Germination Ability Research Articles

Mild heating and ambient storage following gaseous chlorine dioxide treatment of chia seeds enhanced inactivation of Salmonella spp.

Chlorine dioxide (ClO2) gas is widely recognized as a potent antimicrobial agent effective against various microorganisms. Chia seeds are prone to microbial contamination, and thermal treatments are not feasible due to potential quality issues. The study is aimed at investigating the effectiveness of chlorine dioxide (ClO2) gas followed by mild heat for Salmonella reduction in chia seeds. Chia seeds were inoculated with a five-strain Salmonella cocktail and treated for 2 h at two conditions – 5 mg/L gas concentration at 80% RH and 3 mg/L at 90% RH. The samples subjected to ClO2 were mild heat treated at 40 and 60 °C for either 1 or 2 h, and Salmonella reduction is determined during one month of ambient storage. At 80% RH, ClO2 resulted in a 1.80 log reduction of Salmonella while a significantly (p < 0.05) higher log reduction of 2.82 log CFU/g was achieved at 90% RH. Subsequent mild heat treatment at 60 °C for 2 h resulted in additional log reductions of 1.14 and 1.32 for 80% and 90% RH. During the storage study, it was observed that the Salmonella population continued to decline over time. After 7 days of storage, samples treated with ClO2 at 80% and 90% RH without the application of mild heating, provided a cumulative log reduction of 2.87 and 3.81 after 7 days of storage. ClO2 treatment (3 mg/L at 90% RH) followed by mild heating (60 °C for 2 h) and 7 days of storage achieved close to 5 log reduction. The quality of chia seeds was minimally affected by ClO2 treatment, both alone and in combination with mild heating, as indicated by the insignificant changes in color values, fatty acids, and phenolic content, germination ability, and byproduct residues. This study demonstrates the effectiveness of post ClO2 mild heating and subsequent storage to enhance the microbiological safety of chia seeds.

Rapid detection of turtle cracks in corn seed based on reflected and transmitted images combined with deep learning method

Cracks in corn seeds greatly affect their storage tolerance and germination ability. These cracks are categorized as single, double, and turtle cracks. The vigor experiment showed that turtle cracks lead to the poorest seed vigor, with significantly lower germination rates after artificial aging. Traditional methods to detect turtle cracks, like lightboxes, staining, and colorimetry, are inefficient or costly. Therefore, a detection method for turtle cracks of corn seeds based on reflected light and transmitted light images combined with deep learning was proposed. The transmitted and reflected light images on embryo and endosperm surfaces of 2000 corn seeds with different crack were collected. A Based on Self-Attention Modul Convolutional Neural Support Vector Networks (SACNSVN) model was proposed to detect the turtle cracks seeds, and compared with the model established by LSTM, CNN, BLR, SVM, and MLP. The effects of embryo surface, endosperm surface, varieties and maturity on turtle crack detection were investigated. The results showed that: (1) The transmitted light image had a significant correlation with 62 and 58 indicators of cracks and turtle cracks, respectively, which better reflected the crack and turtle crack seeds than reflected light image; (2) The accuracy of turtle cracks detection model based on embryo endosperm surface combined dataset were higher than embryo surface, endosperm surface, and embryo endosperm surface mixed dataset; (3) The SACNSVN model provides the optimal accuracy with 82.6%; (4) Variety greatly affects turtle crack detection in corn seeds, while maturity level has a minor impact, and SACNSVN exhibits strong generalization ability. This study provides significant technical support for optimizing the seed processing process and improving the seed quality.

Salinity effects on germination of Portulaca oleracea L.: A multipurpose halophyte from arid rangelands

