Journal Description
Seeds
Seeds
is an international, peer-reviewed, open access journal on seed science and technology published quarterly online by MDPI.
- Open Access— free for readers, with article processing charges (APC) paid by authors or their institutions.
- High Visibility: indexed within Scopus, EBSCO, and other databases.
- Rapid Publication: manuscripts are peer-reviewed and a first decision is provided to authors approximately 26.5 days after submission; acceptance to publication is undertaken in 5.4 days (median values for papers published in this journal in the first half of 2024).
- Recognition of Reviewers: APC discount vouchers, optional signed peer review, and reviewer names published annually in the journal.
- Seeds is a companion journal of Agronomy.
Latest Articles
Pre-Germinative Treatments and In Vitro Germination of Dianthus caryophyllus and Alstroemeria spp. Seeds
Seeds 2024, 3(3), 493-504; https://doi.org/10.3390/seeds3030033 - 16 Sep 2024
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Alstroemeria spp. and carnation (Dianthus caryophyllus L.) have considerable and increasing economic importance in the floriculture market, therefore breeders carry out intense breeding programs to select new superior varieties. However, poor germination of hybrid seeds remains a bottleneck. Based on this assumption,
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Alstroemeria spp. and carnation (Dianthus caryophyllus L.) have considerable and increasing economic importance in the floriculture market, therefore breeders carry out intense breeding programs to select new superior varieties. However, poor germination of hybrid seeds remains a bottleneck. Based on this assumption, seed pre-treatments and in vitro germination protocols, using different germination substrates, were applied in Alstroemeria spp. and carnation to improve germinability. Seed viability was tested using the 2,3,5-triphenyl tetrazolium chloride (TTC) test, and resulted in 91.10% ± 2.33 and 86.66% ± 3.85 in Alstroemeria and carnation, respectively. In Alstroemeria, pre-treatment with potassium nitrate (KNO3) in combination with modified ½ Murashige and Skoog (MS) medium ensured high germination uniformity combined with high germination percentage, showing significantly higher values than the control. In carnation, a suitable seed sterilization procedure was set up (up to 95.8% sterility); treatments with gibberellic acid (GA3) and KNO3 did not influence germination percentage compared to the control. A high multiplication rate of seedling lines was obtained on hormone-free MS medium.
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Open AccessArticle
Enhancement of Tomato Seed Germination and Growth Parameters through Seed Priming with Auxin-Producing Plant Growth Promoting Bacteria Strains
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Livia Pappalettere, Susanna Bartolini and Annita Toffanin
Seeds 2024, 3(3), 479-492; https://doi.org/10.3390/seeds3030032 - 5 Sep 2024
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The use of microbial seed priming may be a promising tool to improve the first stages of seed germination of several herbaceous species. In tomatoes (Solanum lycopersicum L.), enhanced germination and vigor, and biotic and abiotic stress control, with a reduction in
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The use of microbial seed priming may be a promising tool to improve the first stages of seed germination of several herbaceous species. In tomatoes (Solanum lycopersicum L.), enhanced germination and vigor, and biotic and abiotic stress control, with a reduction in chemicals, have been reported. In this study, seeds from two Italian tomato varieties (Canestrino di Lucca and Pisanello) were primed with seven different strains of plant growth-promoting rhizobacteria (PGPB) belonging to Azospirillum baldaniorum, A. brasilense, Methylobacterium symbioticum, Bacillus amyloliquefaciens, B. licheniformis, and B. subtilis. They were selected for their ability to produce auxin. The germination test was carried out on treated seeds and the germination percentage was calculated. The obtained seedlings were transplanted and kept in greenhouse conditions. After 60 d, fresh and dry weight, root number, and length of plantlets were recorded. A general and significant improvement in the growth parameters was observed in the treated plants. All microbial strains proved to be indolacetic acid (IAA) producers using the Salkowsky method. A positive relationship between root number and length, and amount of IAA was found. The overall results suggest that the microbial priming of tomato seed could be useful for advancing organic farming, sustainable agriculture, and environmental protection.
