Seed Germination Performance Research Articles

Non-destructive assessment of sweet basil (Ocimum basilicum L.) seeds quality

Abstract: Sweet basil (Ocimum basilicum L.) seeds exhibit heterogeneity due to the characteristic flowering and pollination process of this species. Consequently, the necessity for research geared toward establishing effective methodologies for identifying seeds capable of germinating and with potential for producing vigorous seedlings becomes apparent. This study was undertaken with the aim of assessing the relationship between internal morphology, as evaluated through radiographic image analysis, and the germination performance of sweet basil seeds. Radiographs of seeds from eight lots of the cultivar Alfavaca Basilicão were examined. The length of seedling originated from radiographed seeds was obtained through computerized image analysis using SVIS® software and the results were compared with the radiographic images. Radiographs allowed visualization of the internal morphology of sweet basil seeds, enabling the identification of empty seeds, malformed seeds, seeds with tissue deterioration and mechanical damage. The analysis of radiographic images substantially contributed to establishing a cause-and-effect relationship between the physical integrity of tissues and the germination performance of the seeds, underscoring the potential for selecting seeds that will contribute to enhanced lot quality.

Evaluation Of Differential Response Of Herbal Priming For Augmenting Drought Tolerant Potentiality In Few Commercially Important Indian Rice Varieties (Oryza Sativa L, Var Indica)

Abiotic stress (drought)-a prime threat to the farming community, causing intolerance and less crop productivity in arid and semi-arid regions around the globe.Seed priming is an important hydration technique whereseeds are soaked at a controlled manner and at different condition that helps in increasing crop yield and greater emergence of root and shoot under drought stress and also allow pre- germination of seeds.This priming technique imparts greater seed germination performance, ensuring uniformity,greater tolerance against abiotic stress. Priming method should be cost effective,simple,easy, affordable to the user and must be ecofriendly. To develop crop plant with enhanced tolerance of drought stress, various conventional and genetic approach has been performed, which require great power, cost, skill, and time. The use of natural primer (herbal extract) rather than synthetic one is very much reliable as it is environment friendly and are known to accumulate in plants under stress condition and can act as potent antioxidant that helps in scavenging Reactive Oxygen Species (ROS) produced during abiotic stress and later one causes physiological changes by reducing the fertility of soil and is costly.An experiment was conducted in Randomized Block Design to analyse the efficiency of flower extracts of Marigold (Tagetes patula L), Family (Asteraceae) , Rose ( Rosa rubiginosa), family (Rosaceae), Hibiscus (Hibiscus- roa sinensis) , Family(Malvaceae)—using as priming agent to different rice seed varieties viz Satabdi (IET-4786), Jaya (IET-723), Swarna (MTU-7029) and Cottondora Sannalu (MTU- 1010) against.In the present experiment artificially, drought was mimicked upon the varieties using Poly carboxy Betaine(PCB) and the artificially drought induced seed used for priming with the herbal extract. Data were recorded in terms of seed germination, seedling development, free radicle scavenging potentiality and assessment of alpha amylase as germination indicator.From this study it was revealed that herbal priming shows differential response in different rice variety in all morphological attributes. Satabdi (IET-4786) showed most promising response when compared with check variety , while CottondoraSannalu (MTU-1010) showed least response.These comparative resultsindicated thatSatabdi (IET-4786)seeds primed with petal extract of T. petula may exhibit drought tolerant potentiality in augmenting drought stress and therefore can be a convincing measure for boosting plant’s intrinsic drought tolerant potentiality at the time of early development.

Ultrasonic treatment to enhance seed germination and vigour of wheat (Triticum durum) in association with γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA) shunt pathway.