Salt resistance studies have, unfortunately, mainly been focused on conventional crops, with very few studies being conducted on the potential of available halophytes as new crops in the future. Portulaca oleracea L. has been listed as one of the most used medicinal plants by the World Health Organization as an edible halophyte. It is a fast-growing herbaceous annual with high nutritional relevance. The present work was designed to determine the effect of six soluble salts (NaCl, Na2SO4, KCl, CaCl2, CaCO3, and MgCl2) on germination of P. oleracea seeds. The effect of salinity was tested on final germination percentage (FGP%), and germination tolerance index (GTI%) using five concentrations (0, 200, 300, 400, and 600 mM) of each salt. In addition, laboratory experiments were conducted to assess the effects of salinity on germination recovery from high saline conditions (600 mM). Salinity level and salt composition significantly influenced germination attributes. P. oleracea seeds were non-dormant, exhibited approximately 100% germination in distilled water. Both FGP and GTI gradually decreased with increasing salinity. This study showed that seeds of P. oleracea can germinate under 300 mM in all tested salts. The salts causing germination inhibition exhibited specificity, with an increasing trend observed in the following sequence: MgCl2 > Na2SO4 > NaCl > KCl > CaCl2 > CaCO3. Transferring ungerminated seeds from 600 mM to distilled water recovered their germination ability. Based on these results, we can conclude that P. oleracea is a high salt-tolerant species that can tolerate a variety of salts found in soil. Therefore, P. oleracea may be considered a promising species for improving ecological balance in saline soils.

Effect of Heat Carrier Particles on Drying Characteristics and Germination Traits of Canola Seeds

PurposeResearch into hybrid drying methods is generally aimed at increasing drying speed while maintaining seed quality. Heat Carrier Particles (HCPs) can be used in fluidized bed drying to accelerate the seed drying process. However, this requires qualitative analysis of seed characteristics.MethodsIn this study, canola seed was mixed with HCPs to accelerate the drying process while maintaining seed quality. The HCPs were steel or glass beads (2.7 mm diameter) mixed with canola seed in proportions of 0%, 25%, 50%, and 100% at different drying temperatures (40, 50, and 60 °C). A fluidized bed dryer was used to monitor the drying process and then the germination ability of the dried seeds was evaluated in the experimental conditions.ResultsThe drying time was reduced when the HCP content was 50% of the sample weight. However, drying time increased when 100% HCP was added. Also, the germination ability of the seeds decreased as the drying temperature increased. A higher proportion of steel beads caused a decrease in germination, while the glass heat carrier (50% at 40 °C) was best for maintaining germination in canola seeds.ConclusionsThe germination rate, shoot length vigor index, root length vigor index, and germination energy were significantly affected by the amount of HCP and the drying temperature. The germination parameters were highest when glass HCP was used, and the drying time was also reduced to an acceptable level in this treatment. The most suitable temperature and percentage of HCP were 40 °C and 25% of glass HCP in sample weight, respectively.

Laser weed seed control: challenges and opportunities

Farmers are greatly interested in reducing weed seeds in their fields to avoid unnecessary weed infestation. Autonomous vehicles equipped with plant recognition systems and lasers can be used to control weed plants and may therefore be used to replace or supplement herbicides and mechanical weed control. However, less is known about the ability of laser to control weed seeds. In this study, seeds of weeds (Alopecurus myosuroides, Anisantha sterilis, Avena fatua, Centaurea cyanus, Silene noctiflora) and crops (wheat (Triticum aestivum), maize (Zea mays)) were exposed to increasing dosages of laser energy. The species represented dicots and monocots with different seed sizes and morphology. We used a thulium-doped 50 W fiber laser with a wavelength of 2 µm and a diameter of 2 mm developed for weed control. The seeds were exposed to laser directly on the seed surface or after been covered with soil (2.5 and 5 mm). Small doses of energy (0.4 J mm−2 and 0.8 J mm−2) affected the germination ability of small seeds (S. noctiflora and C. cyanus) when the seeds were irradiated directly on the seed surface, and they were completely burned at the high doses (8.0 J mm−2 and 15.9 J mm−2). However, there was not a clear relationship between seed size and sensitivity to laser dose. Additionally, increasing the laser dose on the seed surface resulted in increasing infection of fungi. Seeds covered with soil were not affected by the laser treatments except C. cyanus seeds. Controlling large seeds on the ground while weed seedlings are controlled with laser robots seems realistic in the future. However, dosages higher than 50 J (~15.9 J mm−2) is necessary to control large seeds.

