Seed Science Research最新文献

{"title":"Seed dormancy and germination of Solanaceae from a phylogenetic and world vegetation perspective","authors":"Carol C. Baskin, Jerry M. Baskin","doi":"10.1017/s0960258526100142","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1017/s0960258526100142","url":null,"abstract":"Species of Solanaceae grow in rainforests, grasslands and deserts and especially montane/subalpine habitats of South America. The highest number of genera and species occurs in South America, but centres of species richness also are found in Africa, Australia, China and Mesoamerica. Information on embryo morphology was found for all eight subfamilies of Solanaceae and 236 species in 87 genera. Cestroideae, Pentunioideae, Nicotianoideae and Solanoideae have spatulate and linear-full embryos, while Duckeodendroideae, Goetzeoideae, Schizanthoideae and Schwenckioideae have linear-full embryos. Information on seed dormancy/germination was found for 167 species in 32 genera: 10 tree and 1 vine species in the tropics; 53 and 31 shrubs species in tropical and temperate zones, respectively; and 47 and 25 herb species in tropical and temperate zones, respectively. Physiological dormancy (PD) occurs in 94.5% of the 167 species; the other nine species had nondormant seeds. Regardless of subfamily, embryo morphology and vegetation region, most species have seeds with PD that can be broken during dry storage or cold stratification. Of the six types of nondeep PD, Type 2 occurs in a few temperate species; other types have not been documented. Soil seed banks have been documented in four subfamilies, 12 genera and 39 species, many of which are agricultural weeds. We identified questions that need to be answered about cold and heat tolerance of Solanaceae species, world distribution, especially in northern latitudes with a cold winter, and development of Type 2 nondeep PD as an adaptation of Solanaceae species that enhances survival in cold climates.","PeriodicalId":21711,"journal":{"name":"Seed Science Research","volume":"33 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.1,"publicationDate":"2026-04-24","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147736621","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Water gap anatomy and dormancy-breaking treatments impact on seed coat integrity and germination in Dodonaea viscosa L. Jacq (Sapindaceae)","authors":"Xuemin Han, Ganesh Jaganathan, Baolin Liu","doi":"10.1017/s0960258526100129","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1017/s0960258526100129","url":null,"abstract":"Physical dormancy (PY), resulting from a water-impermeable seed coat, regulates germination timing in many angiosperms, including <jats:italic>Dodonaea viscosa</jats:italic> L. (Sapindaceae), a woody shrub widely distributed in tropical to warm temperate regions and coastal and inland habitats. Although PY has been previously documented in <jats:italic>D. viscosa</jats:italic> , the precise anatomical structure acting as the site for water entry, i.e., water gap, during dormancy release remains unclear. This study investigated the water gap’s morphology and function using microscopy, scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and imbibition assays. It also evaluate the effects of liquid nitrogen (LN₂) freeze–thaw cycles on seed coat integrity, dormancy break, and viability. Seeds possess a distinct hilar slit, which opens in response to hot-water treatment and serves as the exclusive water gap. Imbibition experiments showed that treated seeds (hot water , 10s) increased nearly 100% in mass over seven days, while control seeds absorbed no water. Further, covering the hilar slit with Vaseline restricted water uptake, confirming the absence of water-gap complex. Because the water gap opening was a small circular structure without any lid-like covering, it is classified as Type II. Seeds subjected to one or more liquid nitrogen (LN₂) freeze–thaw cycles experienced extensive seed coat cracking and severe damage to the embryo and cotyledons, leading to reduced viability and little to no germination. These findings demonstrate that while hot-water treatment effectively breaks dormancy, LN₂ exposure causes extensive mechanical injury and is ineffective for dormancy alleviation in <jats:italic>D. viscosa</jats:italic> . Thus, cryopreservation of some PY should be considered with caution.","PeriodicalId":21711,"journal":{"name":"Seed Science Research","volume":"56 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.1,"publicationDate":"2026-04-07","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147625735","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Seed morphology and its relationships with phylogeny, lifeform and distribution of African orchid species","authors":"Paul Didier Atangana, Murielle Simo-Droissart, Bonaventure Sonké, Vincent Droissart","doi":"10.1017/s0960258526100117","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1017/s0960258526100117","url":null,"abstract":"Variation in orchid seed size and shape can be linked to phylogenetic relationships, habitat preferences, germination behaviour or dispersal strategies. To investigate this, we compared 45 orchid species from 29 genera collected across different localities in Cameroon using optical microscopy. We categorized each species according to lifeform (38 epiphytic vs. 7 terrestrial), altitudinal range (11 mountain vs. 34 lowland) and geographic distribution (28 widespread vs. 17 range-restricted). We analysed seed morphology using phylogenetic signal tests, analysis of variance and principal component analysis. Our results confirm a clear distinction between epiphytic and terrestrial species, with intermediate morphologies