Treatments of wheat (Triticum durum L.) seeds with sonication or hydropriming may enhance seed germination and vigour in association with γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA). Therefore, the objective of this study is to examine the effect of sonication and hydropriming treatments on seed germination of wheat through the characterisation of seed germination performance, GABA shunt metabolite level (GABA, glutamate, and alanine), and the level of glutamate decarboxylase (GAD) mRNA transcription. Wheat seeds were exposed to three treatments for 0, 5, 10, 15, and 20min: (1) sonication with water; (2) sonication without water; and (3) hydropriming without sonication. Treated seeds were evaluated for germination percentage, mean time to germinate, germination rate index in the warm germination test, and seedling emergence and shoot length in the cold test. GABA shunt metabolites level (GABA, glutamate, and alanine), and the level of GAD mRNA transcription were measured for the seeds after treatments and for seedlings during germination and cold tests. Seeds treated with sonication or hydropriming treatments had a higher germination rate index (faster germination) in the standard germination test, and higher seedling emergence and shoot length in the cold test. Seeds treated with sonication or hydropriming treatments showed an enhancement in GABA shunt and their metabolites (alanine and glutamate), and GAD mRNA transcription level compared to untreated-control seeds. In conclusion, the sonication or hydropriming treatments significantly improved the germination performance of wheat and enhanced GABA metabolism to maintain the C:N metabolic balance, especially under cold stress.

Effects of seed germination ecology and its cleaning stage on in vitro seed germination performance of two indigenous bamboo species in Ethiopia

Effects of seed germination ecology and its cleaning stage on in vitro seed germination performance of two indigenous bamboo species in Ethiopia

Germination performance and vigor of tobacco seeds coated with a chitosan-based bioproduct

The biopolymer coating use on seeds has aroused the interest of the agricultural sector due to its low cost, reduction of impacts on the environment and improvements in productivity and yield of major crops, being chitosan an important polymer for application in seeds. Considering this knowledge, the present study aimed to evaluate the application effect of a bioproduct based on chitosan, from the parameters of physiological quality, vigor, and biochemistry in tobacco seeds. Seeds of the Virginia variety were submitted to treatments: 0.0 (witness); 0.5; 1; 2.5; 5; and 10% were used to obtain first count values, germination test, seedling length and fresh mass, and chlorophyll and carotenoid contents. The bioproduct had a positive effect on chlorophyll a, b, and carotenoids at 10% FTSeed concentration and seedling length under 5.25% FTSeed. The study pointed out that the bioproduct has a favorable action on the development and leaf pigments, being an alternative biostimulant with less impact on the environment for the agricultural sector.

Zn application through seed priming improves productivity and grain nutritional quality of silage corn

The micronutrient application in agriculture takes place through soil application, foliar spraying or added as seed treatments. The latter method, the nutri-priming, is an appealing option due to the easiness in handling it, environment-friendly, cost effectiveness and efficient against multiple environmental stressors. To assess the feasibility of Zn-priming technique on seeds germination, two experiments were conducted and assessed the efficiency on the growth rate, yield and biofortification on the forage maize (Zea mays L.). The first laboratory experiment assessed the effect of Zn-priming for three-time exposures (i.e., 8, 16 and 24 h) on germination parameters. The second experiment was done in a greenhouse, by using the 10 seeds obtained from 24 h priming. Five seed pretreatments were studied (0, 0.1, 0.5, 1 and 11 2 % of zinc sulfate heptahydrate (ZnSO4·7H2O)) compared to the recommended dose (5 ppm of Zn at 5–9 leaf stage) provided by soil application. The obtained results revealed that all seed priming, including hydro-priming, improve seed germination performance. Zn-priming increased the grain yield and helped to enrich the seeds in this element, especially seedlings treated with 0.5 % Zn sulphate for 24 h leading to an increase in yield by 47 % and in Zn content by 15 %. The comparison of the results from both techniques showed that Zn-priming could be was very effective than the traditional direct application in soil.

Rhamnolipids amendment improves soil properties and enhances microecological functions in the saline-alkali soil

A laboratory-scale study was conducted to investigate the effect of rhamnolipids (RLs) supplement on the amelioration of saline-alkali soils. The RLs supplement improved the soil aggregates stability and promoted the formation of macro-aggregates which increased by up to 10.84% and 15.92% in alkaline soil and saline soil, respectively. In addition, RLs amendment led to a pH reduction from initial 8.87 to 7.80–7.84 in alkaline soil, and a salt rejection up to 20.72% in saline soil, remarkably alleviating the saline-alkali stress on microorganisms and plants. Meanwhile, microbial growth and activity as well as the seed germination performance were greatly improved in both types of soil. Furthermore, RLs addition greatly altered the microbial community structure and supported the proliferation of bacterial species (e.g., <i>Pseudomonas oleovorans</i>, <i>Pseudomonas stutzeri</i>, and <i>Alcanivorax dieselolei</i>) that favored the improvement of soil properties and nutrients circulation, thus markedly enhancing the microecological functions including carbon and nitrogen metabolisms. Further supplement of γ-PGA only exhibited promoting effect on aggregates formation and microbial growth and activity. The findings obtained in this study prove the application of RLs as a promising approach for saline-alkali soil amelioration.

