The Influence of Induced Drought Stress on Germination of Cenchrus ciliaris L. and Cenchrus setigerus Vahl.: Implications for Rangeland Restoration in the Arid Desert Environment of Kuwait

Authors

  • Tareq A. Madouh Desert Agriculture and Ecosystems Department, Environment & Life Sciences Research Center, Kuwait Institute for Scientific Research, Shuwaikh, 13109, Kuwait

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.30564/re.v5i1.5426
Received: 23 January 2023 | Received in revised form: 13 March 2023 | Accepted: 17 March 2023 | Published: 22 March 2023

Abstract

Drought impacts in arid desert ecosystems can result in decreased ecosystem productivity and biodiversity. Implementation of restoration projects in arid desert environments is largely dependent on water availability and soil moisture condition. This study investigated the influence of induced drought stress by using polyethylene glycol (PEG-6000) solution on germination viz. Cenchrus ciliaris and Cenchrus setigerus as the important rangeland species. The water stress potential treatments were 0 (control), –0.5 MPa, –1.0 MPa, –1.5 MPa, and –2.0 MPa. The extent of seed germination was severely affected by decreased water stress potential. As drought increased, the percentage of germination decreased in both Cenchrus’ species. The water deficit at –0.5 MPa showed a significant (P < 0.001) reduction in the final germination percentage in the case of C. setigerus and C. ciliaris by 65% and 42.5%, respectively. At –1.0 MPa to –1.5 MPa, changes in intermediate germination were observed in C. ciliaris (from 35% to 17.5%, respectively) and C. setigerus (from 22.5% to 11.25% respectively). Higher levels of water stress (–2.0 MPa) prevented the survival of both species. Understanding the germination strategies of native desert plant species associated with drought stress and identifying favorable conditions during the germination process can be useful for restoration practices and rangeland management actions to improve desert ecosystems and maintain biodiversity.

Keywords:

Arid ecosystems; Desert biodiversity; Drought stress; Desert restoration; Water stress potential; Seeds germination ecophysiology; Cenchrus ciliaris and Cenchrus setigerus; Polyethylene glycol (PEG-6000)

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How to Cite

Madouh, T. A. (2023). The Influence of Induced Drought Stress on Germination of Cenchrus ciliaris L. and Cenchrus setigerus Vahl.: Implications for Rangeland Restoration in the Arid Desert Environment of Kuwait. Research in Ecology, 5(1), 1–11. https://doi.org/10.30564/re.v5i1.5426

Issue

Vol. 5 , Iss. 1 (March 2023)

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Articles

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Copyright © 2023 Tareq A. Madouh

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This is an open access article under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International (CC BY-NC 4.0) License.

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