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Agronomy
Special Issues
Effective Methods for Improving Seed Germination and Seed Quality
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Effective Methods for Improving Seed Germination and Seed Quality

A special issue of Agronomy (ISSN 2073-4395). This special issue belongs to the section "Agricultural Biosystem and Biological Engineering".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (30 June 2022) | Viewed by 32728

Special Issue Editors

Dr. Susana de Sousa Araujo

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Association BLC3—Campus of Technology and Innovation, Centre BIO R&D Unit | North Delegation, Rua Comendador Emílio Augusto Pires, Edifício Side Up, 5340-257 Macedo de Cavaleiros, Portugal
Interests: agricultural innovation; abiotic stress responses; omics approaches; seed development and germination; seed technology
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Dr. Anca Macovei

E-Mail Website
Co-Guest Editor
Department of Biology and Biotechnology “L. Spallanzani”, University of Pavia, 27100 Pavia, Italy
Interests: DNA damage response (DDR); microRNAs; abiotic stress response; systems biology; seed biology
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Seed germination is a complex biological process that, in orthodox seeds, starts with the uptake of water by the quiescent dry seed and ends with radicle protrusion through the seed coat. Ensuring that seeds are healthy, with high germinability and vigor, is a crucial requirement for crop yield, quality and, ultimately, food security. Despite the significant advances made on model plants, there is still a considerable knowledge gap regarding the molecular and physiological mechanisms underlying dormancy breaking, germination, and seed vigor in pulses and horticultural species. Similarly, the effect of harsh environmental conditions—presently exacerbated by the climate change scenario—on these physiological processes remains to be elucidated. The identification of new molecular players and metabolic and regulatory pathways contributing to successful crop establishment in the field is a crucial requirement to boost innovation in the seed and agricultural sector. The quest for new seed priming protocols and coating formulations is relevant to boosting competitiveness in the seed industry and bringing differentiated high-quality seeds to the market.

For this Special Issue, excellent review and original research articles dealing with various fundamental research aspects of seed germination and vigor as well as their implications on the agricultural and seed production sectors are welcomed. Manuscripts should address, but are not restricted to, the following topics:

  • Genetic and epigenetic mechanisms controlling dormancy breaking and germination.
  • Breeding approaches for enhancing seed germination and vigor.
  • Ecological aspects of seed germination.
  • Molecular, physiological, and metabolic mechanisms governing seed germination and response to invigoration treatments.
  • Chemical, green, and biological-based seed treatments (priming, coatings, pelleting, biostimulants) to enhance seed quality.
  • Effect of biotic and abiotic stresses on seed germination: prospects for the quest of new molecular targets for enhancing crop productivity under climate change.
  • Maintenance of genome integrity: implications for seed vigor and longevity
  • Developing new methodologies to assess seed quality and seedling establishment.
  • Seed genetic and genomic resources.

Dr. Susana de Sousa Araujo
Dr. Anca Macovei
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

  • seed germination
  • seed vigor
  • seed technology
  • seed quality
  • genetic, molecular, and physiological mechanisms
  • maintenance of genome integrity
  • innovation in seed treatments

Published Papers (6 papers)