Uncharted waters: Inbreeding negatively affects germination performance in Marathrum foeniculaceum (Podostemaceae)

In outcrossing species, inbreeding reduces fitness because homozygous deleterious alleles increase their frequency in what is called inbreeding depression. The theory well predicts this phenomenon; however, it is often unclear what proxies of fitness inbreeding might affect. Inbreeding depression in aquatic plants is not extensively studied. To fill this gap, we evaluated the effect of inbreeding trough experimental crosses (inbreeding vs. selfing) on parameters of seed germination performance (i.e., final germination percentage, germination speed and seed size) of the riverweed Marathrum foeniculaceum (Podostemaceae), using seeds collected in two locations of México. We found that the final percentage of germination is affected negatively by inbreeding, but its effect on the speed of germination and seed size were dependent on the river location. This indicates that, even when evaluating the seed germination of the same species, the population dynamics of each location can be different, which might be the result of their evolutionary history and local environmental conditions. These results are important for the design of effective in situ conservation strategies of Podostemaceae in their natural habitat.

The Effects of GA3 and Storage Time on the Germination of Epigaea gaultherioides (Ericaceae) Seeds

Turkey is a country with diverse plant species and has significant potential in landscape planning. Epigaea gaultherioides (Boisse et Bal.) Takht. is a relic of the Black Sea (Euxine) province, aesthetic, and functional species indigenous to Northeastern Turkey and under the threat of extinction. The species should be cultured to ensure the permanence of the species with ex situ methods and employed in landscape planting design. The present study aimed to determine the effects of gibberellic acid (GA3) and cold storage time on seed germination performance in E. gaultherioides. Cold storage was applied to the seeds at +4 ºC for 16 and 28 months and subsequently the seeds were soaked in GA3 (0, 100, 500 and 1,000 ppm) solutions for 24 hours. The findings indicated that E. gaultherioides seeds that were not treated with GA3 solutions did not germinate. However, it was determined that germination was low in seeds treated with 500 ppm GA3, and 80% of the seeds germinated when treated with cold storage at 25 °C (24 h dark) for 16 months. The ANOVA revealed that there were statistically significant differences between germination percentage and mean germination times for various gibberellic acid doses and cold storage – time processes. Keywords: cold storage time, germination rate, gibberellic acid, landscape, relict

Impact of seed priming on germination performance of fresh and aged seeds of Canola

Priming fresh and naturally aged canola seeds with different substances and observing the seed germination properties are involved in this work. Fresh seeds and aged seeds of canola cv. “süzer” were treated with distilled water, -0.8 MPa polyethylene glycol (PEG) 6000 and 50 mM thiamine for 8 hours. Storage of canola seeds showed the loss of germination capacity compared to fresh seeds. Present findings indicate that priming can improve germination and germination speed both in fresh and aged seeds of canola. Germination percentage increased in aged seeds with distilled water priming and thiamine priming. Mean germination times were lower in the primed seeds. Seedling growth didn’t improve with priming in both ages. It was concluded that germination performance improvement of aged seeds is possible with suitable priming.

Impact of Habitat Variability on Phenotypic Traits and Seed Germination Performance of Euphorbia helioscopia L.; a Case Study from the Kashmir Himalaya, India

Euphorbia helioscopia L. (Euphorbiaceae), is an important medicinal plant species of the Himalayan region. The species showed wide variability in its phenotypic traits under different environmental conditions. The purpose of this study was to determine the impact of elevational gradient on the morphological traits and reproductive features of the species. The plants grown in the Kashmir University Botanical Garden were more vigorous and taller than the plants of high-altitude sites. Principal component analysis (PCA) revealed that the habitat of KUBG and Kangan (Ganderbal) were comparatively facilitated the growth of E. helioscopia. The regression analysis showed a positive correlation between various morphological traits. Our attempted results highlighted an elaborated account of the variation of phenotypic traits and seed germination performance in response to different environmental conditions along an elevational gradient.

