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Plants
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Seed Dormancy and Germination for Plant Adaptation to Climate Change
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Seed Dormancy and Germination for Plant Adaptation to Climate Change

A special issue of Plants (ISSN 2223-7747). This special issue belongs to the section "Plant Response to Abiotic Stress and Climate Change".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 31 December 2025 | Viewed by 1518

Special Issue Editors

Dr. Guadalupe Galindez

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Facultad de Ciencias Naturales, Universidad Nacional de Salta, Salta, Argentina
Interests: plant physiology; conservation physiology; seed physiology; seed germination; seed dormancy
Prof. Dr. Carol Baskin

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
College of Agriculture, Food and Environment, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY, USA
Interests: seed germination ecology; biogeography; evolution of seed dormancy and germination
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

By the end of the 21st century, it is projected that temperatures will increase by as much as 5 °C and precipitation patterns will be changed, increasing the risk of flooding or drought. Temperature and soil moisture are critical drivers for seed dormancy break, and germination will undoubtedly be impacted by these environmental changes. However, seeds that require exposure to dry and/or wet conditions at high temperatures (≥15 °C) for dormancy break may not be affected by climate change. In contrast, for seeds that require moist cold conditions (≤10 °C) for dormancy break, warming might reduce the period during when conditions are favorable for dormancy break, leading to a reduction in the degree to which dormancy is broken. Additionally, if temperatures are favorable but the onset of the wet season is delayed, the timing of germination of nondormant seeds will be delayed. Thus, changes in soil moisture and temperature conditions can shift the timing of germination and seedling establishment. Understanding how seed dormancy and germination respond to climate change is critical, in the short term, for understanding and predicting the natural regeneration of plants from seeds and, in the long term, for understanding extinction, migration, and/or phenotypic adjustment or adaptation of species to the changed environment.

Dr. Guadalupe Galindez
Prof. Dr. Carol Baskin
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. 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 dormancy
  • seed germination
  • plant adaptation
  • climate change
  • environmental stress

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Published Papers (2 papers)

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Research

16 pages, 812 KB  
Article
Species-Specific Responses of Kiwifruit Seed Germination to Climate Change Using Classifier Modeling
by Tung-Yu Hsieh, Feng Li, Shih-Li Huang and Ching-Te Chien
Plants 2025, 14(17), 2665; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants14172665 - 26 Aug 2025
Abstract
Climate change is reshaping plant reproductive processes, particularly at the vulnerable seed germination stage. This study examines the germination responses of four Actinidia species (A. rufa, A. latifolia, A. deliciosa, and A. setosa) under controlled experimental conditions, integrating empirical germination data [...] Read more.
Climate change is reshaping plant reproductive processes, particularly at the vulnerable seed germination stage. This study examines the germination responses of four Actinidia species (A. rufa, A. latifolia, A. deliciosa, and A. setosa) under controlled experimental conditions, integrating empirical germination data with classifier modeling to predict species-specific responses under future climate scenarios. Unlike traditional species distribution models (SDMs), our classifier approach incorporates physiological dormancy mechanisms and key environmental cues such as chilling requirements, temperature fluctuations, and drought stress. Results reveal significant interspecific differences: A. rufa exhibited strong ecological plasticity, maintaining stable germination under warming and drought, while A. deliciosa displayed extreme sensitivity to warming, with germination dropping below 25% due to its strict chilling requirement. A. latifolia showed latitude-dependent vulnerability, with southern populations experiencing reduced germination under warming conditions, and A. setosa demonstrated complex dormancy patterns with higher germination at high elevations. The predictive accuracy of our models was validated against long-term field data, underscoring their robustness in forecasting climate-induced germination shifts. These findings highlight the need for targeted breeding programs to develop A. deliciosa cultivars with reduced chilling requirements and suggest A. rufa as a strong candidate for ecological restoration under future warming scenarios. By refining climate impact assessments through physiological modeling, this study provides valuable insights for kiwifruit conservation, agricultural adaptation, and broader plant-climate interactions under global warming. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Seed Dormancy and Germination for Plant Adaptation to Climate Change)
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11 pages, 2986 KB  
Article
Seasonal Pattern of Endo-β-Mannanase Activity During Germination of Jeffersonia dubia, Exhibiting Morphophysiological Dormancy
by Young Hyun Kwon, Seung Youn Lee and Yong Ha Rhie
Plants 2025, 14(2), 251; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants14020251 - 17 Jan 2025
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Abstract
Morphophysiological dormancy (MPD) is considered one of the most primitive dormancy classes among seed plants. While extensive studies have examined the occurrence of endo-β-mannanase in seeds with physiological dormancy (PD) or non-dormancy, little is known about the activity of this enzyme in seeds [...] Read more.
Morphophysiological dormancy (MPD) is considered one of the most primitive dormancy classes among seed plants. While extensive studies have examined the occurrence of endo-β-mannanase in seeds with physiological dormancy (PD) or non-dormancy, little is known about the activity of this enzyme in seeds with MPD. This study aimed to investigate the temporal and spatial patterns of endo-β-mannanase activity during dormancy break and germination. The research focused on Jeffersonia dubia, a species with deep simple MPD, by monitoring its morphological and biochemical characteristics under natural field conditions. Seeds were buried in the field and exhumed monthly over a year. Key parameters measured included germination, embryo elongation, endosperm weakening, and endo-β-mannanase activity in the exhumed seeds. Scanning electron microscopy was employed to observe structural changes in the endosperm. For the first three months after burial in May, endo-β-mannanase activity was undetectable, and the underdeveloped embryo exhibited minimal elongation. Starting in September, the embryo began to grow, accompanied by increased endo-β-mannanase activity in the micropylar endosperm. Erosion of the endosperm cell wall was observed in the lateral regions surrounding the embryo, whereas the micropylar endosperm showed no obvious signs of collapse or damage. The increase in enzyme activity coincided with moderate temperatures and a corresponding increase in embryo length. During the winter months, embryo elongation ceased for 2–3 months, and enzyme activity declined. However, as germination resumed in early March, enzyme activity increased again. This was followed by micropylar endosperm rupture and the completion of germination. The seasonal pattern of endo-β-mannanase activity observed in seeds with deep simple MPD was distinct from that of seeds with PD, MD, or non-deep MPD, highlighting the unique mechanisms underlying dormancy break and germination in J. dubia. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Seed Dormancy and Germination for Plant Adaptation to Climate Change)
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