Autophagy maintains endosperm quality during seed storage to preserve germination ability in Arabidopsis

To preserve germination ability, plant seeds must be protected from environmental stresses during the storage period. Here, we demonstrate that autophagy, an intracellular degradation system, maintains seed germination ability in Arabidopsis thaliana. The germination ability of long-term (>5 years) stored dry seeds of autophagy-defective (atg) mutant and wild-type (WT) plants was compared. Long-term stored (old) seeds of atg mutants showed lower germination ability than WT seeds, although short-term stored (new) seeds of atg mutants did not show such a phenotype. After removal of the seed coat and endosperm from old atg mutant seeds, the embryos developed into seedlings. Autophagic flux was maintained in endosperm cells during the storage period, and autophagy defect resulted in the accumulation of oxidized proteins and accelerated endosperm cell death. Consistent with these findings, the transcripts of genes, ENDO-β-MANNANASE 7 and EXPANSIN 2, which are responsible for degradation/remodeling of the endosperm cell wall during germination, were reduced in old atg mutant seeds. We conclude that autophagy maintains endosperm quality during seed storage by suppressing aging-dependent oxidative damage and cell death, which allows the endosperm to perform optimal functions during germination, i.e., cell wall degradation/remodeling, even after long-term storage.

Ozonation effects on structural and functional characteristics of starch

Ozone oxidation leads to the substitution of hydroxyl groups in the starch molecules with carboxyl or carbonyl groups, thereby increasing the degree of substitution. A thorough examination of how ozone treatment impacts the composition of various cereal crops, including wheat, rice, and maize, is provided. This review explores the repercussions of ozone on starch rheology, germination ability, and storage stability.The present review also explores the textural qualities of food products such as bread, noodles, and cakes prepared with ozonized grains. Ozone treatment is found to significantly reduce swelling capacity and solubility of natural starch, and differential scanning calorimetry reveals that the gelatinization and retrogradation temperature profiles of oxidized starches remain comparable to those of native starch. The evidence that ozone treatment holds substantial promise for enhancing the functionality of starch in various applications while simultaneously upholding the essential standards of food safety has also been explained in detail. The findings synthesized in this review shed light on the intricate interplay between ozone and starch, providing valuable insights for both the scientific community and the food industry.

Potassium transporter OsHAK9 regulates seed germination under salt stress by preventing gibberellin degradation through mediating OsGA2ox7 in rice.

Soil salinity has a major impact on rice seed germination, severely limiting rice production. Herein, a rice germination defective mutant under salt stress (gdss) was identified by using chemical mutagenesis. The GDSS gene was detected via MutMap and shown to encode potassium transporter OsHAK9. Phenotypic analysis of complementation and mutant lines demonstrated that OsHAK9 was an essential regulator responsible for seed germination under salt stress. OsHAK9 is highly expressed in germinating seed embryos. Ion contents and non-invasive micro-test technology results showed that OsHAK9 restricted K+ efflux in salt-exposed germinating seeds for the balance of K+/Na+. Disruption of OsHAK9 significantly reduced gibberellin 4 (GA4) levels, and the germination defective phenotype of oshak9a was partly rescued by exogenous GA3 treatment under salt stress. RNA sequencing (RNA-seq) and real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction analysis demonstrated that the disruption of OsHAK9 improved the GA-deactivated gene OsGA2ox7 expression in germinating seeds under salt stress, and the expression of OsGA2ox7 was significantly inhibited by salt stress. Null mutants of OsGA2ox7 created using clustered, regularly interspaced, short palindromic repeat (CRISPR)/CRISPR-associated nuclease 9 approach displayed a dramatically increased seed germination ability under salt stress. Overall, our results highlight that OsHAK9 regulates seed germination performance under salt stress involving preventing GA degradation by mediating OsGA2ox7, which provides a novel clue about the relationship between GA and OsHAKs in rice.

Molecular Characterisation of Post-Fire Naturally Regenerated Populations of Maritime Pine (Pinus pinaster Ait.) in the North of Portugal

Wildfires act as a selection force threatening the sustainability and diversity of forest genetic resources. Few studies have investigated the genetic effects of forest wildfires. Species with perennial canopy seed banks in serotinous cones and soil or with long-distance seed and pollen dispersion can preserve genetic diversity and population differentiation under normal fire regimes. To test this hypothesis, we characterised molecularly Pinus pinaster Aiton (maritime pine) seedlings produced from seeds sampled in post-fire, naturally regenerated populations that had been subject to different fire regimes in the North of Portugal using inter-simple sequence repeats (ISSRs). The sampled populations burned once (A), twice (B), or three (D) times or had no prior fire history (C, control). Given the globally low seed germination ability, only 104 plantlets regenerated and were described. These plantlets were grouped according to their origin population. Intra-group ISSR polymorphism ranged from 72.73% (B) to 89.41% (D), revealing genetic differentiation among groups originating from populations that had experienced different fire recurrence. Overall, the unaffected genetic diversity of the regenerated plantlets allowed us to accept the hypothesis. Our findings enhance our understanding of the species ability to withstand fire-induced challenges and their responses to wildfires, guiding conservation endeavours and forest management strategies to bolster ecosystem resilience.

