Desmanthus illinoensis
Propagation
Germination
| media | germination | temperature °C | note | reference |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| two-layer filter paper | 78-100% | 11/23; 20/30; 32 | germination | [1] |
| two-layer filter paper | 4-48%/60-89% | RT | germination; storage | [2] |
Scarification is necessary for good germination of illinoensis. Without scarification, seed germination is 5-8%.[1] However, some accessions have much higher unscarified germination rates (43-48%). These seeds do still benefit from scarification.[2] The differences might be explained by the age of the seeds at harvest time and/or post-harvest seed coat changes.[3][4]
Scarification can be achieved by mechanical means[1][2][3][4], by fire/heat exposure[3][1], and chemical methods[3][4].
Both artificial and natural stratification do not affect the germination rate, though multi-year cycles have not been studied.[1][3]
A razor blade can be used to cut off “a small piece of the chalazal end” of the seed.[2]
Soaking seeds in concentrated sulfuric acid for 10 minutes results in 93% germination which is significantly higher than 1 minute (12%). This was not significantly different than soaking for 30 minutes (79%).[3]
The addition of potassium nitrate does not enhance the germination of unscarified seeds.[3]
In a broad comparison of mechanical, chemical, and heat seed scarification methods, mechanical performed the best in terms of final germination percentage.[3]
The use of rotary drum scarifiers for large-scale production is feasible, but the seeds should be monitored for excessive damage to the seed coat.[5] Seeds of the Marc, Bayamo, and Uman cultivars of “Desmanthus” (D. virgatus, D. leptopyllus, and D. pubescens) can be similarly treated en masse by immersion in boiling water for 5 seconds followed promptly by cold water before drying and storage.[6]
The response of illinoensis seeds to temperature-based scarification is likely adaptive to prairie fires.[1][3]
If mold is present, illinoensis seeds can be surface disinfected by steeping in 0.6% sodium hypochlorite plus 15 drops of detergent containing triclosan per liter for five minutes then rinsed in running water for five minutes.[1]
Vegetative
In-Vitro
| basal media | supplements | source | target | note | reference |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Cultivation
| Planting density (m-2) | inter-row space (cm) | intra-row space (cm) | note | reference |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Harvest
Illinoensis seeds can be stored long-term at 4°C. It is recommended that seeds be used within two months if stored at room temperature to maintain research rigor[1]. Germination after 31 years of storage in an unprotected drawer remains high (60-89%) so the recommendation is probably excessively restrictive.[2] Similar results were noted for seeds stored at 16°C and 40% RH.[4]
Yield
| product | source | yield per season (kg/ha) | note | reference |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| product | source | yield per plant | note | reference |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| dry biomass | leaf | 0.8-1.1 g | fertilization | [7] |
| dry biomass | stem | 0.4-0.7 g | fertilization | [7] |
| wet biomass | root | 5.2-8.0 g | fertilization | [7] |
In a Rhizobium inoculation trial, illinoensis plants achieved a root fresh-weight yield of 5.6-8.0 g per plant growing in 300 ml pots after 12 weeks in greenhouse conditions. The plants grew to an average height of 45-52 cm. Root dry weight was not given. Importantly, plants received nitrogen and phophorus free nutrients throughout the duration of the study.[7] If we assume a planting density of 25 per square meter (20 cm × 20 cm planting), that equates to a time-space yield of 20-30 g/m2/day fresh roots. Given conservative estimates of the drying ratio (0.5) and root bark proportion (0.5), that’s about 6 grams dry root bark per square meter per day.
Soilless
Soil
| soil type | pH | C-content % | precipitation | temperature (°C) | altitude (m) | note | reference |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Fertilization
| type | rate | time | note | reference |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Temperature
Lighting
| fixture type | photoperiod | illumination | note | reference |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Pests
Illinoensis seed heads are susceptible to infestation by Bruchidae family beetles. Anomoea laticlavia and A. flavokansiensis beetles feed on the young vegetation and flowering parts, limiting the seed set of the plants.[8][9]
Ecology
Illinoensis are nodulated by Rhozobium bacteria.[8]
Morphology
| character | measurement | unit | notes | reference |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| dry seed moisture content | 5.9-6.8 | % | germination | [1] |
Roots
Stem
Leaves
Inflorescence
Seeds
Phytochemistry
| compound | source | concentration (mg/g dry weight) | note | reference |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| N,N-Dimethyltryptamine | root | 0.1 | phytochemistry | [10] |
| N,N-Dimethyltryptamine | root bark | 3.4 | phytochemistry | [10] |
| N-Methyltryptamine | root | 0.016 | phytochemistry | [10] |
| N-Methyltryptamine | root bark | 0.11 | phytochemistry | [10] |
| gramine | root bark | low | phytochemistry | [10] |
Infraspecific Variation
Biosynthesis
Distribution
Timecourse
Improvement
| trait | improvement status | reference |
|---|---|---|
Identification
| variety | description | reference |
|---|---|---|
Inheritance
Methods
| type | note | reference |
|---|---|---|
History & Society
Work Log
02 Sep 2023
Germination seems to have slowed in the treatment trials. A couple of groups have succumbed to what appears to be damp off. Others have a fungal infection.
