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Seed priming enhances germination and growth, which are important determinants of crop yield. This study was carried out to assess the effect of priming duration and metabolite concentration on the priming of five (5) different crops, using the metabolites of five (5) bacterial isolates. The crop seeds were treated in the cold-extracted metabolites of the five isolates at five (5) different priming durations (1, 2, 3, 4, and 5 h) and then in five metabolite concentrations (200, 400, 600, 800, and 1000 mg/L) of the five extracted metabolites at the optimal priming duration determined in the first experiment. Characterization of the cold-extracted metabolites was also carried out using gas-chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS). Results revealed that priming cowpea and soybean for longer durations (< 3 h) could hinder their growth and development. Lower concentrations were observed to be optimal for cowpea and soybean, but for sesame and okra, there was no detectable pattern with metabolite concentration. The GC-MS revealed the presence of some molecules (e.g. hexadecanoic acid) that have shown plant growth promotion potential in other studies. This study showed that seeds with large endosperm, such as, cowpea and soybean, are more prone to the deleterious effects of treatment for longer durations. Further experiments should be carried out to isolate and purify the bioactive moieties for further studies and onward application.

Low-temperature germinability is a crucial trait for seedling establishment at low temperatures, which is essential for the direct sowing culture of rice. We pyramided four QTLs for germinability at low temperature in the genetic background of the Japanese cultivar Akitakomachi. In the QTL pyramiding lines, the accumulated QTLs additively increased the low-temperature germination rate, despite the weak effects of individual QTLs. In addition, qLTG3-2, which alone did not increase the germination rate at low temperature, was found to further enhance the germination rate when combined with either qLTG3-1 or qLTG11-1. Low-temperature germinability improved remarkably in proportion to the number of QTLs accumulated. Thus, QTL pyramiding is an effective method for improving this trait. Furthermore, improved low-temperature germinability in the lines accumulating the four QTLs also led to enhanced seedling establishment compared to Akitakomachi. Seedling establishment at low temperature is a complex trait involving continuous growth from seed germination to seedling development. The remarkable improvement in low-temperature germinability is likely to contribute to the improved seedling establishment at low temperature. However, the four QTL pyramiding line exhibited a reduced appearance quality of brown rice. To avoid the introduction of undesirable traits, pyramiding using a new QTL for low-temperature germinability is expected to develop superior rice variety suitable for direct sowing cultivation.

Wild species of Solanum have been identified and used for incorporating various biotic and abiotic stress resistance traits in cultivated eggplants. This investigation was undertaken to test the feasibility of pollen cryopreservation of nine wild Solanum species for their long-term conservation and utilization. The pollens from each species were cryopreserved after initial viability assessment. Furthermore, their viability was tested at periodic intervals using a completely randomized design. Highest fresh pollen viability was observed in S. aethiopicum L. (70.39%) and the lowest in S. gilo Raddi. (40.09%). Pollen viability was retained in all species without any significant reduction during the storage in liquid nitrogen for 36 weeks. Moreover, 100% fruit set was obtained using fresh as well as cryopreserved pollens in the species S. aethiopicum L., S. indicum L., S. gilo Raddi., and S. viarum Dunal. In vitro germinability was maintained in pollen grains of all studied species, proving that these preserved pollens could be utilized after being frozen at ultralow temperatures.

Rice quality has a major impact on its economic value, necessitating the breeding of high-quality grain varieties. In addition, varieties with superior germination and growth at low temperatures are required for direct sowing, which enables the low-cost production of rice. We developed Akikei770, a near-isogenic line from the high-quality, good-tasting cultivar Akitakomachi, carrying the qLTG3-1 gene from the Maratelli cultivar, which enhances low-temperature germinability. Although Akikei770 exhibited improved low-temperature germinability, it was inferior to Akitakomachi in appearance quality of brown rice and in eating quality of cooked rice. In Akikei770, a short arm region of up to 222 kb on chromosome 3 from Maratelli was introgressed, and only the qLTG3-1 gene exhibited polymorphisms within the coding region compared to Akitakomachi. The qLTG3-1 genotype was significantly associated with brown rice quality in the F2 population, which indicates that the qLTG3-1 gene was involved in this trait with no involvement of other chromosomal regions of Akikei770. The functional qLTG3-1 allele in Akikei770, encoding a hybrid glycine-rich protein (HyGRP) that is localized on the cell wall or membrane, enhanced the low-temperature germinability. Because a loss-of-function allele of qLTG3-1 increased the appearance quality of brown rice in a recessive manner, it was concluded that HyGRP, which enhances low-temperature germinability, has a pleiotropic effect that reduces the appearance quality of brown rice.

