Further evidence from the effect of fungi on breaking Opuntia seed dormancy

• Published in: Plant signaling & behavior Vol. 5; no. 10; pp. 1229 - 1230
• Main Authors: Delgado-Sánchez, Pablo, Ortega-Amaro, María Azucena, Rodríguez-Hernández, Aída Araceli, Jiménez-Bremont, Juan Francisco, Flores, Joel
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States Taylor & Francis 01.10.2010; Landes Bioscience
• Subjects: Addendum; Binding; Biology; Bioscience; Calcium; Cancer; Cell; Cycle; fungi; Fungi - physiology; Landes; Opuntia - growth & development; Opuntia - microbiology; Opuntia - physiology; Opuntia leucotricha; Organogenesis; Penicillium chrysogenum; Phoma; Plant Dormancy - physiology; Proteins; seed dormancy; seed germination; seeds; Seeds - growth & development; Seeds - microbiology; Species Specificity; Trichoderma harzianum; Trichoderma koningii; Mexico; Chihuahuan Desert
• ISSN: 1559-2324; 1559-2316; 1559-2324
• DOI: 10.4161/psb.5.10.12835

Recently, we found that fungi are involved in breaking seed dormancy of Opuntia streptacantha, and that the effect of fungi on seeds is species-specific. However, the effect of fungi on seed germination from other Opuntia spp has not been evaluated. Thus, we evaluated the effect of four fungal species (Penicillium chrysogenum, Phoma sp., Trichoderma harzianum, Trichoderma koningii) on the germination of Opuntia leucotricha, an abundant species in the Chihuahuan Desert, Mexico. We found that seeds inoculated with the four fungal species had higher germination than control seeds. Trichoderma spp. were the most effective. Our results strongly indicate that fungi are involved in breaking seed dormancy of O. leucotricha. Thus, we suggest that these fungi could promote seed germination from other Opuntia species.