Review Blackwell Publishing Ltd Tansley review Seed dormancy and the control of germination Author for correspondence: William E. Finch-Savage1 and Gerhard Leubner-Metzger2 G. Leubner-Metzger 1Warwick HRI, Warwick University, Wellesbourne, Warwick CV35 9EF, UK; 2Institute for Biology II, Tel: +49 761 203 2936 Fax: +49 761 203 2612 Botany/Plant Physiology, Albert-Ludwigs-University Freiburg, D-79104 Freiburg i. Br., Germany Email:
[email protected] Received: 23 February 2006 Accepted: 8 April 2006 Contents Summary 501 IV. How is nondeep physiological seed dormancy regulated by the environment? Ecophysiology and modelling 514 I. Introduction 502 V. Conclusions and perspectives 518 II. What is dormancy and how is it related to germination? 502 Acknowledgements 519 III. How is nondeep physiological dormancy regulated within the seed at the molecular level? 509 References 519 Supplementary material 523 Summary Seed dormancy is an innate seed property that defines the environmental con- ditions in which the seed is able to germinate. It is determined by genetics with a substantial environmental influence which is mediated, at least in part, by the plant hormones abscisic acid and gibberellins. Not only is the dormancy status influenced by the seed maturation environment, it is also continuously changing with time following shedding in a manner determined by the ambient environ- ment. As dormancy is present throughout the higher plants in all major climatic regions, adaptation has resulted in divergent responses to the environment. Through this adaptation, germination is timed to avoid unfavourable weather for subsequent plant establishment and reproductive growth. In this review, we present an integrated view of the evolution, molecular genetics, physiology, biochemistry, ecology and modelling of seed dormancy mechanisms and their control of germination.