Journal of Food, Agriculture and Environment

Phenotypic plasticity of hypocotyl is an emergence strategy for species with different seed size in response to light and burial depth

Author(s):

Wei Zheng, Hong Xiang Zhang, Wisdom Japhet, Daowei Zhou ^*

Recieved Date: 2011-07-17, Accepted Date: 2011-09-30

Abstract:

Since seedling emergence is important to survival and establishment, environment factors are often responsible for seedling emergence. Hypocotyl elongation plays a major role for emergence, thus growth of it in response to light change and burial depth becomes a strategy that may ensure seedling development. Seeds of Xanthium strumarium, Abutilon theophrasti and Pharbitis purpurea were sown in pots at 2, 4 and 6 cm depths and grown under shades giving 30, 60 and 100% light transmission treatments. In the treatments, the percent emergence was significantly affected by burial depth but not by light transmission, it was highest at 2 cm burial depth, but decreased with increasing burial depth. There was a significant positive correlation between the number of days to first emergence and burial depth. Light and burial depth negatively influenced the extension of hypocotyl aboveground and seedling height, maximum elongation growth occurred in the 30% light transmission treatment and at 2 cm depth, and decreased with increasing burial depth and decreasing light transmission treatment, but the length and weight of hypocotyl belowground and root were only significantly affected by burial depth, not by light transmission. In each light transmission treatment, with increasing burial depth, both aboveground mass and belowground mass decreased, while belowground mass of hypocotyl increased. In each burial depth, with decreasing light transmission, both aboveground mass and belowground mass decreased, while belowground mass of hypocotyl decreased.

Keywords:

Strategy, seed size, hypocotyl, burial depth, light, phenotypic plasticity

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Journal: Journal of Food, Agriculture and Environment
Year: 2011
Volume: 9
Issue: 3&4
Category: Environment
Pages: 742-747

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