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Open AccessArticle
Detection and Classification of Cannabis Seeds Using RetinaNet and Faster R-CNN
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Taminul Islam, Toqi Tahamid Sarker, Khaled R. Ahmed and Naoufal Lakhssassi
Seeds 2024, 3(3), 456-478; https://doi.org/10.3390/seeds3030031 - 28 Aug 2024
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The rapid growth of the cannabis industry necessitates accurate and efficient methods for detecting and classifying cannabis seed varieties, which is crucial for quality control, regulatory compliance, and genetic research. This study presents a deep learning approach to automate the detection and classification
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The rapid growth of the cannabis industry necessitates accurate and efficient methods for detecting and classifying cannabis seed varieties, which is crucial for quality control, regulatory compliance, and genetic research. This study presents a deep learning approach to automate the detection and classification of 17 different cannabis seed varieties, addressing the limitations of manual inspection processes. Leveraging a unique dataset of 3319 high-resolution seed images, we employ self-supervised bounding box annotation using the Grounding DINO model. Our research evaluates two prominent object detection models, Faster R-CNN and RetinaNet, with different backbone architectures (ResNet50, ResNet101, and ResNeXt101). Extensive experiments reveal that RetinaNet with a ResNet101 backbone achieves the highest strict mean average precision (mAP) of 0.9458 at IoU 0.5–0.95. At the same time, Faster R-CNN with ResNet50 excels at the relaxed 0.5 IoU threshold (0.9428 mAP) and maintains superior recall. Notably, the ResNeXt101 backbone, despite its complexity, shows slightly lower performance across most metrics than ResNet architectures. In terms of inference speed, the Faster R-CNN with a ResNeXt101 backbone demonstrates the fastest processing at 17.5 frames per second. This comprehensive evaluation, including performance-speed trade-offs and per-class detection analysis, highlights the potential of deep learning for automating cannabis seed analysis. Our findings address challenges in seed purity, consistency, and regulatory adherence within the cannabis agricultural domain, paving the way for improved productivity and quality control in the industry.
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Open AccessArticle
Critical Evaluation of the Cgrain Value™ as a Tool for Rapid Morphometric Phenotyping of Husked Oat (Avena sativa L.) Grains
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David Evershed, Eamon J. Durkan, Rachel Hasler, Fiona Corke, John H. Doonan and Catherine J. Howarth
Seeds 2024, 3(3), 436-455; https://doi.org/10.3390/seeds3030030 - 22 Aug 2024
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Mechanised non-contact, non-destructive imaging methodologies have revolutionised plant phenotyping, increasing throughput well beyond what was possible using traditional manual methods. Quantifying the variation in post-harvest material such as seeds and fruits, usually the economically important part of the crop, can be critical for
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Mechanised non-contact, non-destructive imaging methodologies have revolutionised plant phenotyping, increasing throughput well beyond what was possible using traditional manual methods. Quantifying the variation in post-harvest material such as seeds and fruits, usually the economically important part of the crop, can be critical for commercial quality assessment as well as breeding and research. Therefore, reliable methods that gather metrics of interest, quickly and efficiently, are of widespread interest across sectors. This study focuses on evaluating the phenotyping capabilities of the Cgrain Value™, a novel grain imaging machine designed for quality and purity assessment and used primarily in commercial cereal production and processing. The performance of the Cgrain Value™ in its generation of high-throughput quantitative phenotypic data is compared with a well-established machine, MARVIN, assessing repeatability and reproducibility across a range of metrics. The findings highlight the potential of the Cgrain Value™, and some shortcomings, to provide detailed three-dimensional size, shape, and colour information rapidly, offering insights into oat grain morphology that could enhance genome-wide association studies and inform the breeding efforts in oat improvement programmes.
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Open AccessArticle
Enhancement of In Vitro Seed Germination, Growth, and Root Development in Two Sideritis Species through GA3 Application and Diverse LED Light Conditions
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Virginia Sarropoulou, Katerina Grigoriadou, Eleni Maloupa and Paschalina Chatzopoulou
Seeds 2024, 3(3), 411-435; https://doi.org/10.3390/seeds3030029 - 21 Aug 2024
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The Sideritis genus includes over 150 species primarily found in the Mediterranean basin, including the S. clandestina subsp. pelopponesiaca from the Peloponnese and S. scardica from North and Central Greece. In vitro seed germination has proven effective for conserving and amplifying the genetic
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The Sideritis genus includes over 150 species primarily found in the Mediterranean basin, including the S. clandestina subsp. pelopponesiaca from the Peloponnese and S. scardica from North and Central Greece. In vitro seed germination has proven effective for conserving and amplifying the genetic diversity of endangered species such as Sideritis. This study aimed to optimize in vitro germination and seedling growth of S. scardica and S. clandestina subsp. pelopponesiaca under different lighting conditions at 22 °C, including white fluorescent lamps (WFL-BG-40) and LEDs (LED-BGYOR-40, LED-BR-40, LED-BR-80, LED-BR-120) all under a 16-h light/8-h dark photoperiod (WFL: white fluorescent light, B:blue, G:green, Y:yellow, O:orange, R:red, 40–80–120 μmol m−2 s−1), along with a 24-h dark treatment. The results indicated that LED-BR-80 combined with 250 mg L−1 GA3 in the MS medium promoted best germination (40%, day 55) and shoot proliferation in S. clandestina subsp. pelopponesiaca. Conversely, 5-year-old cold stratified S. scardica seeds showed higher germination rates (80%) and robust seedling growth under LED-BGYOR-40 with 250 mg L−1 GA3, particularly thriving in LED-BR-120 for increased shoot height and root number. This is the first report of the efficacy of LED technology in optimizing in vitro conditions for Sideritis species, crucial for their conservation and sustainable commercial cultivation.
