Water uptake by viable seeds initiates the metabolic processes which lead eventually to seedling emergence. There exists a discrepancy between germination percentage determined under laboratory conditions and the field performance of the same seed stock. Excluding pest damage, it seems that under field conditions the soil moisture in the surface layer is continuously depleted due to evaporation, causing the germinating seed to compete with the atmosphere evaporative demand for water, a competition which is more severe under dry-farming systems.
Part of the Ecological Studies book series (ECOLSTUD, volume 4)
Water uptake by viable seeds initiates the metabolic processes which lead eventually to seedling emergence. There exists a discrepancy between germination percentage determined under laboratory conditions and the field performance of the same seed stock. Excluding pest damage, it seems that under field conditions the soil moisture in the surface layer is continuously depleted due to evaporation, causing the germinating seed to compete with the atmosphere evaporative demand for water, a competition which is more severe under dry-farming systems.
Part of the Ecological Studies book series (ECOLSTUD, volume 4)