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Agronomy
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Seeds: Chips of Agriculture
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Seeds: Chips of Agriculture

A special issue of Agronomy (ISSN 2073-4395). This special issue belongs to the section "Innovative Cropping Systems".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 31 July 2025 | Viewed by 6675

Special Issue Editors

Dr. Sophie Brunel-Muguet

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
UMR 950 Ecophysiologie Végétale, Agronomie et Nutritions N, C, S, UNICAEN, INRAE, Normandie Université, CEDEX, F-14032 Caen, France
Interests: ecological modelling; stress memory; epigenetics; plant physiology; seeds; biotic and abiotic stresses
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Dr. Guillaume Née

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Institute for Plant Biology and Biotechnology, University of Münster, Schlossplatz 4, 48149 Münster, Germany
Interests: protein–protein interactions; seed germination; arabidopsis; post-translational modification

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Seeds are a cornerstone for higher plant genetic resource storage and dissemination in the wild and agriculture. They are key starting materials for most human food production and have high potential as innovative raw materials for biotechnology. However, stresses impact seed physiological characteristics, such as germination efficiency and storage capacity. Low seed batch quality affects seedling vigor and early growth, resulting in agricultural production level/quality decline and reducing conservation/restoration initiatives’ success rate. Overcoming the lack of germplasm resources and dysfunction of soil seed banks and anticipating the effects of climate change are critical in the outbreak of economic and ecological crises such as food production and biodiversity preservation.

This Special Issue will focus on the effects of stresses experienced during seed development, maturation, burial, and post-harvest treatments that modify seed physiological/morphological characteristics or seedling establishment. The originality of the scope is in the effort to gather different scales of analyses to provide mechanistic/molecular hypotheses associated with modified seed/seedling traits. We strongly encourage the submission of molecular, (epi)genetic, and omics studies that provide a deeper understanding of seed/seedling quality determinism/adaptation or failure and non-adaptative behaviors. Reports on new models/methodologies significantly advancing seed quality research efforts are welcome.

Dr. Sophie Brunel-Muguet
Dr. Guillaume Née
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Agronomy is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2600 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • biotic and abiotic stresses
  • seed and seeding physiology
  • seed development and maturation
  • molecular aspect of seed germination and storage
  • plant adaptation and plasticity
  • epigenetic regulations of seed quality
  • plant memory
  • developmental adaptation mechanism

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Published Papers (4 papers)

