Influence of different methods for breaking seed dormancy of Ambrosia artemisiifolia, Abutilon theophrasti and Xanthium strumarium on emergence in field conditions

Seed dormancy is an important trait that contributes to the survival rate of weeds, helps to avoid the effects of herbicides and protects them against adverse environmental conditions. In order to determine which methods are effective in breaking seed dormancy of invasive weed species (Ambrosia artemisiifolia, Abutilon theophrasti, Xanthium strumarium), an experiment was set up in 2019 in a randomized block design, with three replications in the experimental field of the Institute of Field and Vegetable Crops (Novi Sad). The collected seeds of one population of A. artemisiifolia and A. theophrasti, were cleaned and stored in cold storage at 4°C until testing, while X. strumarium was stored at room temperature. Seed propagation was done in a weed science laboratory, using nine different methods for breaking seed dormancy. The seeds were exposed to different conditions of temperature, light and humidity over a certain period of time (24h or 48h). The dynamics of weed emergence were monitored daily, for a period of 31 days and expressed cumulatively in percentages. Based on the obtained results, the highest percentage of sprouted plants was determined in treatments where the seeds were propagated under light conditions, in water. An appropriate method of propagation can influence the breaking of seed dormancy and emergence in field conditions, which can have practical significance in the research of competitive relations between crops and tested weed species.