Effect of Population, Collection Year, After-Ripening and Incubation Condition on Seed Germination of \u3cem\u3eStipa bungeana\u3c/em\u3e

Knowledge of the germination behavior of different populations of a species can be useful in the selection of appropriate seed sources for restoration. The aim of this study was to test the effect of seed population, collection year, after-ripening and incubation conditions on seed dormancy and germination of Stipa bungeana, a perennial grass used for revegetation of degraded grasslands on the Loess Plateau, China. Fresh S. bungeana seeds were collected from eight locally-adapted populations in 2015 and 2016. Dormancy and germination characteristics of fresh and 6-month-old dry-stored seeds were determined by incubating them over a range of alternating temperature regimes in light. Effect of water stress on germination was tested for fresh and 6-month-old dry-stored seeds. Seed dormancy and germination of S. bungeana differed with population and collection year. Six months of dry storage broke seed dormancy, broadened the temperature range for germination and increased among-population differences in germination percentage. The rank order of germination was not consistent in all germination tests, and it varied among populations. Thus, studies on comparing seed dormancy and germination among populations must consider year of collection, seed dormancy states and germination test conditions when selecting seeds for grassland restoration and management

Comparison of species-rich cover crop mixtures in the Tokaj wine region (Hungary)

Intensive agricultural practices of past decades— such as mechanical cultivation on steep vineyard slopes—can endanger soil fertility. In addition, climate change scenarios predict heavier rainstorms, which can further accelerate soil degradation. Therefore, the use of cover crops in the inter-row has a special importance, particularly on steep slopes and in organic agriculture. A species-rich cover crop mixture helps not only in preventing erosion and providing easier cultivation, but has also positive effects on soil structure, soil fertility and ecosystemfunctions (Bauer et al. 2004; Hofmann et al. 2008). We began to develop and test several species-rich cover crop mixtures in spring of 2012 in Hungarian vine regions. During the experiments, three species-rich cover crop mixtures (Biocont-Ecovin mixture, mixture of legumes, mixture of grasses and herbs) were compared in vineyards of the Tokaj vine region. Each mixture was sown in three subsequent inter-rows at each site of the experiment. In the control blocks, unsown inter-rows and mechanically cultivated inter-rows were located subsequently next to each other. We studied weed control, yield quantity and must quality in every treatment. We found that the cover of weeds was lower in every treatment compared to the unsown control plots for 2013; thus, cover crops suppressed the weeds of the inter-rows effectively. Most examined indices of grapevines were not significantly affected by the applied cover crops. However, the yield loss results show that under Hungarian climate, the soil coverage in every second inter-row is more recommendable than subsequent seeding, where total erosion control is not required. The interest of the vine growers shows the importance of the topic; thus, we involved other wine regions of Hungary in our further experiments