PRESENTED BY:

AKANKSHA SHARMA
PRESENTED BY:-
B.Sc. SEMESTER-6
Akanksha Sharma
DEPARTMENT
DepartmentOF BOTANY
Of Botany,
CU ROLL-
B.Sc.203223-11-0021
Semester-6,
CU REG-Cu 223-1211-0281-20
Roll- 203223-11-0021
Cu Reg- 223-1211-0281-20
Scottish Church College,
1&3 Urquhart Square, Kolkata- 700006
SEED
DORMANCY
TYPES,CAUSES AND METHODS OF
BREAKING SEED DORMANCY
TABLE OF CONTENTS

01 DEFINITION 03 CAUSES OF SEED

DORMANCY

METHODS FOR
TYPES OF SEED
02 DORMANCY
04 REMOVING THE
SEED DORMANCY
SEED DORMANCY!
● Seed dormancy is an innate seed property that defines the
environmental conditions in which the seed is able to
germinate. ( William E. Finch-Savage et al., 23 February
2006)

● It is determined by genetics with a substantial

environmental influence which is mediated, at least in part,
by the plant hormones abscisic acid (ABA) and gibberellins. Fresh seeds of Magnolia

● In such cases, the completely dry ripe seed is physiologically

inactive and said to be in the resting stage.

● The seed is called dormant and the phenomenon is called

dormancy.
WHAT IS SEED?
A seed is a ripe and
fertilized ovule that
encloses an embryo.
Sunflower seeds
TYPES OF DORMANCY

01 PRIMARY DORMANCY

• Newly dispersed, mature seeds that fail to germinate under normal conditions.

• Induced by ABA during seed maturation.

02 SECONDARY DORMANCY

• Once primary dormancy has been lost, non-dormant seeds under unfavourable
conditions may acquire secondary dormancy.
FACTORS RESPONSIBLE
FOR SEED DORMANCY:

It may be caused due to individual or

combined effects. It includes:-

 Dormancy due to hard seed coat

 Dormancy due to condition of embryo
 Dormancy due to absence of light
 Dormancy due to low temperature
DORMANCY DUE TO HARD SEED COAT:-
• Dormancy imposed by endosperm, seed coat or surrounding tissues,
germinate readily in presence of water and oxygen. Once the seed coat is
removed.

• Hard seed coat prevents germination due to:-

a) Water impermeability: Seed coats of many plants belonging to families

Leguminosae, Chenopodiaceae, Malvaceae have every hard seed coats so, it
is not permeable to entry of water in seed.
b) Gas impermeability: The seed coat of certain seeds are impermeable to Cenarrhenes nitida (Proteaceae)
gases such as O2 and CO2 .Since oxygen is required for early respiratory
activity in germinating seeds, the seeds fail to prolong germination. e.g.,
Xanthium
c) Mechanical resistance: In certain wild plants the such hard and tough
seed coat physically prevents the expansion of the embryo. Thus they
remain dormant. E.g., Alisma, Amaranthus, Capsella, etc.
DORMANCY DUE TO CONDITION OF EMBRYO:-

Already inherent in embryo and is not due to the influence of seed

coat or other surrounding tissues.
Commonest type of dormancy.
It is believed to result from the presence of growth inhibitors
especially ABA, and also from the absence of growth promoters
such as GA.
The two types based on embryos conditions are:-
a) Rudimentary and poorly developed embryo
b) Embryo fully developed but unable to resume growth
1. RUDIMENTARY AND POORLY DEVELOPED EMBRYOS

● The embryos are still immature and

rudimentary when the seeds are
dispersed.
● This is seen in many species like
Anemone nemorosa, Ginkgo biloba,
members of Orchidaceae, etc. Seeds of Ginkgo biloba

● In such seeds the embryos does not

develop as rapidly as surrounding
tissues.
2. EMBRYOS FULLY DEVELOPED BUT UNABLE TO RESUME GROWTH

● Although the embryos are

completely developed in ripe seeds
but the seeds fail to germinate even
when the environmental conditions
for germination are favourable.
● This is seen in seeds of apple, pear, Seeds of Tulipa
tulips, poplar, pines, etc.
DORMANCY DUE TO ABSENCE OF LIGHT

• There are two types of seeds for light sensitivity:-

POSITIVE PHOTOBLASTIC: NEGATIVE PHOTOBLASTIC

• Seeds that are stimulated to germinate by • Seeds whose germination is inhibited by
light. light.
• E.g., Lettuce, Petroselinum crispum,etc. • E.g., Onion, Lily, Amaranthus, Nigella,
etc.

