Canadian Forest Service Publications
Collecting and storing seeds of Arceuthobium americanum from Pinus banksiana. 2004. Brandt, J.P.; Hiratsuka, Y.; Pluth, D.J. Canadian Journal of Plant Pathology 26(3): 397-402.
Year: 2004
Issued by: Northern Forestry Centre
Catalog ID: 24956
Language: English
Availability: Order paper copy (free), PDF (request by e-mail)
Abstract
An effective technique for collecting and storing Arceuthobium americanum seeds from jack pine (Pinus banksiana) infected with lodgepole pine dwarf mistletoe is critical for year-round experiments on this pathosystem. The required technique should also be easy to scale up to collect many seeds efficiently at widely separated sites. While several dwarf mistletoes have been stored between 2 and 48 months, no one has reported the effectiveness of the techniques employed for storage of A. americanum seeds collected from jack pine. This study estimated the productivity of seed collection at widely separated sites, using stockinet as a collection material, determined efficacy of this material for collecting seeds, and evaluated germinative ability of seeds in storage for up to 24 months. Stockinet trapped more than 300 000 seeds during three seed-collection years at a maximum rate of 1160 seeds per person-hour of stockinet placement and recovery. Stockinet intercepted 62% of discharged seeds. Based on evaluations of germinative ability during three seed-collection years, germination peaked at 61%–74% between 210 and 300 d in storage and then declined slowly to 11%–30% at 24 months. Aseptic storage of seeds in the dark at 2 °C in sealed jars with an internal relative humidity of 75% was effective at storing more than 140 000 seeds without molding.