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Open AccessArticle
Evaluation of Short-Season Soybean (Glycine max (L.) Merr.) Breeding Lines for Tofu Production
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Mehri Hadinezhad, Simon Lackey and Elroy R. Cober
Seeds 2024, 3(3), 393-410; https://doi.org/10.3390/seeds3030028 - 14 Aug 2024
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Soybean breeding programs targeting tofu quality must evaluate their performance within zones of adaptation. A comprehensive study was carried out to examine soybean breeding lines from three maturity groups (MGs; MG0, MG00, and MG000) from 2018 to 2022. Several agronomic, chemical composition and
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Soybean breeding programs targeting tofu quality must evaluate their performance within zones of adaptation. A comprehensive study was carried out to examine soybean breeding lines from three maturity groups (MGs; MG0, MG00, and MG000) from 2018 to 2022. Several agronomic, chemical composition and tofu-related quality traits were evaluated, and the associations among traits were investigated. The results showed that genotypes in MG0 yielded higher and matured later, which confirmed that the selection of targeted genotypes for a specific maturity group was successful. Non-imbibed “stone seeds”, an important quality trait for tofu processors, were higher in MG000 lines. Tofu texture using both GDL and MgCl2 coagulants was positively associated, indicating one coagulant might be enough for screening purposes. The MG by traits biplot showed very clear MG clustering for all genotypes tested from 2018 to 2022, signifying that the MG has a more pronounced effect on the investigated traits than the environmental effects seen in different years, regardless of the MG. Most tofu-related traits were higher and showed stronger associations in MG0 lines compared to the lines in earlier MGs, indicating a need for future effort in shorter season MGs. Overall, this study provided useful information for selecting soybean lines for tofu end-use application targeting specific MGs.
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Open AccessArticle
Effect of Culture Temperatures on the Initial Growth Performance of Seedlings Germinated from Cryostored Seeds of a Tropical Tree Parkia nitida Miq. (Fabaceae, Mimosoideae)
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Tsuyoshi E. Maruyama, Momi Tsuruta and Tokunori Mori
Seeds 2024, 3(3), 381-392; https://doi.org/10.3390/seeds3030027 - 17 Jul 2024
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Seedling growth is one of the most important stages for the establishment of natural and artificial regeneration. For the first time, the initial growth and biomass allocation of seedlings germinated from cryostored seeds of Parkia nitida were analyzed. P. nitida is an economically
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Seedling growth is one of the most important stages for the establishment of natural and artificial regeneration. For the first time, the initial growth and biomass allocation of seedlings germinated from cryostored seeds of Parkia nitida were analyzed. P. nitida is an economically and ecologically important timber tree species distributed in Central and South America. Cryostored seeds germinated quickly after priming by scarifying a part of the seedcoat with emery paper, reaching a germination percentage of 94%. Thirteen weeks after germination, the seedlings grew to a height of 16.5 to 60.0 cm. The results of our study, under different day/night alternating culture temperatures, showed that culture temperature had a direct correlation with seedling growth, total biomass allocation, and biomass partitioning. The greatest growth (height, diameter, and number of node sections) and greatest biomass allocation (leaf, stem, and root weight) were recorded under alternating temperatures of 30/25 °C, and these decreased with decreasing culture temperatures to 25/20 °C and 20/15 °C. Shoot:Root (S:R) ratios also decreased with decreasing culture temperatures, but a statistically significant difference (p < 0.05) was only observed between 20/15 °C and 30/25 °C. However, significant differences were not observed in Photosynthetic:Non-photosynthetic organ ratios among the different alternating culture temperatures. This study provides fundamental information for the production of good-quality seedlings of the fast-growing tropical trees of the legume family.