Evaluation of the Saline-Alkaline Tolerance of Rice (Oryza sativa L.) Mutants Induced by Heavy-Ion Beam Mutagenesis.

Simple SummarySoil salinization is one of the important obstacles restricting agricultural development. Cultivating new varieties of saline–alkaline-tolerant rice can increase the yield of rice. It is possible to minimize breeding costs and shorten the breeding period through heavy ion beam irradiation mutation breeding. Our research evaluated and screened saline–alkaline-tolerant rice mutants induced by heavy ion beams. The results show that heavy ion beam radiation is an effective method for breeding new saline–alkaline-tolerant rice cultivars, and the selected mutant lines have excellent production performance under saline–alkaline stress. Our research results provide new theoretical and practical insights that can be used to help develop new saline–alkaline-tolerant rice cultivars.Soil salinity is a widespread and important abiotic factor impeding rice production by adversely affecting seed germination, seedling growth, and plant productivity. In this study, the rice cultivar TH899 was treated with 200 Gy of heavy-ion beam irradiation, and 89 mutant lines with stable phenotypes were selected using the pedigree method based on continuous assessment over six years. The seed germination performance of these mutants was tested under different saline–alkaline concentrations. Five highly tolerant lines were further evaluated in a series of experiments at the seedling stage and in the field. During the seedling stage, the reduction of seedling length, root length, fresh weight, and dry weight were dramatically lower in these five mutants than those in TH899 under saline–alkali stress. The K+/Na+ ratio was higher in these five mutants than in TH899. In the field experiment, the grain yield of mutant lines was higher than that of TH899. In addition, the grain yield of mutant line M89 was higher than that of the local cultivar in actual production. These mutant lines are expected to increase grain yield in soda saline–alkaline regions in northeast China.

Germination performance of grain sorghum hybrid seeds treated with bioregulator under water deficit

Water stress can reduce seed germination speed and percentage, harming the development of seedlings. Thus, it is necessary to find alternatives that can mitigate these effects. Bioregulators have been intensively used in agricultural production and can provide increase in plant growth and development. Therefore, the aim of this work was to evaluate the germination performance of seeds of two grain sorghum hybrids under simulated water deficit treated with bioregulator. The experimental design was completely randomized in a 2 x 4 factorial scheme, with the following factors: two seed treatments (with and without bioregulator) and four osmotic potentials (0; -0.4; -0.8 and -1.2 MPa), with four replicates, separately for the following grain sorghum hybrids: 1G100 and 1G233. Germination, first germination count, shoot and root length and shoot and root dry matter were evaluated. Data obtained were submitted to analysis of variance and means were compared by the Tukey test at 5% probability and regression analysis. The reduction of the osmotic potential to the level of -1.2 MPa reduced the physiological quality of seeds; however, bioregulator application did not result in better seed quality under water stress. Bioregulator Stimulate® increased root length and shoot dry matter of seedlings of grain sorghum cultivar 1G233 in the absence of water deficit.

RNA-seq analysis revealed key genes associated with salt tolerance in rapeseed germination through carbohydrate metabolism, hormone, and MAPK signaling pathways

