Abstract
Seed priming can circumvent poor germination rate and uniformity, frequently reported in eggplant (Solanum melongena L.) and its crop wild relatives (CWRs). However, there is still a gap of knowledge on how these treatments impact the pre-germinative metabolism in a genotype- and/or species-dependent manner. The CWR Solanum villosum Miller (hairy nightshade) investigated in this study showed a quite unique profile of fast germination. Although this accelerated germination profile would not apparently require further improvement, we wanted to test whether priming would still be able to impact the pre-germinative metabolism, eventually disclosing the predominant contribution of specific antioxidant components. Hydropriming followed by dry-back resulted in synchronized germination, as revealed by the lowest MGR (Mean Germination Rate) and U (Uncertainty) values, compared to unprimed seeds. No significant changes in ROS (reactive oxygen species) were observed throughout the treatment. Increased tocopherols levels were detected at 2 h of hydropriming whereas, overall, a low lipid peroxidation was evidenced by the malondialdehyde (MDA) assay. Hydropriming resulted in enhanced accumulation of the naturally occurring antioxidant phenolic compounds chlorogenic acid and iso-orientin, found in the dry seeds and ex novo accumulation of rutin. The dynamic changes of the pre-germinative metabolism induced by hydropriming are discussed in view of future applications that might boost the use of eggplant CWRs for breeding, upon upgrade mediated by seed technology.
Highlights
The limited genetic diversity of cultivated eggplant (Solanum melongena L.) is in contrast with the huge gene pool found in wild relatives (Meyer et al, 2012; Taher et al, 2017), a promising source of high-quality traits (Knapp et al, 2013; Rotino et al, 2014)
We focus on the Crop Wild Relatives (CWRs) S. villosum Miller which is consumed as leafy vegetable crop in Africa and it is part of the S. nigrum complex (African nightshade) including African indigenous vegetables with high nutritional content (Ojiewo et al, 2013), medicinal properties and secondary metabolites with potential insecticidal activity (Yuan et al, 2018)
We explore for the first time the seed response to hydropriming in the eggplant CWR S. villosum
Summary
The limited genetic diversity of cultivated eggplant (Solanum melongena L.) is in contrast with the huge gene pool found in wild relatives (Meyer et al, 2012; Taher et al, 2017), a promising source of high-quality traits (Knapp et al, 2013; Rotino et al, 2014). Low-cost, presowing treatments (“seed priming”) can be used to improve germination These techniques allow to carry out imbibition under controlled conditions, boosting the antioxidant and DNA repair responses when the pregerminative metabolism starts, while avoiding radicle protrusion and loss of desiccation tolerance (Heydecker et al, 1973; Burgass and Powell, 1984; Ashraf and Bray, 1993; Bailly et al, 1998; Paparella et al, 2015). Enhanced crop yields resulting from primed seeds are due to increased tolerance to biotic/abiotic stresses and individual plant performance. Due to these benefits, priming is gaining momentum as a strategy to address the current and future issues of sustainable crop production in adverse environments (Ibrahim, 2016; Wojtyla et al, 2016; Farooq et al, 2017; Macovei et al, 2017)
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