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Open AccessArticle
An In-Depth Examination into How Genotype, Planting Density, and Time of Sowing Affect Key Phytochemical Constituents in Nigella sativa Seed
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Parbat Raj Thani, Joel B. Johnson, Surya Bhattarai, Tieneke Trotter, Kerry Walsh, Daniel Broszczak and Mani Naiker
Seeds 2024, 3(3), 357-380; https://doi.org/10.3390/seeds3030026 - 12 Jul 2024
Cited by 1
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Nigella sativa, also known as black cumin, is esteemed for its rich reservoir of health-benefitting phytoconstituents nestled within its seeds. The composition of its seeds can be influenced by factors such as genotype diversity and agricultural practices. Understanding these dynamics is important
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Nigella sativa, also known as black cumin, is esteemed for its rich reservoir of health-benefitting phytoconstituents nestled within its seeds. The composition of its seeds can be influenced by factors such as genotype diversity and agricultural practices. Understanding these dynamics is important for maximizing the nutritional and medicinal attributes of the seeds. This study investigated how different genotypes, growing densities, and sowing times affect oil yield and phytoconstituents of Nigella seeds in Northern Australia. The aim was to find the optimal combination of these factors to maximize desirable compounds. Our findings revealed variability in oil yield and phytoconstituents among different genotypes, growing densities, and sowing times. No single genotype stood out as having elevated levels of all desired compounds. For instance, genotype AVTKS#5 had high total phenolic content (TPC) and antioxidant capacity, while AVTKS#8 and AVTKS#7 excelled in thymoquinone (TQ) and polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) and monounsaturated fatty acids (MUFAs), respectively. Planting density had a nuanced impact, with no significant effect on oil yield and CUPRAC values, but higher densities decreased TPC, FRAP, and TQ. Interestingly, seeds cultivated at 20 and 30 plants/m2 had higher ratios of MUFAs/SFAs, PUFAs/SFAs, and (MUFAs + PUFAs)/SFAs, indicating the importance of planting density in shaping fatty acid profiles. Sowing times also had a noticeable effect, with late sowing leading to a decrease in oil yield from 19% to 14%. May-sown seeds had higher TPC, FRAP, CUPRAC, and fatty acid ratios, while TQ levels peaked in June-sown seeds. Our study highlighted positive correlations among TPC, FRAP, CUPRAC, and TQ, emphasizing their collective contribution to the nutritional and medicinal potency of Nigella seeds. Fatty acids, on the other hand, showed no significant correlation with these parameters, indicating independent regulation. In summary, our comprehensive analysis provides insights into the factors (genotype and agronomic practice) that shape the phytochemical profile of Nigella seeds, and suggests better genotype, planting density, and time of sowing for the cultivation and quality production.
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Open AccessArticle
Effect of Melatonin on Germination and Seedling Growth in Aging Seeds or under Drought Conditions
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Isabel García-Cánovas, Manuela Giraldo-Acosta, Antonio Cano, Marino B. Arnao and Josefa Hernández-Ruiz
Seeds 2024, 3(3), 341-356; https://doi.org/10.3390/seeds3030025 - 4 Jul 2024
Abstract
Seed germination (GS) and seedling growth are vital plant stages that can be affected by stresses such as drought and aging, which cause deterioration and reduce seed viability. With the aim of homogenizing and improving GS, priming treatments with biostimulants such as the
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Seed germination (GS) and seedling growth are vital plant stages that can be affected by stresses such as drought and aging, which cause deterioration and reduce seed viability. With the aim of homogenizing and improving GS, priming treatments with biostimulants such as the antioxidant melatonin are commonly used in seeds. In this study, the effects of melatonin on germination and seedling growth in two different situations, i.e., aging seeds of rice, barley, and sorghum and under polyethylene glycol (PEG)-induced drought stress in sorghum, were studied. Aged seeds were primed for 7 days in different concentrations of melatonin, and drought stress seeds were primed for 24 h before PEG treatment for 7 days, and germination and initial growth parameters were monitored. Aging-seeds of rice and barley showed the maximum response in terms of germination percentage at 20 µM melatonin and 0.05 µM respectively; while aging-seeds of sorghum showed improvement in germination for practically all concentrations studied, even the highest tested at 50 µM. Regarding the effect of melatonin treatments on drought stress in sorghum seeds, all the studied parameters showed a significant attenuation of the adverse effects of drought stress, alleviating them, for all concentrations tested but especially at 200 µM melatonin. The results obtained confirm that priming seeds with melatonin under low germinability conditions relieves stress and improves both germination and seedling growth.