Seedling survival, growth, and yield are highly associated with seed germination performance. Germination of rapeseed differs under NaCl stress among cultivars, but the molecular mechanism of salinity tolerance in rapeseed is poorly understood. In the current study, in contrast to the trend of the hydrogen peroxide level, the activities of superoxide dismutase, catalase, and ascorbate peroxidase were increased in the salt-tolerant (Yangyou9; YY9) cultivar as compared with the salt-sensitive one (Zhongshuang11; ZS11). Integrative transcriptome analysis of four seed germination phases was carried out on the two rapeseed cultivars, which showed a substantial transcriptional change at 24 and 48 h. Different pairwise comparisons were performed to provide a comprehensive view of the biochemical processes that underpin salt tolerance and seed germination. Plant hormone signal transduction, MAPK signaling, glycolysis/gluconeogenesis, fermentation, and tricarboxylic cycle pathways were significantly enriched. Genes related to auxin (Aux) signaling, i.e., BnaAUX1, BnaTIR1, BnaGH3.5/17, and BnaSAUR were associated with salt tolerance through activating the germination process. Genes related to cytokinin (Ck; BnaAHP1/3/4 and BnaA-ARR3/4/8/9), gibberellin (GA; BnaPIF3/4/5), brassinosteroids (BRs; BnaBAK1, BnaBSK, BnaBZR1/2, BnaTCH4, and BnaCYCD3), and salicylic acid (SA; BnaNPR1/3/5, BnaPR1, and BnaTGA2/4) signaling transductions were linked to salt tolerance at the germination stage. While genes related to abscisic acid (ABA; BnaPP2C and BnaABF) and ethylene (Eth; BnaEIN3 and BnaERF1/2) were relatively upregulated in the dry seeds and salt-stressed sensitive cultivar, therefore, these genes may participate in salt sensitivity and seed dormancy. Moreover, the enzymatic activities (fructose-bisphosphate aldolase and isocitrate dehydrogenase) and content of phytohormones (indole-3-acetic acid (IAA), Ck, and GA) were significantly (p < 0.05) higher in YY9 than in ZS11, while ABA content showed a reverse trend, indicating the reliability of the RNA-seq data. Overall, this is the first study that provides new insights about transcripts involved in the salt tolerance during seed germination of rapeseed.

Temperature Effect on Seed Germination Performance of a Local Variety of Onion in Bangladesh

Seed germination performance test of Taherpuri onion (a local variety of onion) under six different temperatures (15, 20, 25, 30, 35 and 40°C) was the main goal of this experiment. Germination percentage (GP) was calculated at highest 60.25% at 25°C, and the highest germination rate 20.08 was observed in the same temperature condition. The lowest germination performance (13.25 % germi-nation and 3.32 seeds per day as germination rate) was found at 40°C temperature. Finally, the authors mentioned the temperature 20 to 30°C as optimum range, and suggested the temperature 25°C as best suited for obtaining highest results in case of both germination percentage and germination rate of these seeds. To produce maximum seedlings of the local variety of onion, the mentioned temperature should be followed by the local farmers.

Polyploidy in Odontarrhena bertolonii (Brassicaceae) in relation to seed germination performance and plant phenotype, with taxonomic implications

Odontarrhena bertolonii is an endemic serpentine species of Tuscany and Liguria and a model system for nickel-hyperaccumulation research in plants. Phenotypic, genetic and karyological variability between populations was previously detected, but existence and distribution of cytotypes was unknown. Accordingly, we examined ploidy level in eight populations from the species range and tested the polyploid fitness hypothesis by analysing relationships with plant phenotype and seed germination capacity. Accessions from central-western Tuscany and Liguria resulted diploid, while those from the upper Tiber valley were tetraploid. Autopolyploidy via unreduced gametes is likely the mechanism for the origin of tetraploid plants. Size and mass were higher in tetraploid seeds, which germinated faster and to higher percentages than diploid ones. Tetraploid plants were more robust and taller, with more richly branched inflorescences. Silicle shape and size did not differ, but style was longer in tetraploids and seeds had a larger wing. Overall, these results supported a higher fitness in polyploids. Multivariate analysis showed continuous variation but consistent differentiation between diploid and tetraploid accessions. Taxonomically, the tetraploid populations at the eastern limit of the species range in the upper Tiber valley can be referred to a new subspecies, here described as O. bertolonii subsp. cesalpina.

