Effect of high temperatures on seed germination of two woody Leguminosae

✍ Scribed by Tarrega, R. ;Calvo, L. ;Trabaud, L.

• Publisher: Springer-Verlag
• Year: 1992
• Tongue: English
• Weight: 609 KB
• Volume: 102
• Category: Article
• ISSN: 1573-5052
• DOI: 10.1007/bf00044730

✦ Synopsis

Cytisus scoparius and Genistaflorida regenerate after fire by stump-sprouting but also by seed. Seeds of these species were heated to a range of temperatures similar to those registered on the surface soil during natural fires (from 50 to 150 ° C) and a range of exposure times (from 1 to 15 min). No germination was observed at high temperatures, ~> 130 ° C, when the exposure time was 5 min or more. However, moderate heat treatments (at 70 and 100 ° C) significantly increased the rate of germination relative to controls. Cytisus scoparius is more favoured by fire action than Genistaflorida, with germination rates slightly greater following 100 °C for 5 rain and 130 °C for 1 min than after mechanical scarification.