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Research

23 pages, 1942 KiB  
Article
Seed Soaking with Sodium Selenate as a Biofortification Approach in Bread Wheat: Effects on Germination, Seedling Emergence, Biomass and Responses to Water Deficit
by Luís Rocha, Ermelinda Silva, Ivo Pavia, Helena Ferreira, Carlos Matos, José M. Osca, José Moutinho-Pereira and José Lima-Brito
Agronomy 2022, 12(8), 1975; https://doi.org/10.3390/agronomy12081975 - 21 Aug 2022
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 2008
Abstract
Selenium (Se) biofortification by seed treatments has been poorly explored in wheat due to the difficulties in establishing seed treatments without compromising plant productive traits. We investigated the effects of Se seed soaking as a pre-sowing treatment in bread wheat. Five soaking periods [...] Read more.
Selenium (Se) biofortification by seed treatments has been poorly explored in wheat due to the difficulties in establishing seed treatments without compromising plant productive traits. We investigated the effects of Se seed soaking as a pre-sowing treatment in bread wheat. Five soaking periods and six Se concentrations were assessed on germination and seedling traits and compared to unsoaked seeds. Twelve hours of soaking was found beneficial for most tested Se concentrations. Then, we evaluated the effects of untreated, 0, 2.5 and 25 mM Se in 12 h seed soaking treatments along the wheat crop cycle under water-deficit (WD) and well-watered (WW) conditions in a pot experiment. Our results evidenced that 12 h of 2.5 mM Se soaking did not affect the germination percentage, and speed-up seedling emergence resulted in a considerable Se seed uptake. These plants also displayed enhanced antioxidant capacity and vegetative biomass accumulation, especially under WD. The treatment with 25 mM of Se negatively affected aerial biomass, suggesting potential toxicity. Physiological responses of Se-treated plants remained unchanged, as well as grain traits. Altogether, we propose that 12 h soaking with 2.5 mM Se is a promissory pre-sowing approach to enrich bread wheat grain and straw, particularly under water-limited environments. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Effective Methods for Improving Seed Germination and Seed Quality)
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19 pages, 2494 KiB  
Article
Treatment of Winter Wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) Seeds with Electromagnetic Field Influences Germination and Phytohormone Balance Depending on Seed Size
by Daniele Cecchetti, Agnieszka Pawełek, Joanna Wyszkowska, Marcel Antoszewski and Adriana Szmidt-Jaworska
Agronomy 2022, 12(6), 1423; https://doi.org/10.3390/agronomy12061423 - 13 Jun 2022
Cited by 3 | Viewed by 4531
Abstract
Electromagnetic field (EMF) and its effect on crop plant growth and their quality parameters is increasingly gaining the interest of researchers in agronomic science. However, the exact mechanism of EMF action in plant cells is still unclear. Among the completely unexplored parameters is [...] Read more.
Electromagnetic field (EMF) and its effect on crop plant growth and their quality parameters is increasingly gaining the interest of researchers in agronomic science. However, the exact mechanism of EMF action in plant cells is still unclear. Among the completely unexplored parameters is the relationship between the EMF effects and the seed size. Thus, the EMF effect was analyzed in winter wheat seeds categorized into two size groups, small and big. The study focused on the germination kinetics, early growth parameters, and phytohormone concentrations (indole-3-acetic acid, IAA and abscisic acid, ABA) in seeds, roots, and coleoptiles after exposure to EMFs (50 Hz, 7 mT) and their controls. EMF exposure resulted in faster germination and the more rapid early growth of organs, especially in big seeds in dark conditions. The faster germination and seedling growth of small seeds in control conditions, and of big seeds after EMF exposure, corresponds largely to the decline in IAA and ABA levels. This study confirms that presowing treatment with an EMF is a promising tool for sustainable seed crop improvement, but detailed studies on the EMF mechanism of action, including phytohormones, are necessary to better control future crop yield, especially considering the factor of seed size. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Effective Methods for Improving Seed Germination and Seed Quality)
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18 pages, 2025 KiB  
Article
Germination and Growth Performance of Water-Saving and Drought-Resistant Rice Enhanced by Seed Treatment with Wood Vinegar and Biochar under Dry Direct-Seeded System
