Effects of smoke and heat-shock on germination in eight perennial Reseda species (Resedaceae)

• Published in: Hacettepe Journal of Biology and Chemistry Vol. 49; no. 4; pp. 405 - 412
• Main Authors: ÇİLDEN, Emre, ERGAN, Gökhan, ÜLGEN, Cansu, YİLDİRİMLİ, Sinasi, TAVŞANOĞLU, Çağatay
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: 25.05.2021
• ISSN: 2687-475X
• DOI: 10.15671/hjbc.768365

Reseda is an understudied genus regarding germination ecology. We studied the germination response of eight perennial Reseda species to fire related cues by performing a germination experiment including two aqueous smoke treatments (at 1:5 and 1:20 concentrations), one heat shock (100 °C for 5 min.) treatment, and two corresponding controls. Smoke slightly decreased germination percentage in R. aucheri ssp. rotundifolia and R. minoica, and the reduction in R. luteola was statistically significant (P < 0.01). In contrary, smoke promoted germination in R. coodei, R. globulosa, and R. orientalis slightly, and markedly in R. anatolica (from 3 to 11%; P = 0.055). Heat shock treatment did not affect the germination in three of four species tested, but significantly increased germination percentage in R. luteola in comparison to the control (P = 0.046). Consequently, there was no consistent germination response to smoke or heat shock in Reseda species studied. This study is the most comprehensive study tested fire-related germination of several Reseda species and provides the first germination results on seven Reseda species. Further studies that include more species and treatments would show a more completed figure for fire-related germination patterns in the genus Reseda.