Factors affecting seed germination and seedling establishment of broom snakeweed

Title	Factors affecting seed germination and seedling establishment of broom snakeweed
Publication Type	Thesis
Year of Publication	1980
Authors	B. Jeffcoat L
Number of Pages	101
Date Published	1980
University	New Mexico State University
City	Las Cruces, New Mexico
Thesis Type	M.S. Thesispp
Call Number	00145
Keywords	dissertation, dissertations, plant, snakeweed, plant, Xanthocephalum, toxicity, seed, germination, seedling establishment, snakeweed, SEE Xanthocephalum, theses, thesis, toxicity, snakeweed, Xanthocephalum, Xanthocephalum, germination
Abstract	A study was conducted to test the effects of scarification, stratification, scorching, leaching and soaking treatments on broom snakeweed (Xanthocephalum sarothrae) germination. Broom snakeweed litter and aqueous extracts of this litter were applied to seeds of broom snakeweed and associated species under growth chamber and greenhouse conditions. Broom snakeweed germination responded best when no physical modification of the seeds occurred. Mean germination of water-soaked seeds was 55%. Scarification did not reduce germination, but all other physical treatments resulted in substantially lower germination. Results of broom snakeweed litter treatments were inconclusive, probably due to slow leaching of potential chemical inhibitors from the plant material. However, aqueous extracts of broom snakeweed litter reduced germination and shoot and root length of blue grama (Bouteloua gracilis) and sideoats grama (B. curtipendula), when applied at concentrations that represented natural litter fall from broom snakeweed canopy covers of 20% or greater. Allelopathy may be a factor whereby broom snakeweed reduces grass production and enhances its own life cycle.