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Adlay plant (Coix lacryma-jobi) grown in many Asian countries, as a source of carbohydrates. The cultivation of adlay faces challenges such as long growth periods, low yields, and hard seeds. Efforts to enhance productivity are crucial, specifically by applying Nitrogen, Phosphorus, and Potassium fertilizers at the appropriate and balanced doses that have not yet been established. Therefore, this study aimed to investigate the relationship between seed weight and seed coat characteristics under optimal N, P, and K fertilizer doses. The exploration process was conducted at the Research Station and Plant Production Technology Laboratory, Faculty of Agriculture, Padjadjaran University, from April 2019 to November 2020. Features of the location included an altitude of 750 – 800 m above sea level, a climate type C3 (Oldeman), an average temperature of 23.8oC, and a soil classified as Inceptisols with a pH of 5.83. The experimental design incorporated several treatments at minimum, optimum, and maximum dosage levels, namely N (90kg/ ha, 180 kg/ha, and 270 kg/ha), P (37.5kg/ha, 75 kg/ha, and 150 kg/ha), and K (60 kg/ha, 120 kg/ha and 240 kg/ha) fertilizers, each was repeated twice. Fertilizer application was administered at the beginning of growth and the late vegetative phase, while P was given during the late vegetative phase and before seed formation. Subsequently, a regression analysis was performed to determine the relationship of the weight of 100 seeds with thickness and hardness, generating the equation: Y = 13.755 + 0.061 X1 + 0.012 X2, where X1 = seed hardness and X2 = seed coat thickness. Observations were carried out on the weight, thickness, and hardness of adlay seeds, both macroscopically by measuring length and width or diameter and microscopically through the evaluation of coat and silica layer thickness). The results showed a significant relationship between seed weight, thickness, and hardness, yielding 5.56 t/ha with an 80% land efficiency. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Laccase (LAC) is the key enzyme responsible for lignin biosynthesis. Here, 57 PgLACs from pomegranate were identified and distributed on eight chromosomes and one unplaced scaffold. They were divided into six groups containing three typical Cu-oxidase domains. Totally, 51 cis-acting elements in the promoter region of PgLACs are involved in response to ABA, GA, light, stress, etc., indicating diverse functions of PgLACs. The expression profiles of 13 PgLACs during the seed development stage showed that most PgLACs expressed at a higher level earlier than at the later seed development stage in two pomegranate cultivars except PgLAC4. Also, PgLAC1/6/7/16 expressed at a significantly higher level in soft-seed 'Tunisia'; on the contrary, PgLAC37 and PgLAC50 with a significantly higher expression in hard-seed 'Taishanhong'. Combined with their distinguishing cis-acting elements, it was concluded that PgLAC1/6/7 may respond to GA via TATC-box and GARE-motif, and PgLAC16 repressed the promotor activity of embryo mid-maturation genes via RY-element so as to contribute to softer seed formation, whereas PgLAC37/50 may participate in seed formation and accelerate seed maturity via ABRE and G-box elements. Collectively, the dramatic gene expressions of PgLAC1/6/7/16/37/50 will provide valuable information to explore the formation of soft- and hard-seed in pomegranate. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Chinese Journal of Oil Crop Sciences is the property of Oil Crops Research Institute of Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

ATP-binding cassette subfamily G (ABCG) proteins play important roles in plant growth and development by transporting metabolites across cell membranes. To date, the genetic characteristics and potential functions of pomegranate ABCG proteins (PgrABCGs) have remained largely unknown. In this study, we found that 47 PgrABCGs were divided into five groups according to a phylogenetic analysis; groups I, II, III, and IV members are half-size proteins, and group V members are full-size proteins. PgrABCG14, PgrABCG21, and PgrABCG47 were highly expressed in the inner seed coat but had very low expression levels in the outer seed coat, and the expression levels of these three PgrABCG genes in the inner seed coats of hard-seeded pomegranate 'Dabenzi' were higher than those of soft-seeded pomegranate 'Tunisia'. In addition, the expression of these three PgrABCG genes was highly correlated with the expression of genes involved in lignin biosynthesis and hormone signaling pathways. The evolution of PgrABCG14 presents a highly similar trend to the origin and evolution of lignin biosynthesis during land plant evolution. Ectopic expression of PgrABCG14 in Arabidopsis promoted plant growth and lignin accumulation compared to wild type plants; meanwhile, the expression levels of lignin biosynthesis-related genes (CAD5, C4H, and Prx71) and cytokinin response marker genes (ARR5 and ARR15) were significantly upregulated in transgenic plants, which suggests the potential role of PgrABCG14 in promoting plant growth and lignin accumulation. Taken together, these findings not only provide insight into the characteristics and evolution of PgrABCGs, but also shed a light on the potential functions of PgrABCGs in seed hardness development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Laccase (LAC) is the key enzyme responsible for lignin biosynthesis. Here, 57 PgLACs from pomegranate were identified and distributed on eight chromosomes and one unplaced scaffold. They were divided into six groups containing three typical Cu-oxidase domains. Totally, 51 cis-acting elements in the promoter region of PgLACs are involved in response to ABA, GA, light, stress, etc., indicating diverse functions of PgLACs. The expression profiles of 13 PgLACs during the seed development stage showed that most PgLACs expressed at a higher level earlier than at the later seed development stage in two pomegranate cultivars except PgLAC4. Also, PgLAC1/6/7/16 expressed at a significantly higher level in soft-seed ‘Tunisia’; on the contrary, PgLAC37 and PgLAC50 with a significantly higher expression in hard-seed ‘Taishanhong’. Combined with their distinguishing cis-acting elements, it was concluded that PgLAC1/6/7 may respond to GA via TATC-box and GARE-motif, and PgLAC16 repressed the promotor activity of embryo mid-maturation genes via RY-element so as to contribute to softer seed formation, whereas PgLAC37/50 may participate in seed formation and accelerate seed maturity via ABRE and G-box elements. Collectively, the dramatic gene expressions of PgLAC1/6/7/16/37/50 will provide valuable information to explore the formation of soft- and hard-seed in pomegranate.

