Characterization of the germination and emergence response to temperature and soil moisture of Avena fatua and A. sterilis

Summary: Seeds of Avena fatua L. and )A. sterilis L. were germinated under a wide range of temperatures (5–30°C) and osmotic potentials (−25 to −1400 KPa) in order to characterize their responses to these two environmental factors. Although both species behaved similarly at moderate temperatures, different responses were observed at the two extremes. )A. sterilis germinated and emerged in a higher proportion than A. fatua at temperatures below 10°C but the opposite was true at temperatures above 20°C. Although the rates of these two processes were similar in both species up to 18°C, above this temperature the germination and emergence of )A. sterilis was considerably delayed in comparison with that of A. fatua. The effect of decreasing osmotic potentials in reducing the germination was more pronounced in A. sterilis than in A. fatua. However, no differences were observed in the emergence responses of either species. The adaptative advantages of these characteristics and their relationship with the geographic distribution of the two species is discussed.