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Seeds
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Technological Advances in Seed Quality
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Technological Advances in Seed Quality

A special issue of Seeds (ISSN 2674-1024).

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 31 July 2026 | Viewed by 3100

Special Issue Editors

Dr. José Ramón Acosta Motos

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
1. Plant Biotechnology for Food and Agriculture Group (BioVegA2), Universidad Católica San Antonio de Murcia, Avenida de los Jerónimos 135, 30107 Murcia, Spain
2. Plant Biotechnology, Agriculture and Climate Resilience Group, UCAM-CEBAS-CSIC, Associated Unit to CSIC by CEBAS-CSIC, 30100 Murcia, Spain
Interests: plant physiology; stress physiology; abiotic stress; salinity; antioxidative metabolism; water saving strategies; postharvest technology; ornamental plants; rice; fruit trees
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Prof. Dr. Tathiana Elisa Masetto

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
College of Agricultural Sciences, Federal University of Grande Dourados, Dourados 79804-970, MS, Brazil
Interests: seed technology; seed physiology; seed priming; seed quality; yield

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Seed science plays a key role in increasing the sustainability of agricultural activities and conserving ecosystems that are under threat, particularly from climate change. Significant technological advances are gaining ground in agriculture, promoting increased food security alongside global efforts to increase the efficient use of natural resources. In this context, seeds are the main means of transferring technology to agriculture and providing food and raw materials that are essential for the survival of humanity. Thus, seed quality is fundamental to high agronomic performance and the maintenance of biodiversity. This Special Issue of Seeds, “Technological Advances in Seed Quality”, aims to disseminate unpublished research on technologies and the molecular, physiological, and genetic mechanisms that govern the quality of seeds of species that are important for the economy and biodiversity.

Dr. José Ramón Acosta-Motos
Prof. Dr. Tathiana Elisa Masetto
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 250 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for assessment.

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. Seeds 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 1200 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

  • domestication
  • molecular biology
  • post-harvest seeds
  • seed physiology
  • seed priming
  • seed quality
  • yield

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Further information on MDPI's Special Issue policies can be found here.

Published Papers (3 papers)

