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The Influence of Relative Humidity on Direct Sulfur Dioxide Damage to Plant Sexual Reproduction¹

ABSTRACT

Results of in vivo experiments with Geranium carolinianum L. showed that sulfur dioxide (SO₂) damaged sexual reproduction (in terms of decreased seed set) when relative humidity (RH) was 80% or above, but not when RH was 70% or below. Relative humidity alone, if 80% or higher, damaged sexual reproduction; the addition of SO₂ increased the damage. A high SO₂ dosage of 1.5 ppm/7 hours at 50% RH caused leaf injury, but decreased percent seed set < 5%, whereas a low SO₂ dosage of 0.2 ppm/7 hours at 90% RH decreased percent seed set by 32% without visible leaf injury. At an SO₂ dosage of 0.4 ppm/7 hours administered during anthesis, percent seed set was virtually identical with the control at 70% RH, 35% below the control at 80% RH, and 68% below the control at 90% RH.

Key Words: Geranium carolinianum • seed set

¹ Contribution from the Dep. of Biology, Emory Univ., Atlanta, GA 30322.

² Professor and Associate Professor of Biology, respectively.

Received for publication December 20, 1979.