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(This article belongs to the Special Issue Seed Priming Approaches That Achieve Environmental Stress Tolerance)
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Open AccessArticle
Tissue-Specific Accumulation Profiles of Phorbol Esters in Response to Abiotic and Biotic Stresses in Jatropha curcas
by
Wei Zhang, Lei Wei, Shijuan Li, Fang Chen and Ying Xu
Seeds 2024, 3(3), 324-340; https://doi.org/10.3390/seeds3030024 - 2 Jul 2024
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Jatropha curcas L. (J. curcas), a shrub plant of the Euphorbiaceae family, has received enormous attention as a promising biofuel plant for the production of biodiesel and medical potential in ethnopharmacology. However, the tumor-promoter toxin phorbol esters present in J. curcas
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Jatropha curcas L. (J. curcas), a shrub plant of the Euphorbiaceae family, has received enormous attention as a promising biofuel plant for the production of biodiesel and medical potential in ethnopharmacology. However, the tumor-promoter toxin phorbol esters present in J. curcas raise concerns for health and environmental risk as its large-scale cultivation limits the use of meal obtained after oil extraction for animal feed. Here, we determined the variation of phorbol ester profiles and contents in eight J. curcas tissues by high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) and found phorbol esters present in all parts of the plant except the seed shell. We showed tissue-specific patterns of accumulation of phorbol esters and associated terpenoids at the transcriptional level with high transcript levels in reproductive and young tissues. Genes involved in the same module of terpenoids biosynthesis were positively correlated. We further present diverse abiotic and biotic stresses that had different effects on the accumulation of transcripts in terpenoids shared and branched terpenoid pathways in plant seedlings. The fine-tuning of terpenoids biosynthesis may link with ecological functions in plants under extreme environments and defense against pathogens.
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Open AccessArticle
Study of Grapevine (Vitis vinifera L.) Seed Morphometry and Comparison with Archaeological Remains in Central Apennines
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Valter Di Cecco, Aurelio Manzi, Camillo Zulli, Michele Di Musciano, Angelo Antonio D’Archivio, Marco Di Santo, Guido Palmerini and Luciano Di Martino
Seeds 2024, 3(3), 311-323; https://doi.org/10.3390/seeds3030023 - 27 Jun 2024
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Studying the evolution of seed morphology and, in turn, the evolution of cultivars across time and space is of fundamental importance to agriculture and archaeology. The identification of ancient and modern grapevine (Vitis vinifera L.) cultivars is essential for understanding the historical
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Studying the evolution of seed morphology and, in turn, the evolution of cultivars across time and space is of fundamental importance to agriculture and archaeology. The identification of ancient and modern grapevine (Vitis vinifera L.) cultivars is essential for understanding the historical evolution of grape cultivation. Grape seed morphology provides valuable information to explore the evolution of grape cultivars over time and space. The main aim of our study was to build a comprehensive regional database of grape seed morphological traits from modern and archaeological wine cultivars and wild grape species. We aimed to identify which seeds of modern grape cultivars exhibited morphological similarities to archaeological cultivars. This study focused on fifteen distinct modern types of seeds and two archaeological samples from the Byzantine-to-Early Medieval period. We acquired digital images of seeds using a flatbed scanner. For each sample, 100 seeds were randomly selected, and morphometric data on each seed were gathered using ImageJ. Differences among the seed cultivars were investigated using linear discriminant analysis. Archaeological seeds were found to be more similar to cultivated V. vinifera cultivars rather than V. sylvestris populations. Among the cultivated cultivars, Sangiovese and Tosta antica resulted to be cultivars most similar cultivars to the archaeological ones. The morphometric analysis of grape seeds proved to be a valuable resource for investigating the evolution of vine cultivars throughout history. Combining image analysis techniques with genetic data will open new perspectives for studying the origins of and variations in grape cultivars, contributing to the conservation and enhancement of viticultural heritage.
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(This article belongs to the Special Issue Application of Imaging and Artificial Intelligence in Seed Research)
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Open AccessArticle
Morphometric Analysis of Grape Seeds: Looking for the Origin of Spanish Cultivars
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Francisco Emanuel Espinosa-Roldán, José Luis Rodríguez-Lorenzo, José Javier Martín-Gómez, Ángel Tocino, Víctor Ruiz Martínez, Adrián Remón Elola, Félix Cabello Sáenz de Santamaría, Fernando Martínez de Toda, Emilio Cervantes and Gregorio Muñoz-Organero
Seeds 2024, 3(3), 286-310; https://doi.org/10.3390/seeds3030022 - 24 Jun 2024
Abstract
The Vitis IMIDRA collection contains 3699 entries, representing a significant percentage of the variation in traditional and commercial Vitis cultivars used in Spain. The classification and identification of new entries are currently conducted based on ampelography and molecular methods. Here, we propose a
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The Vitis IMIDRA collection contains 3699 entries, representing a significant percentage of the variation in traditional and commercial Vitis cultivars used in Spain. The classification and identification of new entries are currently conducted based on ampelography and molecular methods. Here, we propose a new method of classification of the cultivars based on seed morphology and its application to a total of 224 varieties from the collection. Based on seed shape, fourteen groups have been defined according to the similarity of the seeds, with geometric figures used as models. The new models are Cariñena Blanca, Chardonnay, Parraleta, and Parduca, defining new groups to be added to the ten groups previously described. The study results in 14 groups comprising the Spanish cultivar’s seed shape and morphological variation. Seed morphology can help to identify varieties cultivated in the past through archaeological finds.