I also gave a subjective count of the number of what appears to be viable seeds for transplant: The seedlings with true leaves forming without contamination or obvious defects.
| accession | group | germination | infected | transplantable | count |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1 | 9 | 4 | 2 | 25 |
| 1 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 25 |
| 2 | 1 | 18 | all | 0 | 25 |
| 2 | 2 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 25 |
| 3 | 1a | 14 | 3 | 4 | 25 |
| 3 | 6 | 12 | 4 | 8 | 25 |
| 3 | 7 | 9 | 4 | 6 | 25 |
| 3 | 8 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 25 |
| 4 | 1 | 18 | 7 | 13 | 25 |
| 4 | 2 | 6 | 1 | 5 | 25 |
Accession 4 seems to have done the best out of all control group. For seed cleaning operations, accession 4 was briefly pulsed in a blender to remove the seeds from the hulls. I suspect this abrasion was the cause of the high no-pretreatment germination but also the cause of some of the noticable damage to the cotyledons of those seedlings.
Given the complete loss of the group with the highest germination (2-1), I think it would be wise to disinfect the seeds prior to any further tests.
27 Aug 2023
Moved 3-1(b-g) seed group into individual vials and placed in refrigerator.
24 Aug 2023
Seed treatments:
- boiling water for 5 seconds
- sulfuric acid for 10 minutes
- manual scarification with sandpaper
- control
- boiling water for 5 seconds then drying and storage
- germination in germ chamber (30°C) or tent (20-24°C)
Groups of 25 seeds each. Accession 3 will be subjected to multiple storage and pretreatment conditions. All others will be tested with boiling water and no pretreatment only. Twenty-one treatment groups of 525 seeds total. All seeds stored in 0.5ml brown centrifuge tubes.
Hypothesis: Boiling as a pretreatment before drying, storage, and sale is safe and effective though not at effective as manual scarification. Boiling before storage has a miniscule effect on the germination of seeds stored at 4°C but a minor effect with storage at room temperature. Storage followed by boiling is equally effective compared to the reverse order.
| accession | group | treatment | count |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3 | 1 | boiling water (8 groups) | 200 |
| 3 | 1a | none (boiling control) | 25 |
| 3 | 1b | dry; RT storage 6 mon | 25 |
| 3 | 1c | dry; RT storage 12 mon | 25 |
| 3 | 1d | dry; 4°C storage 6 mon | 25 |
| 3 | 1e | dry; 4°C storage 12 mon | 25 |
| 3 | 1f | dry; 4°C storage 18 mon | 25 |
| 3 | 1g | dry; 4°C storage 24 mon | 25 |
| 3 | 1h | none (RT germination) | 25 |
| 3 | 2 | 4°C storage 6 mon; boil | 25 |
| 3 | 3 | 4°C storage 12 mon; boil | 25 |
| 3 | 4 | 4°C storage 18 mon; boil | 25 |
| 3 | 5 | 4°C storage 24 mon; boil | 25 |
| 3 | 6 | sulfuric acid | 25 |
| 3 | 7 | manual scarification | 25 |
| 3 | 8 | none (control) | 25 |
| 1 | 1 | boiling water | 25 |
| 2 | 1 | boiling water | 25 |
| 4 | 1 | boiling water | 25 |
| 1 | 2 | none (control) | 25 |
| 2 | 2 | none (control) | 25 |
| 4 | 2 | none (control) | 25 |
| all | total | 21 | 525 |
- germinate 25 seeds each from accessions 1, 2, 3, 4 in germinator
- Immerse 200 seeds from accession 3 for 5 seconds in boiling water
- Immediately cool in RT water
- germinate one batch (1a) immediately in germinator (30°C)
- germinate one batch (1h) immediately in tent (RT)
- Dry rest (6 groups) with unheated airflow for > 3 days
- Separate into 25 seed batches
- Store according to group number (RT or refrigerator)
- Immerse 25 seeds from accession 3 in concentrated sulfuric acid for 10 min
- Rinse profusely with water for 5 min
- Germinate immediately in germinator
- Manually scarify 25 seeds from accession 3
- Germinate immediately in germinator
Storage times: 182 days, 365 days
If I feel like it, I might replicate 3x which would be more statistically rigorous.
The remainder of the cleaned seeds will be stored in the refrigerator, so they can be used for storage studies as well.
06 Aug 2023
Collected 4 accessions of illinoensis from around my city. GPS-tagged photos were taken at each location. Seeds were harvested from a single plant for each accession. Sample leaf was taken from each plant.
Seeds were put into a dehydrator without heat.