observed in genera encompassing species with both lifeforms ( <jats:italic>Cynorkis, Graphorkis, Habenaria</jats:italic> and <jats:italic>Liparis</jats:italic> ). Certain traits, such as seed length and seed air space, show a strong phylogenetic signal, suggesting that these traits are more linked to ancient evolutionary history than to recent ecological adaptation. Among the 38 epiphytic species, no consistent relations were found between seed traits and either geographic range or altitudinal distribution. Our findings suggest that the variation observed in seed morphology among African orchids is influenced more by phylogenetic relationships than by present-day distribution.","PeriodicalId":21711,"journal":{"name":"Seed Science Research","volume":"62 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.1,"publicationDate":"2026-03-30","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147536222","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Accelerated aging caused diversity and specificity loss in the bacterial communities of Brassica napus seedlings","authors":"Nina Bziuk, Simon Görtz, Jennifer Zur, Elena Beny, Steffen Rietz, Amine Abbadi, Birgit Wassermann, Gabriele Berg","doi":"10.1017/s0960258526100099","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1017/s0960258526100099","url":null,"abstract":"Healthy seeds are an important component of global food security, and their microbiome was recently identified as crucial for plant growth, resilience and health. Seed vigour is highly affected by storage conditions and aging. To study the impact of seed aging on the <jats:italic>Brassica napus</jats:italic> seed bacterial community, we conducted accelerated aging tests (45°C, humidity &gt; 95%) with seed lots of four genotypes originating from two field sites in Germany. We found a strong effect of accelerated aging on germination, seedling phenotypes, as well as the seed bacterial community. Control seeds developed mainly into normal seedlings and were characterized by diverse bacterial communities comprising typical core seed microbes. Accelerated aging resulted in abnormal germination and reduced total germination. Furthermore, accelerated aging reduced diversity and evenness of the seed bacterial community and contributed to a shift from Gram-negative to Gram-positive bacteria. This effect, especially the enrichment of Firmicutes, was found irrespective of the genotype and field site; however, the way stress affected bacterial taxa varied, depended on both factors. <jats:italic>Tumebacillus</jats:italic> and <jats:italic>Bacillus</jats:italic> showed a significant negative correlation with germination phenotype, whereas alpha diversity correlated positively with a high total germination. At the functional level, the majority of isolated bacteria demonstrated plant-beneficial characteristics, showing a greater beneficial potential in the aged seeds. Our results show that accelerated aging tests affect the seed bacterial community structure and diversity, and correlate with the presence of certain taxa, which might have an effect on germination and seedling phenotype.","PeriodicalId":21711,"journal":{"name":"Seed Science Research","volume":"25 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.1,"publicationDate":"2026-03-26","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147518912","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Measuring photosynthetic electron transport in green developing seeds","authors":"Melvin Rodriguez Heredia, Guy Hanke","doi":"10.1017/s0960258526100105","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1017/s0960258526100105","url":null,"abstract":"Developing cereal seeds contain photosynthetically active cells in the form of a thin green layer, the chlorenchyma, which surrounds the non-photosynthetic endosperm. The current understanding is that the chlorenchyma primarily supports endosperm respiration by supplying oxygen. However, despite the importance of such a function, photosynthetic electron transport is still poorly understood and would benefit from detailed study. This represents a technical challenge as bulky developing seeds are unsuitable for the classical spectroscopic methods routinely used for leaf material. In this study, we established a method that enables simultaneous measurement of photosystem I and photosystem II activities in dissected barley chlorenchymas with pulse amplitude modulation spectroscopy and also adapted it to measure electron transport with the electrochromic band shift. Comparative analyses of raw spectral signals and derived parameters measured on chlorenchymas and leaves demonstrate that this approach provides a reliable and detailed assessment of chlorenchyma photosynthesis. Establishing this method provides a new framework for investigating the physiological relevance of electron transport and carbon assimilation in non-foliar tissues such as chlorenchymas.","PeriodicalId":21711,"journal":{"name":"Seed Science Research","volume":"61 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.1,"publicationDate":"2026-03-06","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147361010","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Seed recalcitrance and its predictability in native and endemic tree species of Chile","authors":"Ana Fernández, Luis Araya, Pedro León-Lobos, Samuel Contreras","doi":"10.1017/s0960258526100087","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1017/s0960258526100087","url":null,"abstract":"Seed banking is the preferred strategy for the ex situ conservation of Seed Plants, due to its effectiveness in preserving whole organisms and genetic diversity at relatively low cost. However, not all seeds are suitable for