Impact of hydropriming on germination and seedling establishment of sunflower seeds at elevated temperature

High temperature is a limiting factor in the seed germination of most crops. This study evaluated the effects of hydropriming at 6, 12 and 18 h on germination performance and seedling establishment of sunflower seeds under high air temperature. Results showed that germination of unprimed seeds was suppressed at an average elevated temperature of 44.3 °C (range of 39.3 °C to 53.3 °C) for eighteen days indicated by an increased lag time to onset of germination and decreased germination percentage. Conversely, priming seeds for 12 h to 18 h increased the germination percentage, time to 50% seedling emergence (T&lt;sub&gt;50&lt;/sub&gt;), germination index and vigour index. Seedlings emerging from primed seeds exhibited uniform 16-day old seedlings (18 days after sowing), leading to greater seedling dry weight and shoot length as compared to unprimed seeds. Conversely, the total chlorophyll content remain unchanged for all seeds. The significant increase in the shoot parameters suggested a positive association with priming and stress tolerance. The priming duration of 12 h to 18 h showed improvement at elevated air temperature through the reduction of ungerminated seeds and increase in seedling growth characteristics.

How to improve seed germination with green nanopriming

The ability to improve the germination performance of aged or dormant seeds is significant in agriculture. Seed nanopriming is one potentially effective strategy. The method of synthesising nanoparticles (NPs) is generally chemical reduction. However, most of the reducing agents are highly toxic chemicals. Plant substitutes can replace such toxic reductants because of their environmental friendliness and hence green synthesis of NPs has arisen as an emerging technology. The technology of seed priming with green synthetic NPs is called green nanopriming. This review introduces the concept of nanopriming, which has attracted research interest in recent years due to advances in nanotechnology. The basis of green nanopriming, the method for green synthesis of NPs, conditions of green nanopriming (temperature; concentration of NPs; length of priming; nature of NPs) are elaborated. Further, the effects on seeds and the growth of seedlings are also summarised. This technology can promote germination of seeds effectively without poisoning seedlings. Therefore, green nanopriming has huge potential for enhancing crop productivity.

Germination characteristics of maize seeds with high and low- vigour levels in response to on-farm seed priming

On-farm seed priming, which refers to soaking seeds in water, is a pre-sowing seed enhancement technique in agriculture production. This study aimed to investigate the effects of on-farm priming on the germination performance of maize seeds with different vigour levels. Two maize hybrids and four inbred lines were used as experimental materials. Soaking treatment significantly decreased the final germination percentage of low- vigour seeds and had no beneficial effects on high-vigour seeds. With longer soaking times, the reduction in germination increased and there was a positive, negative or neutral effect of water soaking on the germination index. The responses of seeds to on-farm priming varied among the different hybrid / inbred lines used and depending on the length of the treatment. Reducing imbibition damage by PEG soaking had little impact on the poor germination induced by soaking in water. Removal of the seed pericarp alleviated the negative effects of soaking on germination. This study has demonstrated, for the first time, the differential effects of water soaking on maize seeds with different vigour levels. Our results suggested that all influencing factors, such as such as seed initial physiological quality and the technological process, need to be considered to realize the full potential of priming.

The Relationship between Seed Vigor and Germination Performance under Various Chloride Salts in Pea

Background: Salinity is a severe abiotic stress resulting in inhibiting germination, seedling growth of crop plants. Germination performance under salinity depends on seed vigor and genotypic factors. This study aimed to determine if there was a relationship between germination and seedling growth of eight pea cultivars subjected to three chloride salts and the results of seed vigor tests. Methods: Pea cultivars Ambassador, Bolero, Electra, Esprit, Puccet, Rainer, Utrillo and Winner were germinated in the medium with three chloride salts of NaCl, MgCl2 and CaCl2 with the electrical conductivity (EC) of 20 dS m-1. Also germination percentage, mean germination time, controlled deterioration (CD) and electrical conductivity (EC) test were evaluated. Result: The seed vigor of pea cultivars was significantly different and salinity led to a significant decline in parameters of the cultivars. The most hazardous salt was MgCl2, while the least harmful was NaCl. Germination percentage was negatively related with MGT and EC values and EC test was strongly correlated with CD test. Utrillo and Winner were the most sensitive cultivars to MgCl2 and CaCl2. Although germination percentage of Rainer under non-saline was the lowest with 76%, it showed better performance under salinity than Utrillo and Winner. Germination percentage and CD gave a negative significant correlation with NaCl, but MGT and EC associated positively with NaCl. It was concluded that seed vigor should be considered as an indicator for the germination performance of pea seeds under NaCl, whereas genotypic factors play a key factor for tolerance to salinity during germination and early development stages.