The present investigation aims at assessing the allelopathic potential of Alternanthera ficoidea , an alien invasive weed in West Bengal, India. The allelopathic efficacy of leaf extracts in both aqueous and organic solvents of A. ficoidea has been evaluated from changes of germination and metabolism analyses of mung bean [ Vigna radiata (L.) R. Wilczek K-75] seeds. The extracts altered the germination behaviour, recorded in terms of percentage, T 50 values, speed, and TTC stainability of germinating seeds. The contents of insoluble carbohydrates, proteins, DNA and RNA as well as activities of catalase and dehydrogenase in seed kernels have been reduced. In contrast, the levels of amino acids, soluble carbohydrates, and amylase activity have been found higher in treated seeds. Reduced germinability and metabolism were fully concentration dependent. Chromatographic separation and HPLC purification followed by HRMS of methanolic leaf extract of A. ficoidea have resulted in identifying six putative allelochemicals with carboxylic acid functionality. These include: 4-(Hexyloxy)benzoic acid ( 1 ), α-Linolenic acid ( 2 ), 13-Hydroxy-9,11 octadecadienoic acid ( 3 ), 4- Coumaroylquinic acid ( 4 ), 2-methyl 13-docosenoic acid ( 5 ), and 3-(4-Diethylamino-2-hydroxyphenylazo)-4-hydroxybenzenesulfonic acid ( 6 ). The cumulative impact of these allelochemicals reflected on regulation of germination and metabolism of mung bean seeds, including germination percentage, T 50 values, and speed of germination. The allelopathic potential of A. ficoidea on the mung bean seeds has further been elucidated using steady-state fluorescence spectroscopy.

Salt stress is one of the factors that limits rice production, and an important task for researchers is to cultivate rice with strong salt tolerance. In this study, 211 rice accessions were used to determine salt tolerance germinability (STG) indices and conduct a genome-wide association study (GWAS) using 36,727 SNPs. The relative germination energy (RGE), relative germination index (RGI), relative vigor index (RVI), relative mean germination time (RMGT), relative shoot length (RSL), and relative root length (RRL) were used to determine the STG indices in rice. A total of 43 QTLs, including 15 for the RGE, 6 for the RGI, 7 for the RVI, 3 for the RMGT, 1 for the RSL, and 11 for the RRL, were identified on nine chromosome regions under 60 and 100 mM NaCl conditions. For these STG-related QTLs, 18 QTLs were co-localized with previous studies, and some characterized salt-tolerance genes, such as OsCOIN, OsHsp17.0 , and OsDREB2A , are located in these QTL candidates. Among the 25 novel QTLs, qRGE60-1-2 co-localized with qRGI60-1-1 on chromosome 1, and qRGE60-3-1 and qRVI60-3-1 co-localized on chromosome 3. According to the RNA-seq database, 16 genes, including nine for qRGE60-1-2 ( qRGI60-1-1 ) and seven for qRGE60-3-1 ( qRVI60-3-1 ), were found to show significant differences in their expression levels between the control and salt treatments. Furthermore, the expression patterns of these differentially expressed genes were analyzed, and nine genes (five for qRGE60-1-2 and four for qRGE60-3-1 ) were highly expressed in embryos at the germination stage. Haplotype analysis of these nine genes showed that the rice varieties with elite haplotypes in the LOC_Os03g13560, LOC_Os03g13840 , and LOC_Os03g14180 genes had high STG. GWAS validated the known genes underlying salt tolerance and identified novel loci that could enrich the current gene pool related to salt tolerance. The resources with high STG and significant loci identified in this study are potentially useful in breeding for salt tolerance.

The purpose of this work was to study the effect of selenium nanoparticles (Se NPs) on the biological and morphofunctional parameters of barley seeds ( Hordéum vulgáre L.) We used seeds of Hordéum vulgáre L. with reduced morphofunctional characteristics. For the experiment, Se NPs were synthesized and stabilized with didecyldimethylammonium chloride. It was found that Se NPs have a spherical shape and a diameter of about 50 nm. According to dynamic light scattering data, the average hydrodynamic radius of the particles was 28 ± 8 nm. It is observed that the nanoparticles have a positive ζ-potential (+ 27.3 mV). For the experiment, we treated Hordéum vulgáre L. seeds with Se NPs (1, 5, 10 and 20 mg/L). The experiment showed that treatment of Hordéum vulgáre L. seeds with Se NPs has the best effect on the length of roots and sprout at concentration of 5 mg/L and on the number and thickness of roots at 10 mg/L. Germinability and germination energy of Hordéum vulgáre L. seeds were higher in group treated with 5 mg/L Se NPs. Analysis of macrophotographs of samples, histological sections of roots and 3D visualization of seeds by microcomputing tomography confirmed the best effect at 5 mg/L Se NPs. Moreover, no local destructions were detected at concentrations > 5 mg/L, which is most likely due to the inhibition of regulatory and catalytic processes in the germinating seeds. the treatment of Hordéum vulgáre L. seeds with > 5 mg/L Se NPs caused significant stress, coupled with intensive formation of reactive oxygen species, leading to a reorientation of root system growth towards thickening. Based on the results obtained, it was concluded that Se NPs at concentrations > 5 mg/L had a toxic effect. The treatment of barley seeds with 5% Se NPs showed maximum efficiency in the experiment, which allows us to further consider Se NPs as a stimulator for the growth and development of crop seeds under stress and reduced morphofunctional characteristics.