Использование процесса проращивания для повышения антиоксидантных свойств сырья

Abstract. The development of technology for controlled germination of grains and raw ingredients based on them, as well as the adaptation of methods and approaches for each individual crop, is one of the promising areas in the development of a line of food products that meets all the requirements of the modern population. The novelty of the research lies in the use of short-term temperature exposure as a disinfecting step before the process of germination of barley grain and the formation of an evidence base that this type of exposure does not have a negative impact on the remaining technological stages. The purpose of the study was to study the possibility of using barley grain in germination technology for the further production of raw ingredients with increased antioxidant properties. Research methods. The objects of study were barley grain (Hordeum vulgare L.), harvested from 2019 to 2022. The production of sprouted grain included separate technological stages: disinfection (short-term exposure to high temperatures), soaking (in water at 20 ± 2 °C for 20 hours) and germination (in a chamber with a temperature of 22 ± 2 °C and air humidity 95 ± 3 % , with a time range of 12–48 hours). Standard methods were used to evaluate: organoleptic indicators, humidity, nature, mass fraction of protein, ability and energy of germination, as well as microbiological indicators. To select the optimal duration of germination, the total content of flavonoids, polyphenols and antioxidant activity was controlled. Results. As a result of the studies, it was established that the use of short-term thermal exposure at a temperature of 190 °C and a duration of 10 s allows minimizing the risks of activating the development of the present microflora of barley grain. Using the proposed approaches, when carrying out the technological stage of germination, it was possible to identify the optimal duration of the process – 36 hours, which leads to an increase in total antioxidant activity by an average of 46 %, flavonoid content by 560 % and polyphenols by 145 %.

Potassium Solubilizers, Aspergillus sp. and Trichoderma sp. Promote Growth in Tomato

&#x0D; &#x0D; &#x0D; Potassium (K) is the third most significant plant macronutrient that plays a crucial role in growth and development of plants. K is abundant in soil, but 90-98% of K exists as insoluble minerals and only 1-2% becomes available to the plants. Certain microbes, K solubilizing microbes (KSMs), can solubilize unavailable forms of K and making it available to plants. The objective of the current study was to evaluate the growth promotion ability of two previously (2019) isolated KSMs, Aspergillus sp. and Trichoderma sp in-vitro and under greenhouse conditions using feldspar as the K source. Khandeparkar‘s selection ratio calculated based on K solubilizing assay on Alexandrov medium showed that Aspergillus (1.72+0.16) has a higher and faster K solubilization ability than Trichoderma (1.0+0.16). Effect of KSMs was assayed in a Tomato seed germination assay carried out in Petri plates with KSMs treated and non-treated soils. Both Aspergillus (58%) and Trichoderma (72%) showed enhanced percentage germination of tomato seeds under in vitro conditions compared to that of controls (Aspergillus sp.: 24%, 14%, 22.7%, 51.3%, 39.3%, Trichoderma sp.: 22%, 12%, 13%, 59%, 51%) which was statistically significant (Aspergillus, P=0.026; Trichoderma, P=0.003) at 0.05 confidence level. Seedling length (P=0.102, P=0.028) and root length (P=0.453, P=0.002) of tomato were enhanced when raised in non-autoclaved natural soil than autoclaved natural soil inoculated with Aspergillus and Trichoderma respectively. The greenhouse experiment was carried out with same experimental set up as an in vitro assay. No significant difference was observed in shoot length, number of leaves and length of leaves of tomato plants planted in soil treated with Aspergillus (P=0.093, P=0.906, P=0.260) and Trichoderma (P=0.334, P=0.239, P=0.243) respectively in comparison to controls during the vegetative stage (2 months after sawing). However, flowering was started four days early in plants planted in non-autoclaved soil treated with Aspergillus sp. suggesting that the impact of Aspergillus sp. starts to become visible in the reproductive stage. The results suggest that K solubilizing ability of Aspergillus sp. and Trichoderma sp. seem to show a positive effect on germination ability of tomato, however, only Aspergillus sp. seems to have a positive effect on the later stages of plant growth where K is mainly needed for flower and fruit development. Therefore, Aspergillus sp. can be a potential candidate to be used in up scaling the natural K fertilizers such as feldspar after intensive future experimentation.&#x0D; Keywords: Plant Growth Promoting Microbes (PGPMs), Growth promotion, K deficiency&#x0D; &#x0D; &#x0D;

Dispersal and persistence of cup plant seeds (Silphium perfoliatum): do they contribute to potential invasiveness?

