Alternating Temperatures Promote Seed Germination ofMiscanthus sinensis.

E.J. Christian and A. S. GoggiDepartment of Agronomy, Iowa State University, Ames, IA 50011

Introduction

Materials and MethodsResults

Conclusions

References

• Four varieties of Miscanthus sinensis• Twenty-five seeds of each variety (100 total) were planted in plastic boxes• Thirty-six temperature combinations (30 alternating temperatures and 6 constant

temperatures) were produced using a thermogradient table• Seeds were considered germinated when 1 mm of radicle had emerged• Final germination was recorded at 28-d after planting• The experiment was repeated three times • Temperature amplitude was calculated as Amp = Tempmax – Tempmin for the

treatment • The mean germination temperature was calculated as

WM = [(Temp16 × 16) + (Temp8 × 8)] × 24-1

• Alternating temperatures resulted in higher germination percentages than constant temperatures, with a mean of 51.4% compared to 40.9% for constant temperatures (Table 1).

• Seeds germinated at constant temperatures of 40°C and 10°C had the lowest germination percentage of 33.7% and 10.3%, respectively.

• Three of the highest five germination percentages were recorded in seeds exposed to alternating temperature where the higher temperature was maintained for 16 h and the lower for 8 h, which is the opposite of current standards in germination protocols.

• The five highest germination percentages were obtained for seeds germinated at a WM of 18 to 22°C and an Amp of 6 to 18°C.

• Alternating temperatures promoted germination• The highest germination was recorded at alternating temperatures of 22°C for 16

h and 16°C for 8 h

Aso, T. 1976. Studies on the germination of seeds of Miscanthus sinensis Anderss. Science reports of the Yokohama National University. Section II, Biological and geological sciences 23:27-37.

Clifton-Brown, J., Y.C. Chiang, and T.R. Hodkinson. 2008. Miscanthus: genetic resources and breeding potential to enhance bioenergy production. In W. Vermerris (ed.) Genetic improvement of bioenergy crops. Springer Verlag. pp. 273-294.

Acknowledgements

Table 1. Temperature range, mean germination temperature (WM), amplitude (Amp) and germination percentage of four Miscanthus sinensis varieties germinated in alternating temperature and constant temperature regimes. Only the five highest and lowest recorded germination percentages are shown. Germination percentage is the total germination after 28 d.

Temperature (°C)

Rank 16h 8h WM Amp Germination (%)

1 22 16 20 6 64.3 a†

2 22 10 18 12 60.3 ab

3 10 22 14 12 60.3 ab

4 16 22 18 6 57.7 abc

5 28 10 22 18 57.3 abcd

32 22 40 28 18 38.3 ijk

33 28 40 32 12 37.7 ijk

34 16 10 14 6 36.0 jk

35 40 40 40 0 33.7 k

36 10 10 10 0 10.3 lOverall mean 49.6

†Means with the same letter are not different according to Fisher's LSD test at the P≤ 0.05 level.

Renewed interest in cellulose-based production of biofuel has prompted the reevaluation of many candidate plant species. Plants of the genus Miscanthus have strong potential for use in biofuel production because of their favorable agronomic traits and abundant biomass production (Clifton-Brown et al., 2008). Miscanthus × giganteus J. M. Greef & Deuter ex Hodkinson & Renvoize has received special attention because it is a widely adapted sterile hybrid of Miscanthus capable of yielding large volumes of biomass. Miscanthus × giganteus is propagated by plant rhizomes or tissue culture and does not produce fertile flowers or seeds. However, Miscanthus sinensis is propagated by seeds which is a favorable trait for crop adoption and stand establishment. Previous studies of M. sinensis germination focused on wild collections (Aso, 1976). The domestication of M. sinensis through breeding for desirable traits may also lead to changes in germination temperature requirements.

Understanding the temperature requirements for germination of improved varieties of M. sinensis will allow the development of a standard germination protocol which is currently unavailable.

The objectives of this research were 1) to develop a protocol for determining seed germination of M. sinensis 2) to evaluate the effects of mean germination temperature and amplitude on germination.

Image of a mature Miscanthus sinensis seed. Each seed weighs approximately 0.0007 g.

The authors would like to thank Mendel BioEnergy Seeds for supplying seeds used in the research and Dr. Kenneth Moore for his statistical help. Financial support for the project was provided by the Association of Official Seed Analysts.

1 mm

Image of a thermogradient table showing the temperatures and direction of the gradients.

8h

16h

Constant temperatures