Necessity of high temperature for the dormancy release of Narcissus tazetta var. chinensis

Winter dormancy has been extensively studied in many plants, while much less information is available for summer dormancy. Narcissus tazetta var. chinensis is characterized by a prolonged period of summer dormancy during the annual cycle. In the present study, we characterized the nature of dormancy in the controlled growth conditions and investigated the effects of temperature and ethylene on dormancy release. Cessation of growth and senescence of aerial tissues occurred even under conditions favorable for growth, suggesting an endo-dormancy process. Bulbs failed to sprout when they were exposed to low storage temperatures, while high temperature treatment preceding low storage temperatures, or heating interruption during low storage temperatures, could make bulbs sprouting. These results suggest that high temperatures are necessary for endo-dormancy release. Ethylene application during a later storage stage showed an obvious accelerative effect on bulb sprouting, whereas ethylene application during the middle stage had no effect on sprouting. The biological progression of dormancy was further studied through cytological and physiological analyses. Under natural conditions, the ethylene level was reduced to trace amounts with the transition and progression of dormancy. A transient peak in ethylene release was found when the plugged plasmodesmata (PD) began to re-open and flower initiation began. The most common PD possessed electron-dense deposits in endo-dormancy. These data indicate that endo-dormancy ends when flower initiation begins and ethylene peak occurs. Ethylene application had no effect on dormancy release, while it hastened sprouting only after the release from endo-dormancy by high temperature.