Seed physical properties are stable and visualized, and believed to be reference indicators for screening high-vigor seeds. However, the detailed relationship between seed vigor and its physical properties is not fully understood in rice. To elucidate the relationship mentioned above, seed physical properties such as seed size, hardness, and water absorption rate, and seed vigor indicators including germination rate, salt-stressed germination rate, and drought-stressed germination rate were determined among different rice cultivars. Significant differences in seed vigor indicators and seed physical properties were recorded among different rice cultivars. Germination rate, salt-stressed germination rate, drought-stressed germination rate, seed hardness, and water absorption rate ranged from 32.0 ± 1.7% to 99.7 ± 0.3%, 14.4 ± 2.4% to 99.7 ± 0.3%, 3.3 ± 2.6% to 95.7 ± 2.1%, 69.15 ± 0.15 N to 74.56 ± 0.14 N, and 0.09 ± 0.00 g/h to 0.12 ± 0.00 g/h, respectively. Additionally, correlation analysis showed that seed hardness and water absorption rate were significantly positively related to seed vigor (r = 0.33 **−0.41 **, from 2014 to 2016; r = 0.45 **−0.65 **, in 2021). Moreover, principal component analysis determined that the first principal component explained 91.4%, 90.1%, and 89.9% of the variance of seed physical properties, respectively, and loaded on seed hardness and water absorption rate. These results indicate that seed hardness and water absorption rate can be recommended as efficient indicators for screening rice seeds with high vigor. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: The physical properties and the hardness of lentil seeds, which can also be affected by harvest times, are very important variables in the designing and adjustment of machineries used during harvest, handling and other processes. The objective of this study is to determine the effects of different harvest times on some physical and mechanical properties of lentil seeds. A field experiment was conducted at six harvest times including the harvesting at physiological maturity (H1) and 5, 10, 15, 20 and 25 days after physiological maturity (H2, H3, H4, H5 and H6, respectively). The variables determined were moisture content, diameter, thickness, sphericity, seed mass, bulk density, true density, porosity and hardness of lentil seeds. It was found that seed moisture content, seed dimensions, seed mass and bulk density decreased with delayed harvest time. However, sphericity, true density, porosity and hardness of lentil seeds increased with increased harvest time

A significant part of perennial legumes seeds, including alfalfa, after ripening, has a seed coat nonpermeable for water and air, and therefore they do not germinate immediately after sowing. This property is called seed hardness. The purpose of our research was to study seed hardness of the alfalfa samples in the collection of the FSBSI “ARC “Donskoy” depending on the seed storage time. The seed hardness of the studied varieties after 1 month of storage ranged from 31 to 74% on average for two years. The varieties “Sonora 76” (the USA) and “Stavropolskaya 430” (Russia) possessed the highest value of the studied trait (62% and 74%, respectively). The seed hardness of the standard variety “Rostovskaya 90” was 49.5%. After 6 months of storage, the percentage of seed hardness in all studied varieties significantly decreased. The studied indicator of the standard variety “Rostovskaya 90” decreased to 24%. The varieties “Smuglyanka” (Ukraine), “Zvezdochka” (Russia), “Veko” (Canada), “Admiral” (Canada), “Verta+” (Canada), “AZNIHI-5” (Azerbaijan), “Tashkentskaya 1” (Uzbekistan), “Karlygash” (Kazakhstan) with the indicators from 7% to 13% had a significantly lower percentage of seed hardness compared with the standard variety. The varieties “Sonora 76” (USA) and “Stavropolskaya 430” (Russia), with seed hardness of 38.5% and 49%, respectively, significantly exceeded the standard variety “Rostovskaya 90”. After 12 months of storage, seed hardness of the studied varieties ranged from 4 to 22.5%. The indicator for this trait of the variety, taken as a standard was 16.5%. A significantly lower percentage of seed hardness (from 3% to 10%) was in 12 studied varieties, the lowest indicator was shown by the variety “Zvezdochka” (Russia). The two varieties “Sonora 76” (USA) and “Stavropolskaya 430” (Russia) showed a significant excess with indicators of 21.5% and 22.5%, respectively.

