK
Steven Footitt
Affiliation:
School of Life Sciences, Warwick University, Wellesbourne Campus, Wellesbourne, WarwickCV35 9EF, UK
*
*Correspondence Email: Bill.Finch-Savage@warwick.ac.uk
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Abstract

A common understanding of the control of germination through dormancy is essential for effective communication between seed scientists whether they are ecologists, physiologists or molecular biologists. Vleeshouwers et al. (1995) realized that barriers between disciplines limited progress and through insightful conclusions in their paper ‘Redefining seed dormancy: an attempt to integrate physiology and ecology’, they did much to overcome these barriers at that time. However, times move on, understanding develops, and now there is a case for ‘Redefining seed dormancy as an integration of physiology, ecology and molecular biology’. Finch-Savage and Leubner-Metzger (2006) had this in mind when they extended and re-interpreted the definition of dormancy proposed by Vleeshouwers et al. (1995), by considering dormancy as a having a number of layers that must be removed, with the final layer of dormancy being synonymous with the stimulation/induction of germination.

Keywords

dormancygerminationlightnitratetemperature
Type
Research Opinion
Information
Seed Science Research , Volume 22 , Issue 4 , December 2012 , pp. 243 - 248
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 2012

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