Seed Germination Physiology of Eucalyptus delegatensis R. T. Baker in Tasmania

Abstract

The seed germination response of seedlots from five geographically disparate provenances of Eucalyptus delegatensis to temperature, stratification, soil matric potential, relative humidity and interrupted imbibition was examined. The species was found to have a distinct temperature optimum of between 15 and 20°C, and a minimum temperature for germination of approximately 2°C. Short periods of exposure to high temperatures did not substantially affect germination performance. Stratification greatly increased the range of temperatures over which a high proportion of the seed germinated. Increases in the rate of germination with stratification are related to accrued thermal time during stratification. Pre-imbibing seeds at water potentials down to -2 MPa increased the rate of germination; however, no advantage was found after pre-imibibing at -3 MPa. This increased germination rate was associated with a shortening of the time to commencement of germination and more synchronous germination. Germination rate and germination capacity were impeded by soil matric potentials below -0.01 MPa, and germination was totally inhibited by soil matric potentials below -0.5 MPa. Soil matric potential and temperature interacted in their effects on germination capacity, and seeds germinating at near optimum temperatures were less sensitive to soil moisture stress. Seeds survived dehydration within 60 h of the commencement of imbibition, but were increasingly affected by dehydration thereafter. The rate of imbibition was influenced by the ambient temperature and solution water potential. At modest levels of water stress, imbibition was not impeded and the reduction in germination capacity was probably due to the inhibition of growth related processes. Differences in germination response were detected between the seedlots and these could be related to the geographic origin of the seedlots.