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(This article belongs to the Special Issue Application of Imaging and Artificial Intelligence in Seed Research)
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Open AccessArticle
Pollination and Seed Production of Lavandula angustifolia Mill. (Lamiaceae)
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Sam S. Ingram, Tyler M. Wilson, Joseph S. Wilson, Emma A. Ziebarth, MaKenna C. Johnson, Jacob G. Young and Richard E. Carlson
Seeds 2024, 3(2), 276-285; https://doi.org/10.3390/seeds3020021 - 13 Jun 2024
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Lavandula angustifolia Mill., lavender, is an aromatic plant in the Lamiaceae family. Lavender is an important economic plant that is cultivated throughout the world. Previous studies have shown that the primary pollinators of lavender in Europe and North Africa are bee species, specifically
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Lavandula angustifolia Mill., lavender, is an aromatic plant in the Lamiaceae family. Lavender is an important economic plant that is cultivated throughout the world. Previous studies have shown that the primary pollinators of lavender in Europe and North Africa are bee species, specifically Bombus spp. However, similar studies have not been previously performed in North America. The current study, on cultivated population lavender (grown from seed) in Utah (USA), found a diverse community of bees visiting lavender over a 4-week sequential and successive blooming period. The observed and identified bees were distinguished across 8 genera and 12 species, of which 3 were species not native to North America. The most observed bees were Apis mellifera (88.3%), Bombus fervidus (4.2%), and B. huntii (3.7%). To investigate seed production and viability, lavender plants were either caged off and their access withheld from pollinators, or selectively granted access to various pollinators, to determine (1) if lavender is capable of self-pollination, (2) if pollination increases both the seed production rates and seed viability of lavender, and (3) which bee species are the most efficient pollinators of lavender. The findings from this study demonstrate the ecological interactions between pollinators both native and non-native to North America on lavender, a plant native to the Mediterranean region.
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Open AccessCommunication
Inheritance and Response to Selection for Seed Weight Using the Large Seeded Landrace Oman 2 of Lucerne
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John A. G. Irwin and Michael J. Havey
Seeds 2024, 3(2), 269-275; https://doi.org/10.3390/seeds3020020 - 31 May 2024
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Seed weight in lucerne (Medicago sativa) may affect subsequent seedling vigour and stand establishment. A landrace of lucerne (Oman 2) from Oman has a 100-seed weight over 60% larger than the largest seeded parent used in previous studies. Crosses were made
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Seed weight in lucerne (Medicago sativa) may affect subsequent seedling vigour and stand establishment. A landrace of lucerne (Oman 2) from Oman has a 100-seed weight over 60% larger than the largest seeded parent used in previous studies. Crosses were made between Oman 2 and the smaller-seeded cultivar Titan 9, and segregating families were produced for genetic analysis and measurement of response to selection for seed size. There were significant differences in 100-seed weights between the parents (Oman 2 and Titan 9) and subsequent families. Regression of 100-seed weights of F2 families versus F1 parents was highly significant (p < 0.001), as well as 100-seed weights of the F3 families versus F1 parents. Analysis of diallel crossing among large and small-seeded F1 plants revealed highly significant general (GCAs) and specific (SCAs) combining abilities, as well as highly significant reciprocals. The GCA effect was much greater than the SCA effect with a GCA/SCA ratio of 15.9. This large ratio agrees with the significant regression coefficients and indicates that 100-seed weight in lucerne has high heritability. The significance of reciprocals was due to a large maternal effect in which large-seeded maternal parents produced progenies with significantly larger seeds relative to small-seeded parents. These results indicate that large-seeded plants should be used as the maternal parents in crosses and for recurrent selection to increase the seed size of progenies.
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Open AccessArticle
Studies on the Germination and Emergence of Castor Seedlings
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Liv S. Severino
Seeds 2024, 3(2), 251-268; https://doi.org/10.3390/seeds3020019 - 25 May 2024
Abstract
Castor (Ricinus communis) is an oilseed usually cultivated in tropical and semi-arid conditions. The slow and uneven germination of castor seed is causing poor crop establishment and reduced seed yield. This series of studies investigated several factors influencing the time for
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Castor (Ricinus communis) is an oilseed usually cultivated in tropical and semi-arid conditions. The slow and uneven germination of castor seed is causing poor crop establishment and reduced seed yield. This series of studies investigated several factors influencing the time for castor seed germination and seedling emergence. Studies were made on the effect of seed coat permeability to water and the influences of temperature, morphology, and the hormone gibberellin. The best temperature for castor seed germination was near 31 °C, and the seed coat was permeable to water. The mechanical resistance of the seed coat was a mechanism controlling the germination of the castor seed. The time for germination was strongly associated with the seed coat relative weight, but it had little influence from other morphological characteristics. After the castor plants were subjected to three cycles of selection for fast germination, the seed weight was reduced, the caruncle became larger, and the seed coat became thinner. Gibberellin applied to the seed promoted a faster and higher germination rate. Pre-germination of the castor seed was not effective for promoting faster seedling emergence. Attempts to improve castor seed germination should integrate the many factors that influence this physiological process.