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Research

30 pages, 5674 KB  
Article
Cytoplasmic Male Sterility Enhances Hybrid Seed Production Efficiency in Eggplant
by Konstantinos Krommydas, Athanasios Mavromatis, Fotios Bletsos and Demetrios Roupakias
Seeds 2026, 5(3), 24; https://doi.org/10.3390/seeds5030024 - 27 Apr 2026
Viewed by 438
Abstract
The utilization of cytoplasmic male sterility (CMS) is essential in hybrid seed production; however, its operational value in eggplant is insufficiently documented under practical conditions. This study compared CMS-based and conventional (non-CMS) hybridization systems with respect to flower production, flower functionality, and hybrid [...] Read more.
The utilization of cytoplasmic male sterility (CMS) is essential in hybrid seed production; however, its operational value in eggplant is insufficiently documented under practical conditions. This study compared CMS-based and conventional (non-CMS) hybridization systems with respect to flower production, flower functionality, and hybrid seed production efficiency, quantified as seed and viable seedling output per unit time, in three eggplant cultivars (‘Emi’, ‘Langada’, and ‘Tsakoniki’) in intra- and interspecific crosses. CMS did not affect total flower production or inflorescence architecture, which were primarily genotype-dependent. However, it altered flower opening, resulting in genotype- and position-dependent proportions of semi-opened and closed flowers at anthesis. Despite this effect, sufficient flowers suitable for hybridization remained available across all genotypes. CMS substantially simplified the hybridization process by eliminating emasculation, reducing flower manipulation time by approximately 55%, and increasing crossing rate by nearly twofold. Importantly, CMS did not negatively affect female fertility, as indicated by comparable percentages of successful crosses and high seed germination rates across cytoplasmic backgrounds. Seed production per fruit was moderately but significantly increased in intraspecific crosses, while it remained comparable between CMS and non-CMS systems for the interspecific crosses. As a result, CMS significantly increased hybrid seed output and effective seedling production per unit time in intraspecific crosses, while similar trends were observed in interspecific crosses, with gains ranging from 86% to 184% depending on genotype and pollen parent. Overall, this study demonstrates, from an operational perspective, that CMS enhances the efficiency of eggplant hybrid seed production by reducing labor requirements and increasing output per unit time without compromising reproductive performance. These findings highlight the practical value of CMS as a tool for improving hybrid seed production systems, including applications in both commercial hybrid development and rootstock breeding. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Technological Advances in Seed Quality)
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11 pages, 2979 KB  
Article
First Report of Viviparity in Seeds of the Physically Dormant Species Hymenaea martiana (Fabaceae)
by Joyce Naiara da Silva, Guilherme Vinícius Gonçalves de Pádua, Caroline Marques Rodrigues, Eduardo Luã Fernandes da Silva, Aline das Graças Souza and Edna Ursulino Alves
Seeds 2026, 5(2), 19; https://doi.org/10.3390/seeds5020019 - 22 Mar 2026
Viewed by 537
Abstract
Viviparity is rarely reported in species with seed physical dormancy. This is because physical dormancy, common in tropical trees, results from the impermeability of the seed tegument to water and regulates the timing of germination. Records of germination within the fruit in such [...] Read more.
Viviparity is rarely reported in species with seed physical dormancy. This is because physical dormancy, common in tropical trees, results from the impermeability of the seed tegument to water and regulates the timing of germination. Records of germination within the fruit in such species suggest greater functional plasticity than traditionally assumed. This study reports and quantifies viviparity in Hymenaea martiana seeds over four consecutive years (2019–2022) and assessed seed dormancy status through vigor tests. Sixty fruits were collected annually, and viviparity was estimated as the proportion of fruits containing at least one seed with radicle protrusion. Non-viviparous seeds were subjected to emergence tests with and without mechanical scarification, and cumulative emergence, percentages of dead and water-impermeable seeds, and seed water content were evaluated. Viviparity occurred consistently, affecting approximately 10–15% of the fruits, with no significant differences between years, indicating that the phenomenon was not associated with extreme environmental events. However, early germination did not result in seedling establishment because the emerging roots dehydrated while still inside the fruit. Mechanical scarification significantly increased emergence, confirming the presence of seed physical dormancy. These results show that, although viviparity was observed recurrently in the studied population of H. martiana, seed physical dormancy remains the main mechanism controlling germination in this species. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Technological Advances in Seed Quality)
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21 pages, 2079 KB  
Article
Application of Morphometric and Chemometric Techniques to Analyze the Influence of Climate and Soil Type on the Morphological, Proximate, and Fatty Acid Fingerprints of Moringa (Moringa oleifera Lam.) Seeds Cultivated in Different States of Mexico
by Rafael Ruiz-Hernández, Arturo Pérez-Vázquez, Fredy Morales-Trejo, Gustavo López-Romero, José Roberto Bautista-Aguilar, Mario Alejandro Hernández-Chontal, Emmanuel de Jesús Ramírez-Rivera, Oliver Salas-Valdez and Adán Cabal-Prieto
Seeds 2026, 5(2), 18; https://doi.org/10.3390/seeds5020018 - 14 Mar 2026
Viewed by 1330
Abstract
The objective of this research was to apply morphometric and chemometric techniques to analyze the influence of climate and soil type on the morphological, proximate, and fatty acid fingerprints of moringa (Moringa oleifera Lam.) seeds cultivated in different regions of Mexico. Seeds [...] Read more.
The objective of this research was to apply morphometric and chemometric techniques to analyze the influence of climate and soil type on the morphological, proximate, and fatty acid fingerprints of moringa (Moringa oleifera Lam.) seeds cultivated in different regions of Mexico. Seeds were collected from the states of Chiapas, Michoacán, Nuevo León, Oaxaca, Veracruz, and Yucatán. The morphological traits of the seeds were evaluated, while the proximate composition and fatty acid profiles of the seed flours were analyzed using gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (GC–MS). Data were assessed through analysis of variance (ANOVA) and linear discriminant analysis to develop their fingerprint profiles. The results showed that the morphological variables that constituted the climate-based morphological fingerprint were seed length, width, seed weight, and kernel weight, whereas for the soil type-based fingerprint, only seed length was significant. Regarding the proximate chemical composition, all variables (fat, ash, moisture, and protein), except fiber content, were influenced by both climate and soil type, forming the proximate chemical fingerprint. The fatty acid fingerprint consisted of 21 compounds, with oleic, behenic, stearic, palmitic, and arachidic acids present in the highest concentrations. The fingerprints obtained from the different determinations were confirmed through cross-validation values exceeding 50%, according to the linear discriminant analysis validation technique. The fatty acid and proximate composition determinations showed the highest classification values (83–100%) and contributed most significantly to ensuring the fingerprinting of moringa seeds cultivated in Mexico. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Technological Advances in Seed Quality)
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