Adansonia digitata germination tests. Elephants or heat: what causes scarification of seed to facilitate germination?
Abstract Background The dormancy of Adansonia digitata seeds is well known. For propagation purposes, plenty of germination tests were conducted, however, rarely taking the ecology of baobab into account. Our main goal, therefore, is to identify the decisive natural trigger for breaking the dormancy...
| Main Authors: | , , , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
SpringerOpen
2020-06-01
|
| Series: | Botanical Studies |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | http://link.springer.com/article/10.1186/s40529-020-00296-0 |
| _version_ | 1818228892862775296 |
|---|---|
| author | Thea Lautenschläger Nele Teutloff Markus Günther Christoph Neinhuis |
| author_facet | Thea Lautenschläger Nele Teutloff Markus Günther Christoph Neinhuis |
| author_sort | Thea Lautenschläger |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Abstract Background The dormancy of Adansonia digitata seeds is well known. For propagation purposes, plenty of germination tests were conducted, however, rarely taking the ecology of baobab into account. Our main goal, therefore, is to identify the decisive natural trigger for breaking the dormancy. We therefore performed 31 different tests and their influence on the germination rate (time to germination and proportion of seeds germinating). Results The highest germination rates were reached in the heat tests while elephant’s digestion seems to stimulate germination of Adansonia digitata only to a limited extent. The chalazal slit of the seed represents the primary site of water entry. Tannins concentrated in this region that are influenced by temperature play an important role for inhibiting the germination. Conclusion As a result, the hypothesis is formulated that germination success strongly depends on heat, provoked by wildfires or prolonged exposition to the sun causing decomposition of tannins by high temperatures rather than on digestion. |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-12T10:09:56Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-06681e53e2d64a04beaf02085fce3425 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1999-3110 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-12T10:09:56Z |
| publishDate | 2020-06-01 |
| publisher | SpringerOpen |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Botanical Studies |
| spelling | doaj.art-06681e53e2d64a04beaf02085fce34252022-12-22T00:27:49ZengSpringerOpenBotanical Studies1999-31102020-06-0161111010.1186/s40529-020-00296-0Adansonia digitata germination tests. Elephants or heat: what causes scarification of seed to facilitate germination?Thea Lautenschläger0Nele Teutloff1Markus Günther2Christoph Neinhuis3Department of Biology, Institute of Botany, Faculty of Science, Technische Universität DresdenDepartment of Biology, Institute of Botany, Faculty of Science, Technische Universität DresdenDepartment of Biology, Institute of Botany, Faculty of Science, Technische Universität DresdenDepartment of Biology, Institute of Botany, Faculty of Science, Technische Universität DresdenAbstract Background The dormancy of Adansonia digitata seeds is well known. For propagation purposes, plenty of germination tests were conducted, however, rarely taking the ecology of baobab into account. Our main goal, therefore, is to identify the decisive natural trigger for breaking the dormancy. We therefore performed 31 different tests and their influence on the germination rate (time to germination and proportion of seeds germinating). Results The highest germination rates were reached in the heat tests while elephant’s digestion seems to stimulate germination of Adansonia digitata only to a limited extent. The chalazal slit of the seed represents the primary site of water entry. Tannins concentrated in this region that are influenced by temperature play an important role for inhibiting the germination. Conclusion As a result, the hypothesis is formulated that germination success strongly depends on heat, provoked by wildfires or prolonged exposition to the sun causing decomposition of tannins by high temperatures rather than on digestion.http://link.springer.com/article/10.1186/s40529-020-00296-0Seed dormancySeed coatAcidDigestionHeatFire |
| spellingShingle | Thea Lautenschläger Nele Teutloff Markus Günther Christoph Neinhuis Adansonia digitata germination tests. Elephants or heat: what causes scarification of seed to facilitate germination? Botanical Studies Seed dormancy Seed coat Acid Digestion Heat Fire |
| title | Adansonia digitata germination tests. Elephants or heat: what causes scarification of seed to facilitate germination? |
| title_full | Adansonia digitata germination tests. Elephants or heat: what causes scarification of seed to facilitate germination? |
| title_fullStr | Adansonia digitata germination tests. Elephants or heat: what causes scarification of seed to facilitate germination? |
| title_full_unstemmed | Adansonia digitata germination tests. Elephants or heat: what causes scarification of seed to facilitate germination? |
| title_short | Adansonia digitata germination tests. Elephants or heat: what causes scarification of seed to facilitate germination? |
| title_sort | adansonia digitata germination tests elephants or heat what causes scarification of seed to facilitate germination |
| topic | Seed dormancy Seed coat Acid Digestion Heat Fire |
| url | http://link.springer.com/article/10.1186/s40529-020-00296-0 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT thealautenschlager adansoniadigitatagerminationtestselephantsorheatwhatcausesscarificationofseedtofacilitategermination AT neleteutloff adansoniadigitatagerminationtestselephantsorheatwhatcausesscarificationofseedtofacilitategermination AT markusgunther adansoniadigitatagerminationtestselephantsorheatwhatcausesscarificationofseedtofacilitategermination AT christophneinhuis adansoniadigitatagerminationtestselephantsorheatwhatcausesscarificationofseedtofacilitategermination |