Background and aims – The cup plant (Silphium perfoliatum) is being grown in Germany as a promising new bioenergy crop with an increasing area under cultivation in the last years. Its alien status, its high productivity, and high reproductive potential could carry the risk of this species becoming invasive. The present study investigates the dispersal and persistence of cup plant seeds, to contribute to the assessment of its invasive potential. Material and methods – For this purpose, four experimental studies were conducted in Germany, Central Europe: wind dispersal distance was measured in a field experiment for wind speeds up to 7 m.s-1. The seeds were offered to rodents in different habitats near to a cup plant field. We observed seed persistence and germination over 4 weeks storing in water and over 4 years storing in different soil depths. Key results – Cup plant seeds are dispersed by wind only over a few meters. In the forest, rodents removed 100% of the offered seeds, in open habitats none. Independent of the duration of storage in water, germination rate of the cup plant seeds was constantly high. Most of the seeds already germinated in water in the first two weeks. Stored on the soil surface and at 10 cm soil depth, the seeds germinated already in the first two years. Stored at 30 cm depth, one third of the seeds retained their germination ability over four years. Conclusion – Wind serves as short-distance dispersal vector for cup plant seeds. Rodents remove the seeds, but it is unknown whether they disperse them or just eat them. Water could disperse the seeds, which retain their germination ability, over long distances. The cup plant could therefore spread and possibly become invasive in Central Europe, and therefore measures are suggested to prevent its dispersal and spontaneous settlement.

Effects of panicle position on seed viability and vigor in some selected castor seed accessions

Castor bean is widely cultivated around the world because of the commercial importance for its oil. The fruits of castor are set on a panicle-like structure called raceme. The racemes are classified into the primary, secondary and tertiary racemes as a result of their different time of initiation on the mother plant. The possibility that the raceme initiation points could affect seed viability attributes through its association with time to seed set exists. This study, therefore, determines variation in seed viability and vigor of seeds originating from different racemes positions on the same mother plant. The germination study was conducted in a screen house with 7 castor accessions using sand as a substratum. They were planted in the field under rain-fed conditions in a randomized complete block design with three replications. The castor seeds were planted in 3 rows plot with intra- and inter-row spacing of 1 m. Three seeds from each accession were sown per hole. The racemes were found to be statistically similar in terms of germination ability. However, secondary racemes had the highest mean (64.4%) for the germination percentage and germination rate index (GI) of 5.9. Accession NKAN had the higher germination ability with mean germination percentage of 68.9 and germination rate index (GI) of 6.4. In conclusion, the seed viability and vigor of castor seeds are not significantly affected by raceme positions on the mother plant.

Fatty acid unsaturation improves germination of upland cotton (Gossypium hirsutum) under cold stress.

The level of fatty acid unsaturation in seeds is one of the major determinants of cold germination ability, particularly in oilseeds. The presence of cis double bonds in unsaturated fatty acids creates bends that lowers their melting temperatures compared to saturated fatty acids. Unsaturated fatty acids with low melting points mobilize faster at low temperatures providing seeds with sufficient energy for germination. To investigate the effects of fatty acid unsaturation on the ability of cotton seeds to germinate under cold conditions, four recombinant inbred lines (RILs) of cotton with unique fatty acid profiles were evaluated using a set of developmental and biochemical assays at 12°C (critically low temperature), 15°C (cardinal minimum temperature) and 30°C (optimum temperature). Furthermore, whole seed lipidome profiling using liquid chromatography with mass spectrometry was done to compare the lipid compositional changes at 12°C and 30°C after imbibing cotton seeds of all the six genotypes for 0 hours, 3 hours and 6 hours. The RILs with higher unsaturation/saturation ratios registered robust germination performance, lower solute leakage, and optimum water uptake rates under cold stress. Imbibition at 30°C for 8 hours before cold exposure significantly improved the germination of cold sensitive genotypes, indicating that the first few hours of water uptake are critical for cold stress. Whole seed lipidome profiling of all the genotypes specifically associated cold germination ability with higher unsaturation levels of phospholipids during early imbibition. The presence of cis double bonds in phospholipids creates kinks that maintain the fluidity of cell membranes under low temperature. Membrane flexibility under cold conditions is essential for facilitating key germination events including membrane organization and respiration. The current results highlight the importance of fatty acid composition in cold germination ability of upland cotton.

