Maternal and paternal effects on the germination time of non‐dormant seeds of a monocarpic perennial species,Aster kantoensis (Compositae)

In plant species producing non‐dormant seeds, the germination time (from the start of imbibition to radicle emergence) is the main factor determining the timing of seedling emergence. We investigated maternal and paternal genetic effects on the germination time of non‐dormant seeds of a monocarpic perennial, Aster kantoensis Kitamura (Compositae). Three sets of reciprocal diallel crosses among five plants were conducted to produce genetic variation in seeds, and the germination time of the progeny of each parent was determined. The effects of the maternal parent and the interaction of maternal and paternal parents on the germination time of progeny were significant in all sets, and the effect of the paternal parent was significant in two of the three sets. This result means that the germination time of the progeny of a maternal or paternal parent can vary with the genotype of its mating partners. Because variation in the emergence time of seedlings contributes to avoiding seedling loss owing to unpredictable environmental changes, genetic variation in the germination time among the progeny of each parent mating with multiple partners could contribute to the establishment of the parent's seedlings in species producing non‐dormant seeds in the field.