Seed pods of Adonis vernalis, a plant Seeds of Mirabilis jalapa, a plant with
with positive photoblastic seeds negative photoblastic seeds
 DORMANCY DUE TO ABSENCE OF
LOW TEMPERATURE

Low temperature is required by

some plants, so in such plants
dormancy is due to absence of
low temperature.

Seed pods of Rhododendron

METHODS TO OVERCOME SEED DORMANCY

1. Scarification
2. Impaction
3. Stratification
4.Alternating the temperature
5. Pressure
6.Growth Regulators
 1 SCARIFICATION

• The method is used for breaking of seeds

caused by hard seed coats which become
impermeable to water and gases, etc. The
method employed in softening or weakening
the seed coat is called Scarification.
• Under natural conditions in the soil,
microorganisms such as fungi, and bacteria,
act upon the seed coat and decompose it.
• When mechanical breaking of seed coat is
done at one or more places, it is called
mechanical scarification.
 2 IMPACTION

• In some seeds water and oxygen are unable to penetrate, because

their entry is blocked by a cork like filing in the small opening in the
seed coat.

• These seeds are shaken vigorously to remove the plug. This treatment
is called impaction.

• E.g., Crotolaria, Trigonella, etc.

 STRATIFICATION
3
• Some seeds e.g., those of peach, apples,
plum, cherry, etc. germinate only when
they are exposed to well aerated moist
conditions under low temperature for
weeks or months. Such a treatment is
called Stratification.
• It is believed that the embryos of those
seeds which require stratification are
immature in the sense that some chemical
changes must take place to initiate seed
germination.

Stratification of Seeds at University of Florida

 4 Alternating the temperature

• Germination of seeds is strongly promoted by

alternating the temperature.

• This is not directly related to the cold

requirements for germination, though it is
useful in those seeds in which dormancy is due
to immature embryos.

• The difference between the alternating

temperatures should not be more than 10-20
degree C. Seed storage cabinets
 5 PRESSURE

• Davies (1928) reported the seed germination in certain

plants like sweet clover (Melilotus alba) and alfalfa
(Medicago sativa) can be greatly improved after being
subjected to hydraulic pressure of about 2000 atm. at 18
degree C, for about 5-20 minutes.

• It is strongly believed that the pressure increases the

permeability of the seed coats to water.
 6 GROWTH REGULATORS

• Kinetins and gibberellins have been

used to induce germination in
positively photoblastic seeds like
lettuce and tobacco.

• Counteracting the effect of growth

inhibitors by soaking the seeds in
potassium nitrate, ethylene GROWTH REGULATORS
chlorohydrin, thiourea, gibberellins.
 ADVANTAGES OF SEED
DORMANCY
1.Adaptation to ensure
that seed germination 3.Enables storage of
occurs only under cereals, millets, pulses,
favourable conditions. etc to be used later for
food

2.Enables embryo to
tide over the 4. Maximizes the
unfavourable condition. survival of seedlings by
preventing seed
germination under
Seeds of Lily unfavourable condition.
 REFERENCES
1. Fundamentals Of Plant Physiology - A book by V.K. Jain (20th Edition)

2. Plant Physiology - Book by Eduardo Zeiger and Lincoln Taiz

3. Changes in endogenous abscisic acid levels during dormancy release and maintena
mature seeds. Planta 219: 479–488.

4. Allen PS. 2003. When and how many? Hydrothermal models and the prediction of s
germination. New Phytologist 158: 1– 9.
THANK
YOU