Identification of haplotypes associated with resistance to Fusarium graminearum in spring oat (Avena sativa L.)

AbstractFusarium head blight (FHB) is the predominant disease in oat in Norway caused by the fungus Fusarium graminearum. It causes yield loss, reduced seed quality, reduced germination ability and accumulation of deoxynivalenol (DON). The FHB resistance is quantitative, and most genes have small effect. Markers with verified effect in the breeding program could further enhance the resistance breeding. This study aims to use a large and diverse population of 541 lines to identify quantitative trait loci (QTL) associated to FHB resistance in a genome‐wide association study (GWAS) and verify their effect in independent breeding material. The material has been tested in six environments over three years and two locations in spawn inoculated and mist irrigated disease trials. The traits tested were germination ability and DON accumulation. A total of 15 significant QTL‐regions were detected across 12 different linkage groups. Haplotypes for each region was constructed and the effect of the alleles in each environment was calculated, which identified the most likely resistant and susceptible alleles. Five QTL‐regions were validated showing consistent effect in the GWAS population and the breeding material. Stacking of the resistant alleles of these regions from zero to five showed significant decrease in DON values and increased germination ability. The haplotype information of a set of historical and modern Nordic varieties were analysed, and the results could be used to select parents for future crossings. The validated haplotypes from this study can be used either to do marker assisted selection (MAS) or improve genomic prediction models in breeding programs.

Tryptophan Seed Treatment Improves Morphological, Biochemical, and Photosynthetic Attributes of the Sunflower under Cadmium Stress.

Tryptophan, as a signal molecule, mediates many biotic and environmental stress-induced physiological responses in plants. Therefore, an experiment was conducted to evaluate the effect of tryptophan seed treatment in response to cadmium stress (0, 0.15, and 0.25 mM) in sunflower plants. Different growth and biochemical parameters were determined to compare the efficiency of the treatment agent. The results showed that cadmium stress reduced the growth attributes, including root and shoot length, dry and fresh weight, rate of seed germination, and the number of leaves. Cadmium stress also significantly reduced the contents of chlorophyll a, b, and total chlorophyll, carotenoid contents, phenolics, flavonoids, anthocyanin, and ascorbic acid. Whereas cadmium stress (0.15 and 0.25 mM) enhanced the concentrations of malondialdehyde (45.24% and 53.06%), hydrogen peroxide (-11.07% and 5.86%), and soluble sugars (28.05% and 50.34%) compared to the control. Tryptophan treatment decreased the effect of Cd stress by minimizing lipid peroxidation. Seed treatment with tryptophan under cadmium stress improved the root (19.40%) and shoot length (38.14%), root (41.90%) and shoot fresh weight (13.58%), seed germination ability (13.79%), average leaf area (24.07%), chlorophyll b (51.35%), total chlorophyll (20.04%), carotenoids (43.37%), total phenolic (1.47%), flavonoids (19.02%), anthocyanin (26.57%), ascorbic acid (4%), and total soluble proteins (12.32%) compared with control conditions. Overall, the tryptophan seed treatment showed positive effects on sunflower plants' growth and stress tolerance, highlighting its potential as a sustainable approach to improve crop performance.

Involvement of Abscisic Acid in Transition of Pea (Pisum sativum L.) Seeds from Germination to Post-Germination Stages.

The transition from seed to seedling represents a critical developmental step in the life cycle of higher plants, dramatically affecting plant ontogenesis and stress tolerance. The release from dormancy to acquiring germination ability is defined by a balance of phytohormones, with the substantial contribution of abscisic acid (ABA), which inhibits germination. We studied the embryonic axis of Pisum sativum L. before and after radicle protrusion. Our previous work compared RNA sequencing-based transcriptomics in the embryonic axis isolated before and after radicle protrusion. The current study aims to analyze ABA-dependent gene regulation during the transition of the embryonic axis from the germination to post-germination stages. First, we determined the levels of abscisates (ABA, phaseic acid, dihydrophaseic acid, and neo-phaseic acid) using ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry. Second, we made a detailed annotation of ABA-associated genes using RNA sequencing-based transcriptome profiling. Finally, we analyzed the DNA methylation patterns in the promoters of the PsABI3, PsABI4, and PsABI5 genes. We showed that changes in the abscisate profile are characterized by the accumulation of ABA catabolites, and the ABA-related gene profile is accompanied by the upregulation of genes controlling seedling development and the downregulation of genes controlling water deprivation. The expression of ABI3, ABI4, and ABI5, which encode crucial transcription factors during late maturation, was downregulated by more than 20-fold, and their promoters exhibited high levels of methylation already at the late germination stage. Thus, although ABA remains important, other regulators seems to be involved in the transition from seed to seedling.

