Editing Germination (section)

=== Seedling establishment ===
In some definitions, the appearance of the [[radicle]] marks the end of germination and the beginning of "establishment", a period that utilizes the food reserves stored in the seed. Germination and establishment as an independent organism are critical phases in the life of a plant when they are the most vulnerable to injury, disease, and water stress.<ref name="Raven"/> The germination index can be used as an indicator of [[phytotoxicity]] in soils. The mortality between dispersal of seeds and completion of the establishment can be so high that many species have adapted to produce large numbers of seeds.{{cn|date=June 2024}}