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RESEARCH ARTICLE (Open Access)

Impact of water stress during reproductive development on seed dormancy in Bromus diandrus Roth and Lolium rigidum Gaudin

Zarka Ramiz https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2837-8622 A * , Jenna Malone A , Christopher Preston https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7588-124X A and Gurjeet Gill A
+ Author Affiliations
- Author Affiliations

A School of Agriculture, Food and Wine, The University of Adelaide, PMB1, Glen Osmond, SA 5064, Australia.

* Correspondence to: zarka7190@gmail.com

Handling Editor: Tina Acuna

Crop & Pasture Science 75, CP22205 https://doi.org/10.1071/CP22205
Submitted: 9 June 2022  Accepted: 3 November 2023  Published: 25 November 2023

© 2024 The Author(s) (or their employer(s)). Published by CSIRO Publishing. This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License (CC BY-NC-ND)

Abstract

Context

Bromus diandrus Roth and Lolium rigidum Gaudin are important weeds of cereal-based cropping systems of Australian agriculture. Adaptation to environmental stresses, protracted seed germination and herbicide resistance have made these weeds serious threats to crop production.

Aims

Studies were undertaken to determine the impact of moisture stress during reproductive development on the extent of seed dormancy and the expression of genes involved with gibberellic acid and abscisic acid synthesis.

Methodology

A pot study was undertaken at two locations, with two populations each of B. diandrus and L. rigidum. Water stress was applied from either the GS31 or GS60 stage until seed maturation, along with a well-watered treatment. Seeds of stressed vs well-watered treatments were assessed for seed dormancy and the expression of ABA1 and GA20ox genes using quantitative polymerase chain reaction.

Results

The seeds from GS31 treatment, where plants experienced the longest water stress, were most dormant in both weed species. Water stress treatments altered the expression of the GA20ox gene, which was correlated with the level of dormancy in seeds of B. diandrus and L. rigidum.

Conclusions

This investigation has provided clear evidence of the impact of water stress on seed dormancy and on expression of genes involved in regulating seed dormancy in these weed species.

Implications

As spring rainfall in the Australian agricultural landscape is highly variable, weeds are likely to experience variable levels of water stress during reproductive development, which in turn is likely to influence seed dormancy, weed seedling emergence and effectiveness of pre-sowing weed management next season.

Keywords: ABA1, Annual Ryegrass, crop–weed competition, dormancy, GA20ox, genetic variation, Great Brome, seed germination, water stress.

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