long-term storage, particularly those classified as recalcitrant or desiccation-sensitive, which limits the applicability of seed banking for certain species. In Chile, the proportion and identification of recalcitrant species remain largely unknown. In this study, we investigated the storage behaviour of potentially recalcitrant species and evaluated two predictive models of seed recalcitrance based on morphological, ecological and taxonomic variables. One of these models was subsequently employed to estimate the incidence of recalcitrance among Chilean tree species. Most of the species assessed exhibited clear sensitivity to desiccation. The Seed Coat Ratio–Seed Mass model showed the highest precision and recall. Nevertheless, models incorporating ecological and taxonomic variables also performed well at the genus level. Using a Boosted Regression Tree model refined through experimental data and literature review, we estimate that 19% ( <jats:italic>n</jats:italic> = 11) of Chilean tree species possess recalcitrant seeds. Among the tree and shrub species confirmed as recalcitrant in this study ( <jats:italic>n</jats:italic> = 17), 71% are endemic to Chile ( <jats:italic>n</jats:italic> = 12), and 53% are categorized as threatened ( <jats:italic>n</jats:italic> = 9). These findings provide a stronger basis for prioritizing alternative ex situ conservation strategies beyond seed banking for species with recalcitrant seeds.","PeriodicalId":21711,"journal":{"name":"Seed Science Research","volume":"264 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.1,"publicationDate":"2026-01-22","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146022176","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Soybean single-seed respiration evaluation through spectral imaging","authors":"Thomas Bruno Michelon, Fushing Hsieh, Pedro Bello, Bárbara Blanco-Ulate, Maristela Panobianco","doi":"10.1017/s0960258525100044","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1017/s0960258525100044","url":null,"abstract":"<p>Seed respiration is a key metabolic process linked to physiological status. Q2 respiration analysis enables detailed profiling of individual seeds, and combined with multispectral imaging, allows to explore seed-to-seed relationships between respiration and spectral or morphological traits. Thus,the study aims to investigate the relationship between the respiration profiles of individual soybean seeds and their morphological and spectral characteristics, using single-seed respiration analysis and multispectral imaging. Multispectral images were captured from 1,808 seeds using the VideometerLab system, from which 75 features were extracted. The seeds were placed in vials with 0.4% (w/v) agar to induce germination and sealed with caps containing a fluorescent polymer dot. The Q2 analyzer, tracked the oxygen consumption of each seed during germination. Both the VideometerLab and Q2 analyzer data were categorized through hierarchical clustering, and a subpopulation of seeds was selected from three categories of respiration profiles due to computational limitations. The association between respiration patterns and biometric features was analyzed using contingency tables and entropy analysis. The results revealed significant differences in respiration patterns, particularly in autofluorescence excitation-emission at 365/600, 430/700, 450/700 and 470/700 nm, as well as in reflectance at 365, 690 and 405 nm. Notably, 75% of seeds with similar respiration profiles were grouped based on similarities in their biometric characteristics, suggesting a relationship between respiration patterns and biometric features. Additionally, patterns of certain biometric traits indicated that different combinations can lead to similar respiration profiles, highlighting the complexity of evaluating this association.</p>","PeriodicalId":21711,"journal":{"name":"Seed Science Research","volume":"4 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.1,"publicationDate":"2025-11-21","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145559478","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"The role of polyploidy in improving seed traits, growth kinetics, and embryo development in Cuminum cyminum L.","authors":"Zahra Sanaei-Hoveida, Seyed Mohammad Mahdi Mortazavian","doi":"10.1017/s0960258525100056","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1017/s0960258525100056","url":null,"abstract":"<p>Cumin (<span>Cuminum cyminum</span> L.) is an annual herbaceous plant from the Apiaceae family, renowned for its medicinal and culinary applications as the second most popular spice globally after black pepper. Germination is a critical stage in the life cycle of plants, particularly for medicinal plants, as it determines successful establishment and productivity. This study explores the impact of ploidy levels (diploid and tetraploid) and genotype interactions on germination traits, seed morphology and early seedling growth in five selected cumin genotypes (YAR1, KBA4, SKD6, SIV8 and NKM9). Induction of tetraploidy significantly influenced germination percentage, rate, seed vigour index, and morphological traits. Notably, diploid genotypes exhibited higher germination percentages, while tetraploid SKD6 displayed the highest germination speed and seedling biomass, demonstrating genotype-specific ploidy effects. For the first time, root growth kinetics were analyzed, revealing distinct growth patterns between diploid and tetraploid seeds. Morphometric evaluations showed that tetraploid seeds and embryos were significantly larger, attributed to the ‘gigas effect’, which enhances storage reserves and seed vigour. However, challenges such as embryo-less seeds and variability in genotype responses to ploidy manipulation were observed. These findings underscore the importance of targeted breeding strategies that optimize genotype-ploidy interactions to improve seed quality, germination performance and early growth in cumin. By advancing our understanding of polyploidy’s role in shaping key agronomic traits, this study provides a foundation for sustainable cultivation practices and enhanced productivity of medicinal plants.