Ethylene Involvement in Dormancy Release of Ricinodendron rautanenii Seeds

Ricinodendron rautanenii (manketti) seeds respond to as littleas 10^–2 µl I^–1 ethylene. Both dry and imbibedseeds respond to ethylene treatments. The length of the imbibitionperiod prior to the ethylene treatment is not important as seedswhich were simultaneously gassed and imbibed germinated successfully.Seeds were sensitive to the gas at temperatures between 25 and35 °C. No temperature effect was observed in seeds whichwere transferred from temperatures below 20 °C, or above35 °C, to 30 °C. There is no period of carbon dioxidesensitivity associated with the ethylene treatment and the effectsof the ethylene treatment persisted in both dry and imbibedseeds when subsequently maintained (desiccated) at room temperaturefor 8 d Ricinodendron rautanenii, manketti nut, ethylene, germination