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Butenolide from plant-derived smoke enhances germination and seedling growth of arable weed species

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Abstract

We tested the applicability of the recently identified major germination cue from smoke (a butenolide 3-methyl-2Hfuro[2,3-c]pyran-2-one) on 18 weed species from non-fire prone environments. For the study species we compared the relative effectiveness of alternating temperatures, KNO3, GA3, smoke water and the butenolide on germination percentage, germination rate and seedling mass. We found that while smoke stimulated germination in a number of species it also had negative impacts on other species. In addition, the butenolide was effective on the widest range of species in terms of enhancing germination percentage, rate and seedling mass. However, none of the treatments, including butenolide were effective on all species. Our data demonstrate that butenolide may have wide applicability as a germination and seedling growth stimulant irrespective of whether the species come from fire-prone habitats.

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Acknowledgements

Financial support to M.I. Daws and J. Davies was provided by the Millennium Commission, The Wellcome Trust and Orange plc. The Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew receives grant-aided support from Defra, UK. J. Van Staden was supported by the National Research Foundation, South Africa.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Seed Conservation Department, Royal Botanic Gardens Kew, Wakehurst Place, Ardingly, West Sussex , RH17 6TN, UK

    Matthew I. Daws, Jennifer Davies & Hugh W. Pritchard

  2. Horticultural Research, Kirstenbosch Research Centre, South African National Biodiversity Institute, Cape Town, Western Cape, 7735, South Africa

    Neville A. C. Brown

  3. Research Centre for Plant Growth and Development, School of Biological and Conservation Sciences, University of Kwazulu-Natal, Private Bag X01, Scottsville, 3209, South Africa

    Johannes Van Staden

Authors
  1. Matthew I. Daws
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  2. Jennifer Davies
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  3. Hugh W. Pritchard
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  4. Neville A. C. Brown
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  5. Johannes Van Staden
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Correspondence to Matthew I. Daws.

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Daws, M.I., Davies, J., Pritchard, H.W. et al. Butenolide from plant-derived smoke enhances germination and seedling growth of arable weed species. Plant Growth Regul 51, 73–82 (2007). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10725-006-9149-8

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10725-006-9149-8

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