</p>","PeriodicalId":21711,"journal":{"name":"Seed Science Research","volume":"93 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.1,"publicationDate":"2025-10-15","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145289290","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Genome-wide association mapping for rapid and uniform germination traits associated with direct-seeded adaptation in rice","authors":"Sasmita Behera, Soumya Priyadarsinee Mohanty, C. Anilkumar, Muhammed Azharudheen T.P., Debashis Moharana, B.C. Marndi, Kutubuddin Ali Molla, A. Anandan, Anjani kumar, Gowda G. Basana, R. Beena, S. Raghu, Lalan Kumar Singh, Rameswar Prasad Sah","doi":"10.1017/s0960258525100032","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1017/s0960258525100032","url":null,"abstract":"<p>The genetic basis of rapid and uniform seed germination and its associated traits is crucial for improving seed vigour and seedling establishment for higher productivity in direct-seeded rice (DSR) systems. This study investigates the phenotypic diversity and genetic architecture of germination traits in 163 rice genotypes, using a genome-wide association studies (GWAS). An association panel of 163 diverse rice genotypes, including varieties, germplasm and breeding lines, was evaluated for seed germination traits over 2 years (2022 and 2023). The panel was genotyped using 295 simple sequence repeat (SSR) markers, including 80 random SSRs and 215 candidate gene SSRs linked to seed traits and morphological attributes. The genotyping of 163 lines with 295 markers revealed a range of genetic diversity, with polymorphic information content values between 0.04 and 0.93. Population structure analysis indicated the presence of two groups and four sub-groups. GWAS identified 80 significant marker-trait associations (MTAs) across 12 chromosomes at <span>P</span> ≤ 0.05, which narrow down to 18 MTAs at <span>P</span> ≤ 0.01. Twelve candidate genes are identified which were related with multiple traits, linked to important functions, such as seed-size regulation, nutrient mobilization and plant growth. Candidate gene-based SSR (cgSSR) markers such as M169 (OsMIK), M57 (THIS1), M66 (GW2), and M18 (OsBAK1), displayed pleiotropy including rapid and uniform germination (germination index, germination rate index and mean germination time) traits. The newly identified candidate gene markers associated with seed rapid and uniform germination traits can be leveraged in marker-assisted breeding programs to introduce diverse alleles for enhanced seed vigour and crop establishment. Markers closely linked to multiple traits hold significant potential for the simultaneous improvement of several traits.</p>","PeriodicalId":21711,"journal":{"name":"Seed Science Research","volume":"72 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.1,"publicationDate":"2025-10-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145195183","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"A wide range of lens morphologies is associated with breaking physical dormancy in Paraserianthes lophantha subsp. lophantha","authors":"Geoff Burrows","doi":"10.1017/s0960258525100020","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1017/s0960258525100020","url":null,"abstract":"<p>The classification of acacias has gone through recent upheaval. The latest phylogenies indicate that <span>Acacia sensu stricto</span> is only relatively distantly related to the species with which it was once grouped. Its sister group is the monospecific <span>Paraserianthes</span>. This study concerns <span>P. lophantha</span> subsp. <span>lophantha</span>, a species from SW Western Australia that is widely invasive. Both genera have seeds with physical dormancy (PY) and a lens-type water gap. Seed structure, particularly that of the lens, was assessed in <span>Paraserianthes</span> and compared with <span>Acacia</span>. Seed batch viability was almost 100%, all seeds had PY and average seed mass was 73 mg. The seed coat and the embryo made almost equal contributions to seed mass, indicating a substantial seed coat. Average testa (410 µm) and palisade layer (163 µm) thicknesses were greater than in most investigated <span>Acacia</span> species. Unpopped lenses were small (0.11 mm<span>2</span>, about 0.15% of the seed surface area). With a 1 min boiling water treatment, the lens detached from the seeds. The palisade cells of the lens were about 100% larger in area after detaching, which indicates that they previously were under considerable tension. With other PY-breaking treatments, the lens formed a mound or a slight change in colour occurred. The seeds of <span>Paraserianthes lophantha</span> had the same basic construction as most <span>Acacia</span> seeds, although they were relatively large and heavy, the testa made up a large proportion of the seed and the palisade cells were long. Different lens morphologies, associated with different dormancy-breaking treatments, have rarely been described.</p>","PeriodicalId":21711,"journal":{"name":"Seed Science Research","volume":"3 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.1,"publicationDate":"2025-09-19","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145084428","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}