Stimulating Germination of Dormant Wild Oat(Avena fatua)Seed with Sodium Azide

A 6-h imbibition in sodium azide solution stimulated nearly 100% germination of dormant wild oat(Avena fatuaL.) seeds in petri dishes. Sodium azide stimulated germination in soil in both field and growth chamber experiments. Disc-incorporated sodium azide in soil at 11.2 kg/ha caused a 4-fold increase in wild oat emergence as 50% of the wild oat seeds in a natural infestation germinated compared to 12% in control plots. Wild oat seed germinated from greater soil depths following sodium azide application. Sodium azide appears to need a deep, thorough soil incorporation and adequate soil moisture for maximum stimulation of germination.