Phenotypic selection for seed dormancy in white snakeroot (Eupatorium rugosum)

• Published in: Weed biology and management Vol. 10; no. 4; pp. 241 - 248
• Main Authors: Lau, Joann M, Robinson, David Lowell
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: Korean
• Published: 2010
• Subjects: bud; germination; seed dormancy; Ageratina altissima; selection
• ISSN: 1444-6162; 1445-6664

Eupatorium rugosum (Ageratina altissima), commonly known as white snakeroot, is a weedy plant that invades woodland areas in North America, Korea, and Japan. In order to examine the inheritance of seed dormancy in this species, seeds from a single population were screened for their differential germination response to stratification. After two cycles of recurrent selection, the seed from the shallow-dormant lines had 4.4 times greater germination prior to stratification than did the seed from the deep-dormant lines. The seed from the deep-dormant lines showed 3.4 times greater germination after stratification, compared to the seed from the shallow-dormant selections. This suggests that primary dormancy in the seed of white snakeroot is under some degree of genetic control. This perennial species produces overwintering rhizomes that give rise to adventitious, vegetative buds each spring. The plants selected for the production of seeds with lower levels of dormancy in the fall were observed to generate rhizomatous buds that were released from dormancy earlier in spring, compared to the plants that produced seeds with higher levels of dormancy. A statistically significant positive correlation also was observed between seed and bud dormancy in a naturally occurring population of white snakeroot. Common regulatory elements might be influencing dormancy in both the seeds and vegetative buds of this species.