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Research

14 pages, 1855 KiB  
Article
Influence of Fruit Ripeness on Physiological Seed Quality of Maax Pepper (Capsicum annuum L. var. glabriusculum)
by María Gabriela Dzib-Ek, Rubén Humberto Andueza-Noh, René Garruña, Manuel Jesús Zavala-León, Eduardo Villanueva-Couoh, Benigno Rivera-Hernández, Walther Jesús Torres-Cab, Carlos Juan Alvarado-López and Roberto Rafael Ruíz-Santiago
Agronomy 2025, 15(3), 747; https://doi.org/10.3390/agronomy15030747 - 20 Mar 2025
Viewed by 426
Abstract
Capsicum annuum L. var. glabriusculum is a semi-domesticated species of economic importance; however, its establishment in commercial plantations has been hampered by the low germination and emergence rates of its seeds. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of the [...] Read more.
Capsicum annuum L. var. glabriusculum is a semi-domesticated species of economic importance; however, its establishment in commercial plantations has been hampered by the low germination and emergence rates of its seeds. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of the fruit ripening stage on seed germination and seedling emergence in C. annuum var. glabriusculum. Seeds were extracted from fruits with six different ripening stages. The evaluated traits were the germination and emergence percentages, germination and emergence rates, and 17 physical traits of the seeds. According to the results, seeds extracted from red, orange, and pinto fruits presented better germination and seedling emergence percentages (85, 86, and 82% and 95, 93, and 94%, respectively). A principal component analysis showed that some differences in the physical traits of the seed were associated with the fruit ripening stages and seed development. A canonical discriminant analysis showed a high correlation between the fruit ripening stages and the physical and physiological characteristics of the seed, allowing the formation of four groups. The fruit ripening stages (pinto, orange, and red) influence the germination of the seeds and the emergence of the seedlings of C. annuum L. var. glabriusculum, so obtaining seeds from physiologically ripe fruits allows for obtaining seeds of better quality. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Seeds: Chips of Agriculture)
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20 pages, 3542 KiB  
Article
Green Light Drives Embryonic Photosynthesis and Protein Accumulation in Cotyledons of Developing Pea (Pisum sativum L.) Seeds
by Nataliia Stepanova, Elena Tarakhovskaya, Alena Soboleva, Anastasia Orlova, Aditi Basnet, Anastasia Smolenskaya, Nadezhda Frolova, Tatiana Bilova, Anastasia Kamionskaya, Andrej Frolov, Sergei Medvedev and Galina Smolikova
Agronomy 2024, 14(10), 2367; https://doi.org/10.3390/agronomy14102367 - 14 Oct 2024
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1835
Abstract
Photosynthesis is a vital process for seed productivity. It occurs in the leaves and provides developing seeds with the necessary nutrients. Moreover, many crops require photochemical reactions inside the seeds for proper development. The present study aimed to investigate Pisum sativum L. seeds [...] Read more.
Photosynthesis is a vital process for seed productivity. It occurs in the leaves and provides developing seeds with the necessary nutrients. Moreover, many crops require photochemical reactions inside the seeds for proper development. The present study aimed to investigate Pisum sativum L. seeds at the middle stage of maturation, which is characterized by the active synthesis of nutrient reserves. Embryonic photosynthesis represents a crucial process to produce cells’ NADP(H) and ATP, which are necessary to convert sucrose into reserve biopolymers. However, it remains unclear how the pea embryo, covered by a coat and pericarp, receives sufficient light to provide energy for photochemical reactions. Recent studies have demonstrated that the photosynthetically active radiation reaching the developing pea embryo has a high proportion of green light. In addition, green light can be utilized in foliar photosynthesis by plants cultivated in shaded conditions. Here, we addressed the role of green light in seed development. Pea plants were cultivated under red and blue (RB) LEDs or red, green, and blue (RGB) LEDs. A Chl a fluorescence transient based on OJIP kinetics was detected at the periphery of the cotyledons isolated from developing seeds. Our findings showed that the addition of green light resulted in an increase in photochemical activity. Furthermore, the mature seeds that developed in the RGB module had a significantly higher weight and more storage proteins. Using a metabolomics approach, we also detected significant differences in the levels of organic acids, carbohydrates, nucleotide monophosphates, and nitrogenous substances between the RB and RGB conditions. Under RGB light, the cotyledons contained more ornithine, tryptophan, arginine, and aspartic acid. These changes indicate an impact of green light on the ornithine–urea cycle and polyamine biosynthesis. These results allow for a deeper understanding of the photochemical processes in embryos of developing seeds grown under a low light intensity. The photosynthetic system in the embryo cell adapts to the shade conditions by using green light. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Seeds: Chips of Agriculture)
