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Studies on Strategy of Diaspore Dispersal and Effectiveness of Seed...
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Studies on Strategy of Diaspore Dispersal and Effectiveness of Seed Germination

A special issue of Plants (ISSN 2223-7747). This special issue belongs to the section "Plant Physiology and Metabolism".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 30 September 2025 | Viewed by 3723

Special Issue Editor

Dr. Božena Šerá

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Faculty of Natural Sciences, Comenius University in Bratislava, Ilkovičova 6, 842 15 Bratislava, Slovakia
Interests: plant ecology; seed science
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

This special issue plans to review the latest research advances in seed dispersal and germination as one of the first assumptions of plant life cycle or plant population growth. In plant population ecology, diaspora dispersal is understood as the essential process by which plants are transported to new locations to establish offspring population. The establishment of the young population in a new place also requires the successful germination of the plant seeds. In these mechanisms, plant species have evolved different strategies to be successful in heterogeneous landscape habitats.

This special issue is aimed at providing selected contributions on advances in this research, particularly in relation to practice such as nature conservation, invasive plants, plant conservation, plant diversity, reproductive strategies, plant management, etc.

Potential topics with relation to the stimulation of seed germination will include above all:

  • diaspore and seed;
  • diaspore dispersal;
  • seed germination;
  • seedling emergence;
  • dimorphism and polymorphism;
  • maternal effect;
  • offspring generation;
  • plant strategy;
  • population growth, and many others.

Dr. Božena Šerá
Guest Editor

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. Plants is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly 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 2700 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

  • seed germination
  • factors
  • seed control
  • field emergence of seeds
  • healthy seed

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Published Papers (4 papers)