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(This article belongs to the Topic Advances in Industrial Crops Physioecology and Sustainable Cultivation)
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Open AccessArticle
Enhancing Bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) Resilience: Unveiling the Role of Halopriming against Saltwater Stress
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Ilaria Borromeo, Fabio Domenici, Cristiano Giordani, Maddalena Del Gallo and Cinzia Forni
Seeds 2024, 3(2), 228-250; https://doi.org/10.3390/seeds3020018 - 30 Apr 2024
Cited by 1
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Common bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L.), one of the most important cultivated legumes, requires a high level of water. It is included among the most sensitive species to climate change; drought and salinity cause a reduction in photosynthesis, metabolic and enzymatic alterations, and
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Common bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L.), one of the most important cultivated legumes, requires a high level of water. It is included among the most sensitive species to climate change; drought and salinity cause a reduction in photosynthesis, metabolic and enzymatic alterations, and oxidative stress. To improve crop tolerance to salt, seed priming and acclimation can be useful tools. To test the salt tolerance of beans, a preliminary screening was undertaken on four cultivars of P. vulgaris (Black Turtle, Cargamanto, Bola Roja, Borlotto) by exposing the seeds to different levels of salinity. The salt-sensitive cultivar Borlotto was chosen for experimental greenhouse trials to study the effects of halopriming and acclimation. Primed and non-primed seeds were sown in non-saline soil and acclimated for 2 weeks; then, the plants were watered with non-saline and saline solutions for 4 weeks. At the end of this growth period, the primed plants showed a marked increase in salt stress tolerance, improving the chlorophyll content, phenolic compounds, and many enzymes’ activities, in turn reducing the effect of salt on growth and fruit production compared to the non-primed controls. In conclusion, halopriming can be considered a useful tool to enhance salinity tolerance in beans and other salt-sensitive crops.
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Open AccessReview
Fungal Necrotrophic Interaction: A Case Study of Seed Immune Response to a Seed-Borne Pathogen
by
Mailen Ortega-Cuadros, Sophie Aligon, Tatiana Arias, Aída M. Vasco-Palacios, Cassandre Rosier--Pennevert, Natalia Guschinskaya, Aurélia Rolland and Philippe Grappin
Seeds 2024, 3(2), 216-227; https://doi.org/10.3390/seeds3020017 - 22 Apr 2024
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Seeds play a vital role in the perpetuation of plant species, both in natural environments and agriculture. However, they often face challenges from biotic stresses, such as seed-borne pathogenic fungi. The transgenerational transmission of these seed-borne fungi, along with their dissemination during seed
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Seeds play a vital role in the perpetuation of plant species, both in natural environments and agriculture. However, they often face challenges from biotic stresses, such as seed-borne pathogenic fungi. The transgenerational transmission of these seed-borne fungi, along with their dissemination during seed commercialization, can contribute to the emergence of global epidemic diseases, resulting in substantial economic losses. Despite the recognized impact of seed-borne pathogens on agriculture, our understanding of seed–pathogen interactions remains limited. This review establishes parallels between the current state of knowledge regarding seed responses to pathogen interactions and well-established plant defense models, primarily derived from typical physiological conditions observed during leaf infections. Examining fragmented results from various pathosystems, this review seeks to offer a comprehensive overview of our current understanding of interactions during seed development and germination. The necrotrophic interactions in Brassicaceae are described using recent transcriptomic and genetic studies focused on the Arabidopsis/Alternaria pathosystem, which illustrates original response pathways in germinating seeds that markedly differ from the general concept of plant–pathogen interactions. The co-existence of regulatory mechanisms affecting both seed resistance and susceptibility, potentially promoting fungal colonization, is examined. The vulnerable response during germination emerges as a crucial consideration in the context of sustainable plant health management in agriculture.