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16 pages, 6156 KiB  
Article
Physiological Indexes in Seed Germination and Seedling Growth of Rangpur Lime (Citrus limonia L. Osbeck) under Plant Growth Regulators
by Francisco José Domingues Neto, Débora Cavalcante dos Santos Carneiro, Fernando Ferrari Putti, João Domingos Rodrigues, Marco Antonio Tecchio, Sarita Leonel and Marcelo de Souza Silva
Agronomy 2024, 14(9), 2066; https://doi.org/10.3390/agronomy14092066 - 10 Sep 2024
Cited by 3 | Viewed by 1317
Abstract
The propagation of citrus seedlings is accomplished through grafting, utilizing seeds for the production of rootstocks. The germination of certain seeds may be low and uneven, complicating the production of high-quality seedlings. The use of plant growth regulators (PGRs) is a viable alternative [...] Read more.
The propagation of citrus seedlings is accomplished through grafting, utilizing seeds for the production of rootstocks. The germination of certain seeds may be low and uneven, complicating the production of high-quality seedlings. The use of plant growth regulators (PGRs) is a viable alternative to improve the quality of seedling production, as these compounds can break dormancy, control the hydrolysis of reserves, induce cell division, and regulate permeability and protein functions. This study aimed to evaluate the germination of seeds and the growth of Rangpur lime (Citrus limonia L. Osbeck) seedlings under the influence of imbibition in solutions of gibberellic acid (GA3) and a combination of GA4+7 + 6Benzyladenine. The experiment was conducted under controlled laboratory and greenhouse conditions, using a completely randomized design in a 2 × 5 factorial scheme, with two types of plant regulators (GA3 and GA4+7 + 6BA) at five concentrations (0, 250, 500, 750, and 1000 mg L−1 a.i.). Quantitative and qualitative variables were evaluated, ranging from seed germination to seedling development and formation, including germination percentage and speed index, fresh and dry biomass of roots and shoots, enzymatic activity, and gas exchange. The results indicate that GA3 significantly accelerates the germination process of Rangpur lime cv. Santa Cruz seeds and promotes better seedling growth and development, resulting in vigorous seedlings. These findings demonstrate that the application of PGRs, particularly GA3, can substantially enhance the propagation efficiency of citrus rootstocks, offering a practical solution for improving the uniformity and quality of seedling production in commercial settings. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Seeds: Chips of Agriculture)
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14 pages, 3519 KiB  
Article
An Evaluation of the Absolute Content of Flavonoids and the Identification of Their Relationship with the Flavonoid Biosynthesis Genes in Tartary Buckwheat Seeds
by Jin Ke, Bin Ran, Peiyuan Sun, Yuanzhi Cheng, Qingfu Chen and Hongyou Li
Agronomy 2023, 13(12), 3006; https://doi.org/10.3390/agronomy13123006 - 7 Dec 2023
Cited by 12 | Viewed by 1998
Abstract
The aim of the present study is to evaluate the absolute content and accumulation patterns of flavonoid components; to give insight into the accumulation relationships among flavonoid components; to explore the correlation between the content of flavonoid components and the expression of flavonoid [...] Read more.
The aim of the present study is to evaluate the absolute content and accumulation patterns of flavonoid components; to give insight into the accumulation relationships among flavonoid components; to explore the correlation between the content of flavonoid components and the expression of flavonoid biosynthesis genes in Tartary buckwheat seeds; and to construct a biosynthetic pathway on the major flavonoid components in Tartary buckwheat seeds. In total, 61 flavonoid components were absolutely quantified in five Tartary buckwheat varieties, of which 41 existed in all varieties. The content of most flavonoids varied significantly among different varieties or within the same variety. Rutin, quercetin, nicotiflorin, and kaempferol were the dominant flavonoid components in the Tartary buckwheat seeds, accounting for 73.05–81.79% of the total flavonoids. Significantly positive or negative correlations with content accumulation were found between some flavonoid components. Thirty-six flavonoid components displayed four different accumulation patterns in the developing Tartary buckwheat seeds. Seventeen structural genes for flavonoid biosynthesis displayed a significantly positive correlation with the accumulation of most flavonoid components during the development of Tartary buckwheat seeds, and the F3′5′H-3 gene might be the most crucial contributor in determining the total flavonoid content in Tartary buckwheat seeds. A schematic of the biosynthesis pathways for 30 major flavonoids in Tartary buckwheat seeds was constructed. These findings provide an outlook of the flavonoid components and their biosynthesis in Tartary buckwheat seeds and have potential applications in breeding new cultivars with higher flavonoid contents. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Seeds: Chips of Agriculture)
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