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Research

17 pages, 7681 KiB  
Article
Seed Quality and Seedling Growth After Applying Ecological Treatments to Crimson Clover Seeds
by Ratibor Štrbanović, Branimir Šimić, Mariana Stanišić, Dobrivoj Poštić, Nenad Trkulja, Violeta Oro and Rade Stanisavljević
Plants 2025, 14(6), 839; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants14060839 - 7 Mar 2025
Viewed by 277
Abstract
The effect of different treatments on the seed quality of crimson clover (Trifolium incarnatum L.) from six localities in eastern Serbia was investigated. The aim of this study was to improve seed quality and seedling growth of T. incarnatum using eco-friendly treatments. Tests [...] Read more.
The effect of different treatments on the seed quality of crimson clover (Trifolium incarnatum L.) from six localities in eastern Serbia was investigated. The aim of this study was to improve seed quality and seedling growth of T. incarnatum using eco-friendly treatments. Tests were carried out under laboratory and field conditions, using hot water and air-drying temperatures. Seed quality parameters included germinated seeds, dormant seeds, dead seeds, seedling growth, and abnormal seedlings, all expressed as percentages. The water absorption test confirmed the presence of physical seed dormancy in crimson clover. The best results were achieved with a 30-min hot water treatment, which increased water absorption and reduced the percentage of dormant seeds. Longer exposure times increased the percentage of dead seeds and abnormal seedlings, whereas shorter exposure times increased the percentage of dormant seeds and reduced germination. There was strong agreement between the germination results obtained under laboratory and field conditions. These findings illustrate new biotechnological approaches to enhancing seed quality. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Studies on Strategy of Diaspore Dispersal and Effectiveness of Seed Germination)
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9 pages, 910 KiB  
Article
Plant Architecture, Tolerances to NaCl and Heavy Metals May Predispose Tragus racemosus to Growth Around Motorways
by Božena Šerá, Marianna Molnárová, Mustafa Ghulam, Pratik Doshi and Hubert Žarnovičan
Plants 2025, 14(5), 784; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants14050784 - 4 Mar 2025
Viewed by 211
Abstract
Tragus racemosus often grows in close proximity to motorways. The aim of this work was to determine whether the seeds of the species can grow under salt (NaCl) stress, how the plants are able to accumulate heavy metals and what plant architecture prerequisites [...] Read more.
Tragus racemosus often grows in close proximity to motorways. The aim of this work was to determine whether the seeds of the species can grow under salt (NaCl) stress, how the plants are able to accumulate heavy metals and what plant architecture prerequisites they have for spreading. It was found that the structure of the plant consists of a single rosette of the first order, from which shoots of the first order develop, on which rosettes of the second order grow, and this is repeated modularly. Higher-order rosettes can produce their own root systems. Research on this species revealed its small salt and heavy metal tolerances during germination and early development. The concentration of metals in the above-ground parts of plants was of the following rank: Fe >> Zn > Ni ≥ Pb > Cu; for soil, it was Fe >> Pb > Cu > Ni. The plant germinates successfully and grows in environments containing NaCl up to 0.50% (including solutions of 0.12% and 0.25%). However, higher salt contents of 0.99% and 1.96% proved lethal for seed germination. This tolerance to salt explains why T. racemosus commonly grows along motorways where winter road maintenance involves the application of salt. These adaptations give the species a competitive advantage in these human-modified environments. Furthermore, T. racemosus turned out to be a possible Ni hyperaccumulator. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Studies on Strategy of Diaspore Dispersal and Effectiveness of Seed Germination)
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16 pages, 3313 KiB  
Article
Differential Primary Seed and Fruit Dispersal Mechanisms and Dispersal Biomechanics in Invasive Dehiscent and Indehiscent-Fruited Lepidium Species
by Said Mohammed, Tina Steinbrecher, Gerhard Leubner-Metzger and Klaus Mummenhoff
Plants 2025, 14(3), 446; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants14030446 - 3 Feb 2025
Viewed by 687
Abstract
This study explores primary dispersal, which involves diaspores’ detachment directly from mature plants, and secondary dispersal, which encompasses any further dispersal occurring after the primary dispersal. A comparison of the primary dispersal vectors of the invasive dehiscent fruit producing Lepidium campestre and the [...] Read more.
This study explores primary dispersal, which involves diaspores’ detachment directly from mature plants, and secondary dispersal, which encompasses any further dispersal occurring after the primary dispersal. A comparison of the primary dispersal vectors of the invasive dehiscent fruit producing Lepidium campestre and the indehiscent fruit producing Lepidium draba was conducted. These vectors were examined in relation to the native and introduced distribution ranges of the species, and regarding biomechanical forces required detaching the fruits from mature plants. Our findings reveal that rainfall and animal contact serve as primary dispersal vectors for Lepidium campestre, while animal contact is rarely involved in primary dispersal of Lepidium draba. Primary dispersal is more important for Lepidium campestre than Lepidium draba, which requires significantly greater force for fruit detachment. While previous studies indicate wind and rainfall as major secondary dispersal vectors for Lepidium draba, our results suggest secondary dispersal via mucilage on seeds is more crucial for this species. The strong reliance of Lepidium draba on secondary dispersal, enabling long-distance dispersal, could contribute to its invasion success, linking it to the species’ geographic distribution. Understanding these different dispersal strategies is essential for effective management of invasive species. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Studies on Strategy of Diaspore Dispersal and Effectiveness of Seed Germination)
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17 pages, 4604 KiB  
Article
Chitosan-GSNO Nanoparticles and Silicon Priming Enhance the Germination and Seedling Growth of Soybean (Glycine max L.)
by Senabulya Steven, Mohammad Shafiqul Islam, Amit Ghimire, Nusrat Jahan Methela, Eun-Hae Kwon, Byung-Wook Yun, In-Jung Lee, Seong-Hoon Kim and Yoonha Kim
Plants 2024, 13(10), 1290; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants13101290 - 7 May 2024
Cited by 4 | Viewed by 1849
Abstract
Soybean, a major legume crop, has seen a decline in its production owing to challenges in seed germination and the development of seedlings. Thus, in this study, we systematically investigated the influence of various chitosan–S-nitrosoglutathione (chitosan-GSNO) nanoparticle (0, 25, 50, and 100 µM) [...] Read more.
Soybean, a major legume crop, has seen a decline in its production owing to challenges in seed germination and the development of seedlings. Thus, in this study, we systematically investigated the influence of various chitosan–S-nitrosoglutathione (chitosan-GSNO) nanoparticle (0, 25, 50, and 100 µM) and Si (0, 0.5, and 1 mM) priming concentrations on soybean seed germination and seedling growth over five different priming durations (range: 1–5 h at each concentration). Significant differences were observed in all parameters, except seedling diameter, with both treatments. Seed germination was significantly enhanced after 3 h of priming in both treatments. The final germination percentage (FGP), peak germination percentage (PGP), vigor index (VI), seedling biomass (SB), hypocotyl length (HL), and radical length (RL) of 100 μM chitosan-GSNO-nanoparticle-primed seeds increased by 20.3%, 41.3%, 78.9%, 25.2%, 15.7%, and 65.9%, respectively, compared with those of the control; however, the mean germination time (MGT) decreased by 18.43%. Si priming at 0.5 mM increased the FGP, PGP, VI, SB, HL, and RL by 13.9%, 55.17%, 39.2%, 6.5%, 22.5%, and 25.1%, respectively, but reduced the MGT by 12.29% compared with the control treatment. Chitosan-GSNO and Si treatment up-regulated the relative expression of gibberellic acid (GA)-related genes (GmGA3ox3 and GmGA2ox1) and down-regulated that of abscisic acid (ABA)-related genes (GmABA2, GmAAO3, and GmNCED5). Chitosan-GSNO and Si application increased bioactive GA4 levels and simultaneously reduced ABA content. Hence, the use of exogenous chitosan-GSNO nanoparticles and Si as priming agents had a beneficial effect on seed germination and seedling growth because of the up-regulation in the expression of GA and down-regulation in the expression of ABA. Additional research is needed to understand the combined impact of Si and chitosan-GSNO nanoparticles, including their effects on the expression levels of other hormones and genes even in the later growth stage of the crop. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Studies on Strategy of Diaspore Dispersal and Effectiveness of Seed Germination)
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