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Open AccessArticle
Effects of Marquandomyces marquandii SGSF043 on Maize Growth Promotion and Soil Enzyme Activity
by
Xu Zheng, Bo Zhang, Feng Shi, Yuanlong Chen and Xiumei Zhao
Seeds 2024, 3(2), 203-215; https://doi.org/10.3390/seeds3020016 - 16 Apr 2024
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In order to further clarify the growth-promoting effect of the non-core Metarhizium sp. Marquandomyces marquandii on plants, M. marquandii SGSF043, which was obtained via pre-screening in the laboratory, was selected as a test strain and the seed soaking method was adopted. The effects
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In order to further clarify the growth-promoting effect of the non-core Metarhizium sp. Marquandomyces marquandii on plants, M. marquandii SGSF043, which was obtained via pre-screening in the laboratory, was selected as a test strain and the seed soaking method was adopted. The effects of a fermentation broth obtained from this strain on the seed germination, seedling growth, and rhizosphere soil enzyme activity of maize were studied. The results were as follows: In seed germination tests, M. marquandii SGSF043 fermentation liquid had a certain inhibitory effect on corn seed germination, and the germination rate was only 15%. When the fermentation solution was diluted 10 times, the germination rate reached 97%. After the germination test, the growth of maize plumules was promoted in the groups treated with 10-times and 1000-times dilutions. In the field community experiment, based on the comprehensive evaluation of seedling biomass indicators, the solution diluted 100 times had the best growth-promoting effect. The aboveground fresh weight was increased by 127.13% compared with the control group. The results show that M. marquandii SGSF043 has the potential to promote the growth of maize and improve the soil environment, which provides a theoretical basis for the research on and the application of M. marquandii in farmland.
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Open AccessCommunication
Germination Kinetics of Ferula communis L. Seeds, a Potentially Multipurpose-Use Wild Species
by
Miriam Distefano, Giovanni Avola, Stefano Berti and Ezio Riggi
Seeds 2024, 3(2), 196-202; https://doi.org/10.3390/seeds3020015 - 14 Apr 2024
Abstract
Despite exhibiting intriguing features associated with its multipurpose applications and drought tolerance, Ferula communis remains a wild and uncultivated species, with limited experimental research on its biology, starting from seed germination and extending to its ecology. The purpose of this study was to
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Despite exhibiting intriguing features associated with its multipurpose applications and drought tolerance, Ferula communis remains a wild and uncultivated species, with limited experimental research on its biology, starting from seed germination and extending to its ecology. The purpose of this study was to investigate potential germination and kinetics in F. communis seeds in response to four cold stratification periods (0, 15, 45, and 90 days at a constant temperature of 5 °C) and four temperatures (5, 10, 15, and 20 °C) under continuous darkness. F. communis exhibited a pronounced germination potential exceeding 90%, with the optimal temperature for germination falling within the range of 5 °C to 15 °C, without necessitating cold stratification. A dramatic drop of the germination percentage was observed at 20 °C (<10%), suggesting a form of conditional dormancy attributed to the higher temperature tested.
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(This article belongs to the Special Issue Parameters of Seed Germination in Wild Plant Species)
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Open AccessArticle
Variations in Seed Dormancy Occurrence and Their Classifications in Thirteen Actinidia Species
by
Azadeh Esfandiari, Cara Norling, Ryohei Kaji, Andrew McLachlan, Liya Mathew, Margaret Fleming, Ed Morgan and Jayanthi Nadarajan
Seeds 2024, 3(2), 179-195; https://doi.org/10.3390/seeds3020014 - 22 Mar 2024
Cited by 2
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As differences in seed dormancy between Actinidia species have not been reported previously, in this study we characterized the variation in the dormancy of seeds in 13 kiwifruit species that originated from different regions of China and Taiwan, and for which mature plants
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As differences in seed dormancy between Actinidia species have not been reported previously, in this study we characterized the variation in the dormancy of seeds in 13 kiwifruit species that originated from different regions of China and Taiwan, and for which mature plants are now growing in New Zealand orchards. Dormancy-breaking treatments, including cold-moist stratification, seed coat scarification and soaking in water and gibberellic acid (GA3), were tested for their efficacy in alleviating dormancy and improving final germination and germination rates. In addition, we assessed seed viability using RNA integrity analysis to distinguish dead seeds from dormant seeds. This study identified that dormancy type in Actinidia seeds is species-specific and can be morphological, morphophysiological or a combination of physiological and physical, and that seed RNA integrity is a useful metric to incorporate into seed dormancy studies. Our results also suggest that species originating from colder climates that experience large differences between winter minimum and summer maximum temperatures exhibit physiological dormancy and require cold-moist stratification, contrasting with species originating in milder climates. Interestingly, although not all seeds from all the species were dormant, the proportion of dormant seeds in each species did not correlate to the climatic data of the region from which they originated. These findings provide new insights into mechanisms of seed dormancy in kiwifruit.
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