Impact of Environmental Factors on Seed Germination and Seedling Emergence of White Clover (<i>Trifolium repens</i> L.)
White clover (<i>Trifolium repens</i> L.) is cultivated as a forage crop and planted in various landscapes for soil conservation. There are numerous reports of failed white clover stands each year. A good understanding of the seed germination biology of white clover in relation to enviro...
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| Format: | Article |
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MDPI AG
2022-01-01
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| Series: | Agronomy |
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2073-4395/12/1/190 |
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| author | Lei Chu Yiping Gao Lingling Chen Patrick E. McCullough David Jespersen Suraj Sapkota Muthukumar Bagavathiannan Jialin Yu |
| author_facet | Lei Chu Yiping Gao Lingling Chen Patrick E. McCullough David Jespersen Suraj Sapkota Muthukumar Bagavathiannan Jialin Yu |
| author_sort | Lei Chu |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | White clover (<i>Trifolium repens</i> L.) is cultivated as a forage crop and planted in various landscapes for soil conservation. There are numerous reports of failed white clover stands each year. A good understanding of the seed germination biology of white clover in relation to environmental factors is essential to achieve successful stand establishment. A series of experiments were conducted to investigate the impacts of light, temperature, planting depth, drought, and salt stress on seed germination and the emergence of white clover. White clover is negatively photoblastic, and seed germination averaged 63 and 66% under light and complete dark conditions 4 weeks after planting (WAP), respectively. Temperature affected the seed germination speed and rate. At 1 WAP, seeds incubated at 15 to 25 °C demonstrated a significantly higher germination rate than the low temperatures at 5 and 10 °C; however, the germination rate did not differ among the temperature treatments at 4 WAP. The results suggest that white clover germination decreases with increasing sowing depths, and the seeds should be sown on the soil surface or shallowly buried at a depth ≤1 cm to achieve an optimal emergence. White clover seeds exhibited high sensitivity to drought and salinity stress. The osmotic potential and NaCl concentration required to inhibit 50% seed germination were −0.19 MPa and 62.4 mM, respectively. Overall, these findings provide quantifiable explanations for inconsistent establishment observed in field conditions. The results obtained in this research can be used to develop effective planting strategies and support the successful establishment of white clover stands. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-10T03:05:54Z |
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| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2073-4395 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-10T03:05:54Z |
| publishDate | 2022-01-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Agronomy |
| spelling | doaj.art-a4b22d410a3049c79ec31bc9bc6a63c02023-11-23T12:39:44ZengMDPI AGAgronomy2073-43952022-01-0112119010.3390/agronomy12010190Impact of Environmental Factors on Seed Germination and Seedling Emergence of White Clover (<i>Trifolium repens</i> L.)Lei Chu0Yiping Gao1Lingling Chen2Patrick E. McCullough3David Jespersen4Suraj Sapkota5Muthukumar Bagavathiannan6Jialin Yu7Co-Innovation Center for Sustainable Forestry in Southern China, Nanjing Forestry University, Nanjing 210037, ChinaCo-Innovation Center for Sustainable Forestry in Southern China, Nanjing Forestry University, Nanjing 210037, ChinaCo-Innovation Center for Sustainable Forestry in Southern China, Nanjing Forestry University, Nanjing 210037, ChinaTurfgrass Research & Education Center, University of Georgia, Griffin Campus, 1109 Experiment Street, Griffin, GA 32003, USATurfgrass Research & Education Center, University of Georgia, Griffin Campus, 1109 Experiment Street, Griffin, GA 32003, USATurfgrass Research & Education Center, University of Georgia, Griffin Campus, 1109 Experiment Street, Griffin, GA 32003, USADepartment of Soil and Crop Sciences, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX 77843, USADepartment of Soil and Crop Sciences, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX 77843, USAWhite clover (<i>Trifolium repens</i> L.) is cultivated as a forage crop and planted in various landscapes for soil conservation. There are numerous reports of failed white clover stands each year. A good understanding of the seed germination biology of white clover in relation to environmental factors is essential to achieve successful stand establishment. A series of experiments were conducted to investigate the impacts of light, temperature, planting depth, drought, and salt stress on seed germination and the emergence of white clover. White clover is negatively photoblastic, and seed germination averaged 63 and 66% under light and complete dark conditions 4 weeks after planting (WAP), respectively. Temperature affected the seed germination speed and rate. At 1 WAP, seeds incubated at 15 to 25 °C demonstrated a significantly higher germination rate than the low temperatures at 5 and 10 °C; however, the germination rate did not differ among the temperature treatments at 4 WAP. The results suggest that white clover germination decreases with increasing sowing depths, and the seeds should be sown on the soil surface or shallowly buried at a depth ≤1 cm to achieve an optimal emergence. White clover seeds exhibited high sensitivity to drought and salinity stress. The osmotic potential and NaCl concentration required to inhibit 50% seed germination were −0.19 MPa and 62.4 mM, respectively. Overall, these findings provide quantifiable explanations for inconsistent establishment observed in field conditions. The results obtained in this research can be used to develop effective planting strategies and support the successful establishment of white clover stands.https://www.mdpi.com/2073-4395/12/1/190droughtemergencegerminationsalinity stressoptimal temperature |
| spellingShingle | Lei Chu Yiping Gao Lingling Chen Patrick E. McCullough David Jespersen Suraj Sapkota Muthukumar Bagavathiannan Jialin Yu Impact of Environmental Factors on Seed Germination and Seedling Emergence of White Clover (<i>Trifolium repens</i> L.) Agronomy drought emergence germination salinity stress optimal temperature |
| title | Impact of Environmental Factors on Seed Germination and Seedling Emergence of White Clover (<i>Trifolium repens</i> L.) |
| title_full | Impact of Environmental Factors on Seed Germination and Seedling Emergence of White Clover (<i>Trifolium repens</i> L.) |
| title_fullStr | Impact of Environmental Factors on Seed Germination and Seedling Emergence of White Clover (<i>Trifolium repens</i> L.) |
| title_full_unstemmed | Impact of Environmental Factors on Seed Germination and Seedling Emergence of White Clover (<i>Trifolium repens</i> L.) |
| title_short | Impact of Environmental Factors on Seed Germination and Seedling Emergence of White Clover (<i>Trifolium repens</i> L.) |
| title_sort | impact of environmental factors on seed germination and seedling emergence of white clover i trifolium repens i l |
| topic | drought emergence germination salinity stress optimal temperature |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2073-4395/12/1/190 |
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