Effects of preconditioning and temperature during germination of 73 natural accessions of Arabidopsis thaliana.
OBJECTIVE
Germination and establishment of seeds are complex traits affected by a wide range of internal and external influences. The effects of parental temperature preconditioning and temperature during germination on germination and establishment of Arabidopsis thaliana were examined.


METHODS
Seeds from parental plants grown at 14 and at 22 degrees C were screened for germination (protrusion of radicle) and establishment (greening of cotyledons) at three different temperatures (10, 18 and 26 degrees C). Seventy-three accessions from across the entire distribution range of A. thaliana were included.


RESULTS
Multifactorial analyses of variances revealed significant differences in the effects of genotypes, preconditioning, temperature treatment, and their interactions on duration of germination and establishment. Reaction norms showed an enormous range of plasticity among the preconditioning and different germination temperatures. Correlations of percentage total germination and establishment after 38 d with the geographical origin of accessions were only significant for 14 degrees C preconditioning but not for 22 degrees C preconditioning. Correlations with temperature and precipitation on the origin of the accessions were mainly found at the lower germination temperatures (10 and 18 degrees C) and were absent at higher germination temperatures (26 degrees C).


CONCLUSIONS
Overall, the data show huge variation of germination and establishment among natural accessions of A. thaliana and might serve as a valuable source for further germination and plasticity studies.
Schmuths
Heike
H
Institut für Pflanzengenetik und Kulturpflanzenforschung Gatersleben (IPK), Corrensstrasse 3, 06466 Gatersleben, Germany. heike.schmuths@nottingham.ac.uk
Bachmann
Konrad
K
Weber
W Eberhard
WE
Horres
Ralf
R
Hoffmann
Matthias H
MH
D000222:Adaptation, Physiological; D017360:Arabidopsis / Q000254:growth & development / Q000502:physiology*; D002980:Climate; D014644:Genetic Variation; D005843:Geography; D018525:Germination / Q000502:physiology*; D012639:Seeds; D013696:Temperature; D013997:Time Factors