Inducing dormancy in non dormant seeds
AssigneeCornell Research Foundation, Inc.
InventorAnwar A. Khan
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Dormant seeds , e.g., of lettuce, tomatoes, peppers, carrots, onions, impatiens and primrose, are produced by soaking non-dormant seeds in a solution of gibberellin synthesis inhibitor, preferably tetcyclacis, preferably in the dark at 25.degree. C. to 350.degree. C. for at least 24 hours, washing to remove the inhibitor and drying to original seed weight. The dormancy can be released by application of a gibberellin, and in some cases by moist chilling, or exposure to light at 25.degree. C. to 35.degree. C.
Claims23
A method of inducing releasable dormancy in non-dormant plant seeds for which gibberellin synthesis is necessary for germination, comprising the steps of
- (a) soaking said seeds in a solution of a gibberellin synthesis inhibitor of concentration such and at a temperature such and for a time such as to induce dormancy therein, said gibberellin synthesis inhibitor being one that inhibits the gibberellin biosynthesis pathway from ent-kaurene to ent-kaurenoic acid,
- (b) washing to remove the gibberellin synthesis inhibitor from the seeds, and
- (c) drying the seeds to their weight prior to soaking in step (a).
A method of inducing releasable dormancy in non-dormant plant seeds for which gibberellin synthesis is necessary for germination, comprising the steps of
- (a) soaking said seeds in a solution of gibberellin synthesis inhibitor of concentration such and at a temperature such and for a time such as to induce dormancy therein, said gibberellin synthesis inhibitor being selected from the group consisting of tetcyclacis and paclobutrazol,
- (b) washing to remove the gibberellin synthesis inhibitor from the seeds, and
- (c) drying the seeds to their weight prior to soaking in step (a).
The method of claim 22 wherein the plant seeds are selected from the group consisting of lettuce, tomato, pepper, carrot, onion, impatients and primrose seeds, and wherein the conditions of inducing dormancy include a temperature ranging from about 25.degree. C. to 35.degree. C. and a time of soaking in solution of gibberellin synthesis inhibitor of at least about 24 hours.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.