Malting barley in the Northern Urals

The article presents the results of studying the yield and grain quality of malting barley varieties grown on different backgrounds of fertilizers. Barley grain is a valuable raw material for the cereal, brewing, and feed processing industries. In the Northern Trans-Urals, barley is the most important forage and food crop. The purpose of the research was to study the effect of increasing norms of mineral fertilizers on the yield and grain quality of malting barley varieties in the conditions of the northern forest-steppe of the Tyumen region. Studies were conducted in 2022 and 2023 with the varieties Acha, Despina, KVS Hobbs, Beatrice. The experiment options included: 1) control without fertilizers; 2) N30P30K30; 3) N60P60K60. The soil cover of the experimental field is leached chernozem, heavy loamy in granulometric composition. The chemical composition of the soil is characterized by an average humus content in the arable layer, an average supply of phosphorus, potassium, low nitrogen and a slightly acidic reaction of the soil solution. The conditions of the 2022 growing season were characterized by high air temperature and sufficient precipitation. Meteorological indicators in 2023 were characterized by excessively high air temperatures and uneven precipitation, which negatively affected the yield of barley varieties. In the conditions of 2022, the varieties showed responsiveness to fertilizers. The greatest increase in yield was obtained against an increased background (N60P60K60): in the Acha variety – 1.48 t/ha; in the Despina variety – 2.71 t /ha, in the KVS Hobbs variety – 2.12 t/ha, in the Beatrice variety - 1.60 t/ha. In 2023, reliable increases from the action of fertilizers were obtained in two varieties – Acha (+0.57 t/ha) and Beatrice (+0.67 t/ha) against an increased background of fertilizers. Barley varieties were characterized by high indicators of grain nature and germination ability. The protein content corresponded to the standards for brewing in the Despina and KVS Hobbs varieties in the version without fertilizers and in the N30P30K30 variant, in the Beatrice variety – in all variants, in the Acha variety – only in the version without fertilizers.

Comparative assessment of UV-C radiation and non-thermal plasma for inactivation of foodborne fungal spores suspension in vitro.

Fungal contamination poses a persistent challenge to industries, particularly in food, healthcare, and clinical sectors, due to the remarkable resilience of fungi in withstanding conventional control methods. In this context, our research delves into the comparative efficacy of UV radiation and non-thermal plasma (NTP) on key foodborne fungal contaminants - Alternaria alternata, Aspergillus niger, Fusarium culmorum, and Fusarium graminearum. The study examined the impact of varying doses of UV radiation on the asexual spores of all mentioned fungal strains. Simultaneously, the study compared the effects of UV radiation and NTP on the metabolic activity of cells after spore germination and their subsequent germination ability. The results revealed that UV-C radiation (254 nm) did not significantly suppress the metabolic activity of cells after spore germination. In contrast, NTP exhibited almost 100% effectiveness on both selected spores and their subsequent germination, except for A. niger. In the case of A. niger, the effectiveness of UV-C and NTP was nearly comparable, showing only a 35% decrease in metabolic activity after 48 hours of germination, while the other strains (A. alternata, F. culmorum, F. graminearum) exhibited a reduction of more than 95%. SEM images illustrate the morphological changes in structure of all tested spores after both treatments. This study addresses a crucial gap in existing literature, offering insights into the adaptation possibilities of treated cells and emphasizing the importance of considering exposure duration and nutrient conditions (introduction of fresh medium). The results highlighted the promising antimicrobial potential of NTP, especially for filamentous fungi, paving the way for enhanced sanitation processes with diverse applications.

Sprouting energy and laboratory germination ability of soft winter wheat samples

Sprouting energy and laboratory germination ability of soft winter wheat samples