Response of wild oats to environmental stresses

Abstract

Take home message
• When under heat and water stress, wild oat plants can mature 3 weeks earlier than non-stressed plants
• Stressed plants produce 30% fewer seeds; additionally, these seeds are 40% smaller and show less dormancy than seeds from non-stressed plants
• Seed dormancy can differ between biotypes and between the two types of seeds (primary and secondary) produced by wild oat plants
• Early plant maturation can cause early seed shedding depending on the severity of heat and water stress
• If the occurrence of late season environmental stresses becomes more frequent as forecast under a changing climate, the efficacy of strategies such as harvest weed seed control may further diminish for wild oats.