by Kangkang Zhang, Zaid Khan, Jiahuan Liu, Tao Luo, Kunmiao Zhu, Liyong Hu, Junguo Bi and Lijun Luo
Agronomy 2022, 12(5), 1223; https://doi.org/10.3390/agronomy12051223 - 19 May 2022
Cited by 12 | Viewed by 3141
Abstract
Dry direct-seeded rice (dry-DSR) is an efficient, resource-saving and environmentally friendly cropping system. The employment of water-saving and drought-resistant rice (WDR) for dry direct-seeding can better meet the needs of dry-direct seeding systems. However, the decline in seedling emergence rate and poor seedling [...] Read more.
Dry direct-seeded rice (dry-DSR) is an efficient, resource-saving and environmentally friendly cropping system. The employment of water-saving and drought-resistant rice (WDR) for dry direct-seeding can better meet the needs of dry-direct seeding systems. However, the decline in seedling emergence rate and poor seedling growth are the main bottlenecks under current direct-seeded rice production. Seed treatment is a sustainable and effective technique to overcome these issues. Therefore, growth chamber and field experiments were conducted to assess the impact of poplar wood vinegar (WV) priming and rice straw biochar (BC) coating on emergence, establishment, growth, physio-biochemical events, and ultimate yield. We treated the seeds of WDR viz., Hanyou 73 with WV, BC, and co-treatment WV + BC. The results showed that seed priming with 1:50 WV concentration and coating with 20% BC content was the optimal ratio for promoting germination and seedling growth. The field evaluation indicated that individual WV and BC markedly promoted the final emergence by 58% and 31%, respectively, while co-treatment WV + BC increased by 67%. Likewise, WV and BC significantly enhanced total seedling biomass by 26% and 10%, respectively, and the respective enhancement of WV + BC was 31%. For ultimate yield, WV and BC produced 12% and 19% higher grain yield, respectively, whereas WV + BC yielded 20%. The above results revealed that WV and WV + BC were the most effective treatment. Our findings may provide new avenues for advancing pre-sowing seed treatments facilitating the stand establishment and grain yield of dry direct-seeded rice. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Effective Methods for Improving Seed Germination and Seed Quality)
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15 pages, 4617 KiB  
Article
Phenotyping of Southern United States Soybean Cultivars for Potential Seed Weight and Seed Quality Compositions
by Raju Bheemanahalli, Sadikshya Poudel, Firas A. Alsajri and Kambham Raja Reddy
Agronomy 2022, 12(4), 839; https://doi.org/10.3390/agronomy12040839 - 29 Mar 2022
Cited by 5 | Viewed by 2700
Abstract
Soybean Glycine max (L.) Merr. production trends have increased throughout the past century due to its versatile use in food, feed, and fuel industries. The selection of soybean cultivars with higher yields coupled with consumer-preferred seed quality has become a priority to sustain [...] Read more.
Soybean Glycine max (L.) Merr. production trends have increased throughout the past century due to its versatile use in food, feed, and fuel industries. The selection of soybean cultivars with higher yields coupled with consumer-preferred seed quality has become a priority to sustain economic advantage. In this study, eighteen popular soybean cultivars from different maturity groups (MG III to V) were phenotyped for yield and quality traits under optimum water and nutrient conditions. Significant phenotypic variability was observed for days to flowering, yield, and seed quality traits. The late flowering soybean cultivars (MG V) recorded 14% lower seed weight than the early flowering (MG IV). Under optimum growing conditions, protein content increased with the MGs, but oil content decreased. Further, significant negative correlations between protein and yield, oil, and sucrose were observed. In contrast, the oil content was positively correlated with yield. Cultivars 539-T3 and GT-477CR2 were classified as high-yielding short-duration soybean cultivars. Based on the cultivar performance index, MS 4616 RXT and 7547XT were found to have a combination of desirable industry traits such as high protein, and oil content with high yield compared to other cultivars. The current research provides prospective benchmark seed weight and quality parameters under sunlit and temperature conditions with optimum water and nutrient conditions for many soybean cultivars grown in the US Mid-South. Furthermore, it can assist growers and breeders in selecting soybean cultivars with high protein and oil specific to their regional demand. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Effective Methods for Improving Seed Germination and Seed Quality)
