Regulation of Avena fatua seed germination by smoke solutions, gibberellin A3 and ethylene

Dormant, intact Avena fatua L. (wild oat) seeds germinate poorly at 20 degrees C. Removing the hulls slightly increased germination. Treatment with smoke solutions increased the germination of both intact seeds and caryopses. Exogenous GA(3), alone or in the presence of smoke solution, increased the germination of caryopses, while ACC shows a tendency to increase germination of caryopses only when applied in combination with smoke solution. Results suggest that GA(3) and ethylene, but not smoke solutions, are involved in the regulation of alpha-amylase activity during germination. However, the participation of smoke solutions in the control of ACC oxidase activity cannot be excluded.