Pascopyrum (smithii)
|
Andrea Kramer Conservation Scientist Chicago Botanic Garden - Research 1000 Lake Cook Road Glencoe, Illinois 60022 847-835-6971 akramer@chicagobotanic.org http://www.chicagobotanic.org |
|
| Family Scientific Name: | Poaceae | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Scientific Name: | Pascopyrum smithii | ||
| Common Name: | western wheatgrass | ||
| Ecotype: | Arriba cultivar | ||
| Propagation Goal: | Seeds | ||
| Propagation Method: | Seed | ||
| ProductType: | Propagules (seeds, cutings, poles, etc.) | ||
| Pre-Planting Treatments: |
APPROACH: This project aimed to determine optimal germination conditions for species currently used in restoration in the Colorado Plateau, as well as other priority forb species that may be beneficial to include in future restoration efforts. For this study, seeds were plated on 1.5% agar in petri dishes (4 replicates of 25 seeds per treatment) and incubated in growth chambers at Chicago Botanic Garden using six temperature treatments intended to represent different seed sowing times and locations in the Colorado Plateau (treatments are shown as day/night temperatures respectively, using a 12h/12h light/dark cycle): TREATMENTS: 1) early-spring (4 weeks at 52°F/34°F) 2) winter (12 weeks at 34°F) and early-spring (4 weeks at 52°F/34°F) 3) mid-spring (4 weeks at 59°F/41°F) 4) winter (12 weeks at 34°F) and mid-spring (4 weeks 59°F/41°F) 5) late-spring (4 weeks at 68°F/50°F) 6) winter (12 weeks at 34°F) and late-spring (4 weeks 68°F/50°F) |
||
| Establishment Phase: | RESULTS: Viable seeds from this cultivar (Arriba) germinated to 75% in all three treatments that imposed 12 weeks of winter conditions (treatments 2, 4, 6). Two treatments without winter conditions (treatments 3 & 5) had very little to no germination (less than 20%), but the early-spring treatment without winter (treatment 1) had nearly the same response as those with 12 weeks of winter. This suggests that seeding during late winter can provide sufficient dormancy breaking to allow seeds to germinate. Additional research is needed to confirm the specific minimum temperature conditions needed to break dormancy and allow germination, and to determine how representative these results are of the whole species. The figure at http://tinyurl.com/CBGSeedGerminationPASM shows the average percent germination and standard deviation of viable seeds for each treatment. | ||
Citation:
Kramer, Andrea T; Foxx, Alicia. 2016. Propagation protocol for production of Propagules (seeds, cutings, poles, etc.) Pascopyrum smithii Seeds Chicago Botanic Garden - Research Glencoe, Illinois. In: Native Plant Network. URL: https://NativePlantNetwork.org (accessed 2025/04/21). US Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, National Center for Reforestation, Nurseries, and Genetic Resources.
