Print PageMaternal growing environments affect the phenotypes of progeny plants. Within the context of the production of seed for large restoration projects, how do these maternal affects either help or hinder the success of these seeds? Using a common western restoration species, we asked how different seed production environments affect the phenotype of progeny plants. Using a common garden design in the maternal generation, we grew twenty genotypes of Poa secunda in three environments: Pullman WA, Bend OR, and Sidney MT. We collected seeds from these genotypes and conducted germination tests in growth chambers mimicking the April temperature conditions of each garden. Additionally, we planted seeds with and without competition in pots and grew them in growth chambers mimicking the April temperatures of each garden. We chose two competitors for this experiment: a non-native perennial grass (Agropyron cristatum, or, crested wheat) and a non-native annual grass (Bromus tectorum, or, cheatgrass).
Results/Conclusions
We found that total germination of Poa secunda was always highest in the growth chamber mimicking OR. However, early germination (germination at day 4) was higher in the maternal environment chamber for seeds collected from OR and MT. Although total growth did not differ among the chambers, early germination conferred an advantage to P. secunda plants by diminishing the size of their competitors. This indicates that for restoration projects, seeds produced at locations that are close to the restoration may have earlier germination and thus better competitive ability than seeds produced far away.