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23 pages, 2441 KiB  
Article
Impact of Temperature and Water on Seed Germination and Seedling Growth of Maize (Zea mays L.)
by Hussein Khaeim, Zoltán Kende, Márton Jolánkai, Gergő Péter Kovács, Csaba Gyuricza and Ákos Tarnawa
Agronomy 2022, 12(2), 397; https://doi.org/10.3390/agronomy12020397 - 05 Feb 2022
Cited by 34 | Viewed by 15441
Abstract
Germination and seedling development are essential stages in a plant’s life cycle, greatly influenced by temperature and moisture conditions. The aim of this study was to determine maize (Zea mays L.) seeds’ germination and seedling development under various abiotic stresses. Eight different [...] Read more.
Germination and seedling development are essential stages in a plant’s life cycle, greatly influenced by temperature and moisture conditions. The aim of this study was to determine maize (Zea mays L.) seeds’ germination and seedling development under various abiotic stresses. Eight different temperature levels, 5, 10, 15, 20, 25, 30, 35, and 40 °C, were used. Drought and waterlogging stresses were tested using 30 water levels based on one-milliliter intervals and as percentages of thousand kernel weight (TKW) at 20 and 25 °C. Seedling density and the use of antifungals were also examined. Temperature significantly affected germination duration and seedling growth, and 20 °C was found to be ideal with an optimal range of less than 30 °C. Germination occurred at 25% of the TKW. The optimal water range for seedling growth was higher and broader than the range for germination. Seed size assisted in defining germination water requirements and providing an accurate basis. The present research established an optimum water supply range of 150–325% of the TKW for maize seedling development. A total of 6 seeds per 9 cm Petri dish may be preferable over greater densities. The technique of priming seeds with an antifungal solution before planting was observed to have a better effect than applying it in the growth media. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Effective Methods for Improving Seed Germination and Seed Quality)
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16 pages, 2809 KiB  
Article
ROS Accumulation as a Hallmark of Dehydration Stress in Primed and Overprimed Medicago truncatula Seeds
by Andrea Pagano, Giulia Folini, Paola Pagano, Federico Sincinelli, Andrea Rossetto, Anca Macovei and Alma Balestrazzi
Agronomy 2022, 12(2), 268; https://doi.org/10.3390/agronomy12020268 - 21 Jan 2022
Cited by 10 | Viewed by 2485
Abstract
Seed priming protocols implement incomplete imbibition phases, as well as physical, chemical or biological treatments, to activate pre-germinative metabolism and stress response, thus improving germination performances, seedling establishment and stress tolerance according to agricultural productivity requirements. The dehydration phase following priming treatments represents [...] Read more.
Seed priming protocols implement incomplete imbibition phases, as well as physical, chemical or biological treatments, to activate pre-germinative metabolism and stress response, thus improving germination performances, seedling establishment and stress tolerance according to agricultural productivity requirements. The dehydration phase following priming treatments represents a critical variable, since an excessively prolonged imbibition (overpriming) impairs desiccation tolerance, compromising seed viability and seedling establishment. Priming protocols generally optimize imbibition-dehydration timing empirically to avoid overpriming. Hence, a better understanding of the dynamics underlying the loss of desiccation tolerance represents a promising route to test and develop efficient and cost-effective priming techniques. In the present work, priming and overpriming conditions were defined to explore the role of desiccation tolerance in seed priming efficiency in the model legume Medicago truncatula. The positive effects of hydropriming and kinetin-mediated hormopriming on germination parameters were screened in combination with conditions of short/prolonged priming and mild/severe overpriming. Biometric analyses highlighted contrasting responses in terms of germination performances and seedling development, while ROS (reactive oxygen species) levels measured during dehydration positively correlate with the loss of desiccation tolerance in early seedlings, suggesting possible applications to monitor priming progression and predict overpriming occurrence. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Effective Methods for Improving Seed Germination and Seed Quality)
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