Acacia dealbata is an invasive southeastern Australian tree that produces a persistent soil seed bank. In order to characterize the seed bank in plots invaded by A. dealbata and to understand its implications for management and re-invasion risk, density, germinability, and viability of the seed bank were evaluated in five sites in central Portugal. Soil samples were collected in A. dealbata invaded plots and adjacent areas and screened for seeds, which were then quantified and germinated at 25 °C. A subset of seeds was first exposed to 60 °C to assess the effect of high soil temperature on dormancy breaking. Variables influencing differences between sites were explored with generalized linear mixed models with a Poisson distribution. Inside A. dealbata invaded plots the seed bank averaged 4608 seeds/m², reaching up to 62,747 seeds/m²; in adjacent areas, up to 14 m from the plots, only 9 seeds/m² were found. Seed bank densities were mostly influenced by stoniness, number of fires in the last 10 years, and density of trees and roots. Almost 90% of seeds were viable, but only 8.6% germinated without treatment. Nearly 70% of seeds exposed to 60 °C germinated without any physical stimulation, suggesting that high soil temperatures can effectively break seed dormancy. The high density and viability of A. dealbata's seed bank and its ability to disperse seeds far from the parent plants contribute to the species' invasive success. These features combined with heat events that can overcome seed dormancy need to be considered in the management of this species.

Low-temperature germination (LTG) is an important agronomic trait for rice ( Oryza sativa ). Japonica rice generally has greater capacity for germination at low temperatures than the indica subpopulation. However, the genetic basis and molecular mechanisms underlying this complex trait are poorly understood. Here, we report that OsUBC12 , encoding an E2 ubiquitin-conjugating enzyme, increases low-temperature germinability in japonica , owing to a transposon insertion in its promoter enhancing its expression. Natural variation analysis reveals that transposon insertion in the OsUBC12 promoter mainly occurs in the japonica lineage. The variation detected in eight representative two-line male sterile lines suggests the existence of this allele introgression by indica - japonica hybridization breeding, and varieties carrying the japonica OsUBC12 locus (transposon insertion) have higher low-temperature germinability than varieties without the locus. Further molecular analysis shows that OsUBC12 negatively regulate ABA signaling. OsUBC12-regulated seed germination and ABA signaling mainly depend on a conserved active site required for ubiquitin-conjugating enzyme activity. Furthermore, OsUBC12 directly associates with rice SUCROSE NON-FERMENTING 1-RELATED PROTEIN KINASE 1.1 (OsSnRK1.1), promoting its degradation. OsSnRK1.1 inhibits LTG by enhancing ABA signaling and acts downstream of OsUBC12. These findings shed light on the underlying mechanisms of UBC12 regulating LTG and provide genetic reference points for improving LTG in indica rice. Japonica rice generally has greater capacity for low temperatures germination (LTG) than indica rice. Here, the authors report an E2 ubiquitin-conjugating enzyme-encoding gene OsUBC12 can increase LTG in japonica rice by negatively regulate ABA signaling via promoting the proteasomal degradation of OsSnRK1.1.

Among all cereals, rice is highly sensitive to cold stress, especially at the germination stage, which adversely impacts its germination ability, seed vigor, crop stand establishment, and, ultimately, grain yield. The dissection of novel quantitative trait loci (QTLs) or genes conferring a low-temperature germination (LTG) ability can significantly accelerate cold-tolerant rice breeding to ensure the wide application of rice cultivation through the direct seeding method. In this study, we identified 11 QTLs for LTG using 144 recombinant inbred lines (RILs) derived from a cross between a cold-tolerant variety, Lijiangxintuanheigu (LTH), and a cold-sensitive variety, Shennong265 (SN265). By resequencing two parents and RIL lines, a high-density bin map, including 2,828 bin markers, was constructed using 123,859 single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) between two parents. The total genetic distance corresponding to all 12 chromosome linkage maps was 2,840.12 cm. Adjacent markers were marked by an average genetic distance of 1.01 cm, corresponding to a 128.80 kb physical distance. Eight and three QTL alleles had positive effects inherited from LTH and SN265, respectively. Moreover, a pleiotropic QTL was identified for a higher number of erected panicles and a higher grain number on Chr-9 near the previously cloned DEP1 gene. Among the LTG QTLs, qLTG3 and qLTG7b were also located at relatively small genetic intervals that define two known LTG genes, qLTG3-1 and OsSAP16. Sequencing comparisons between the two parents demonstrated that LTH possesses qLTG3-1 and OsSAP16 genes, and SN-265 owns the DEP1 gene. These comparison results strengthen the accuracy and mapping resolution power of the bin map and population. Later, fine mapping was done for qLTG6 at 45.80 kb through four key homozygous recombinant lines derived from a population with 1569 segregating plants. Finally, LOC_Os06g01320 was identified as the most possible candidate gene for qLTG6, which contains a missense mutation and a 32-bp deletion/insertion at the promoter between the two parents. LTH was observed to have lower expression levels in comparison with SN265 and was commonly detected at low temperatures. In conclusion, these results strengthen our understanding of the impacts of cold temperature stress on seed vigor and germination abilities and help improve the mechanisms of rice breeding programs to breed cold-tolerant varieties.