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Germinating tuberous drosera seeds -with ethylene?

JanW

drosera guy
Hi,

I got some seeds of nice tuberous Drosera species. As most species have the attitude of being hard to germinate, I read about some tricks. Once I tried GA3 with no great success, so I wanted to use a heat or fire treatment this time.

Then I read on a orchid webpage ( http://www.myorchids.de/thelymitra1.htm ) that some growers get the plant to flower by bringing the tubers in contact with fresh fruit like bananas. The fruit releases ethylen and the tubers get the idea of a bush fire, as ethylene will be realeased in bush fires, too. After the dormant season they bloom to produce seed and then colonize the burnt area.

During my investigations I got to know that apples release a lot more ethylene than bananas or tomatos, so I put the pots with the seeds (sown on a peat/sand mix) in a big bag and added three apples (I got only Granny Smith, I do not know if the other cultivars release more or less ethylene). Now the pots are in the bag for the third day, tomorrow I will put them back in a tray and begin to hope.

I've got no clue if this will perhaps stimulate germination. As the seeds are from Phill Mann, I assume them to be rather fresh. The last fresh tuberous Drosera seeds I tried with and without GA3 germinated all well. There was no difference to see, so I assume that only very old seeds which won't germinate without such treatment profit from that plant hormone.

If my apple method won't work, I will try a fire resistant pot in a barbecue grill. First burn some leaves and other plant litter than close the barbecue to collect the smoke. After the heat sinks to a lower level, put in the pot and let the cover closed. The chemicals from the smoke will get into the soil and the seeds and perhaps stimulate germination. There are nearly indefinetely chemicals released in a bush fire and many research groups try to specify the important ones. A provisorical solution for this problem is a so-called 'smoke disc'. The disc has been treated with smoke or smoke water from burning material and releases those chemicals when put in water form some hours. After that you can put the seeds in the water before sowing them and/or use it to water your pots from above.

If anyone has additions or questions, please post here. I will publish my germination results, here too. If the method will succeed I start a double blind test later.

Jan
 
Hi, I haven't really read allot about this but for some reason I thought that the ethylene was released by a fruit which is becoming mature. The apples you used were young ones that have not yet became mature? Or mature fruit which was bought from the store ready to eat?
Thanks,
Andrew
 
I used near to mature apples, even the adult ones release a lot ethylene. Because of that you shouldn't put apples to your other fruits as all will be affected by the ethylene.

Jan
 
This will make a fine experiment. Ethelyene is certainly associated with many processes involved with growth and flowering, so perhaps this trigger will work with seed as well. I also have read about hydrogen peroxide treatment of seed to enhance germination. Like you, I found GA3 to be ineffective with this seed.

I suggest that you allow a little heat as well if you use the barbeque method. Possibly laying some straw on the surface and lighting this, aiming for a "flash burn" Bush fires burn hot and quickly.

Keep us posted to the results of your experiments!
 
Hi William!

[b said:
Quote[/b] ] also have read about hydrogen peroxide treatment of seed to enhance germination.
Although this is a chemical I believe it has a more mechanical effect. It is well-known that many seeds with a hard coat profit from breaking it free with mechanical methods or in this case H2O2. It helps the water to get inside and start the biochemical signal cascade for germination. Later in the hot phase of germination the embryo can also get outside easier if the hard coat is damaged.

[b said:
Quote[/b] ]Like you, I found GA3 to be ineffective with this seed.
At least ineffective if the seeds are fresh...if I ordered them from another well known and much anticipated Australian dealer I would try GA3 because the seeds would be ages old!

[b said:
Quote[/b] ] Possibly laying some straw on the surface and lighting this, aiming for a "flash burn"  Bush fires burn hot and quickly.
I know some people who tried this and had immense trouble with moss growth afterwards. So if I will try that I have to watch the pots daily to remove any weed.

[b said:
Quote[/b] ] Keep us posted to the results of your experiments!
Of course! If I get good germination rates, at least one new and more scientific experiment will follow.

Good growing to you all,
Jan
 
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