Under pressure: maternal effects promote drought tolerance in progeny seed of Palmer amaranth (Amaranthus palmeri)

The environmental conditions under which parental plants are reared can affect the seed characteristics of the progeny. The variation originating from such maternal effects has rarely been incorporated into models of seed germination. Here, using Palmer amaranth (Amaranthus palmeri S. Watson), we examined the effects of water stress during the growth of parental plants on the progeny seed characteristics, including weight, size, final germination, and parameters of a hydrotime germination model. We grew two populations (from California and Kansas) under continuous water-deficit or well-watered conditions. In both A. palmeri populations, progeny seeds originating from water-stressed plants were heavier and larger than those from well-watered plants. Plants exposed to water stress also produced seeds that were similar to 30% less dormant than seeds from control plants. To test whether the maternal environment affects the parameters of a hydrotime model, progeny seeds were subject to five water potentials (0, -0.2, -0.4, -0.6, and -0.8 MPa) and incubated at 20 and 30 C; germination was monitored daily. The estimated median base water potential (psi(b(50))), that is, the water potential at which 50% of seeds cannot germinate, was consistently lower for seeds from water-stressed plants than for seeds from well-watered plants. Our results showed that A. palmeri plants experiencing drought during their growth produce seeds that are less dormant and can germinate from drier conditions-a maternal response that seems to be adaptive. These findings also call for development of germination models that incorporate the environmental conditions of both the current and past seasons to better describe the variability in germination of weed seeds.

Automated summary

The study shows that water stress during parental plant growth affects the characteristics of progeny seeds, making them heavier, larger, and less dormant. This maternal effect also impacts the germination parameters of the seeds, with seeds from water-stressed plants having a lower estimated median base water potential.