Effects of seed source and pre-planting treatment on emergence of Juniperus scopulorum Sarg. in a Great Plains nursery

Reliable propagation of Rocky Mountain juniper (Juniperus scopulorum Sarg. [Cupressaceae]) for use as an evergreen shelterbelt species in the southern Great Plains is hindered by inconsistent seedling emergence and establishment. We evaluated a series of pre-planting treatments as well as 2 planting...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Published in:Native plants journal 2011-10, Vol.12 (3), p.241-248
Main Authors: Tauer, Pamela K, Will, Rodney E, Porterfield, J David
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Forest regeneration
Forest service
Germination
Plains
Planting
REFEREED RESEARCH
Seasons
Seed sources
Seed treatment
Seedlings
Seeds
Viability
Online Access:Get full text
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
Description
Summary:Reliable propagation of Rocky Mountain juniper (Juniperus scopulorum Sarg. [Cupressaceae]) for use as an evergreen shelterbelt species in the southern Great Plains is hindered by inconsistent seedling emergence and establishment. We evaluated a series of pre-planting treatments as well as 2 planting depths for both fall and spring planting dates using a single seed source. We then tested 6 seed sources using the 3 best treatments. The best treatment was 13 wk at 22 °C (72 °F) followed by 13 wk at 4 °C (39 °F; 23% emergence for fall and spring planting combined). Fall planting resulted in greater success for differing pre-planting treatments. Planting depth did not affect emergence. Only one of 6 seed sources produced seedlings in response to coldonly treatment while combining warm and cold treatments was generally successful for all seed sources.
ISSN:1522-8339
1548-4785
DOI:10.3368/npj.12.3.241