Understanding Seed Dormancy and Germination Requirements of Rare Plants

Restoration efforts are often challenged by a lack of knowledge regarding seed dormancy and germination requirements. These same factors can impede seed longevity monitoring in seed banks and other conservation initiatives for rare plants. Seed dormancy is defined as “the incapacity of a viable seed to germinate under favorable conditions.” 

Dormant seeds may not look different to the naked eye. Understanding how to break dormancy may require replicating the conditions seeds face in nature, implementing techniques that have been successful with closely related taxa, and possibly multiple trials.

In this video, we will learn about the five types, or classes, of seed dormancy: physical, physiological, morphological, combinational, and morphophysiological. Seeds in each class of dormancy have different traits and needs in order to germinate, as well as varying desiccation tolerance.