Germination Response of Dormant Tanglehead (Heteropogon contortus) Seeds to Smoke-infused Water and the Smoke-associated Stimulatory Compounds, Karrikinolide and Cyanide

Tanglehead (Heteropogon contortus) is a native Hawaiian grass that has been used in restoration and has potential for expanded re-vegetation use. Although interest and demand for tanglehead re-vegetation has increased, the supply of tanglehead seeds has remained limited as a result of a lack of seed production protocols addressing seed dormancy. Smoke water from burning vegetation may provide an economical and practical seed treatment because aerosol smoke has been reported to stimulate tanglehead seed germination. Dose rate and side-by-side comparison studies were conducted to evaluate the germination stimulation efficacy of food-grade liquid smoke, xylose smoke-infused water, tanglehead smoke-infused water, karrikinolide (KAR1), and cyanide (i.e., mandelonitrile and potassium cyanide). Optimum smoke water dilutions were 1% v/v for food-grade liquid smoke and undiluted for xylose smoke-infused water and tanglehead smoke-infused water. KAR1 was not stimulatory at concentrations between 0.0067 and 66.7 μm. Potassium cyanide stimulated tanglehead seed germination at concentrations between 50 to 500 μm. Germination was promoted to even greater levels with the cyanohydrin, mandelonitrile, indicating a role for benzaldehyde (a byproduct of mandelonitrile decomposition) in stimulating tanglehead seed germination. Benzaldehyde was confirmed to be stimulatory at concentrations between 50 to 100 μm. The presence of cyanide at stimulatory levels was confirmed in tanglehead smoke-infused water (i.e., ≈100 μm), but not in food-grade liquid smoke or xylose smoke-infused water. Germination with non-cyanide-containing smoke waters indicates the presence of other compounds in smoke that can stimulate tanglehead germination. In the side-by-side comparison study, food-grade liquid smoke (1% v/v) and undiluted tanglehead smoke-infused water provided consistent germination stimulation comparable to 500 μm potassium cyanide. Undiluted xylose smoke-infused water did not provide significant germination stimulation in the comparison studies. This may be the result of differences in seed batch sensitivity to the germination stimulant, seed storage duration as well as subtle differences in the preparation of xylose smoke-infused water.