Background. Guar or clusterbean (Cyamopsis tetragonoloba (L.) Taub.) is an annual leguminous plant cultivated for feed, food and industrial purposes. Its seed endosperm is used to extract guar gum, so the guar genetic resources stored in the VIR collection are of strategic importance for the import substitution policy in Russia in the context of their prospective introduction into cultivation in the country’s southern areas. Most of the guar accessions had been preserved by VIR for 40 years or more, so the task was to assess their germination rates and restore their viability. In the process of screening, seed quality parameters of the accessions were examined and analyzed.Materials and methods. VIR’s collection of C. tetragonoloba, initiated by N. I. Vavilov, now contains 111 accessions. Percentage seed viability, germination energy and seed hardness were evaluated in the Long-Term Storage Laboratory for 50 accessions reproduced in 2018 and for 263 older reproductions of 89 guar accessions. In total, 313 seed samples reproduced across 18 different years were analyzed. Statistica 10 software was used to perform a single-factor analysis of variance and find out how germination energy, seed viability and seed hardness correlated with the age of seeds, mean monthly temperature and mean rainfall during the growing season.Results and discussion. After more than 40 years of storage, the guar accessions did not entirely lost their viability under laboratory and field conditions. Very high positive correlations were found for their percentage viability and germination energy with the mean monthly temperature in the year of reproduction. A weak positive correlation was observed between seed hardness and the year of reproduction. Correlations between seed viability and rainfall during the growing season were weak, with a weak negative correlation between seed hardness and rainfall. The viability level of 30-year-old seeds was 50%, so guar may be regarded as belonging to the group of macrobiotic plants.

Pomegranate (Punica granatum L.) fruits can be used for fresh consumption, industrial processing, and medicinal purposes. Therefore, it is necessary to evaluate the diversity of its different genotypes to be aware of their potential. In the present study, morphological and pomological diversity of 70 native pomegranate genotypes was evaluated to introduce superior selections. Most of the characters showed significant differences among the genotypes. Fruit weight ranged from 103.28 to 407.59 g, and total aril weight per fruit ranged from 51.55 to 238.97 g. Fruit peel color was highly variable and included yellow, yellow‐red, red, and red‐brown. The sunburn and cracking disorders were not observed on the peel of the majority of genotypes. Aril color was highly variable, including light milky, pink, white‐red, red, and red‐black. Seed was soft in 17, semi‐soft in 21, and hard in 32 genotypes. Total aril weight per fruit was positively and significantly correlated with fruit length (r = 0.64), fruit diameter (r = 0.87), fruit weight (r = 0.95), fruit stalk diameter (r = 0.52), fruit peel weight (r = 0.71), and aril shape (r = 0.32). Principal component analysis (PCA) showed that the fruit‐related traits were important for determining differences between genotypes. Based on the ideal values of commercial characters of pomegranate, 15 genotypes were promising and thus could be directly cultivated in the orchards and used in the breeding programs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Genetic basis of soybean seed hardness explored in a diverse RIL population. • Six QTLs identified, with qHS-2-1 consistently dominant in multiple years and locations. • Four candidate genes within qHS-2-1 interval revealed, including Glyma.02G307000. • GO enrichment analysis unveils functions related to calcium binding and pectin lyase activity. • Expression differences in candidate genes between parent varieties underscore their role. Seed hardness is a critical quality trait impacting both the suitability of soybeans for consumption and their processing. The primary objective of this study was to explore the genetic foundations underlying seed hardness in soybeans. A 234 recombinant inbred line (RIL) population was evaluated for seed hardness across three years (2015 in Gansu, 2016, and 2017 in Hainan). Notably, the parent varieties, Zhonghuang35 and Jindou21, displayed significant differences in seed hardness. Also, the RIL population exhibited a wide range of genetic variation in seed hardness, with coefficients of variation between 70.53 % and 94.94 %. The frequency distribution of this trait conformed to a relatively normal distribution, making it suitable for QTL analysis. Six QTLs associated with seed hardness were identified with three located on chromosome 2 and three on chromosome 16. The major QTL, qHS-2 - 1 , consistently exhibited the highest percentage of PVE and LOD in Gansu 2015, Hainan 2016, and Hainan 2017, suggesting its central role in determining seed hardness. Further investigation revealed four genes within the qHS-2 - 1 interval potentially related to seed hardness. GO enrichment analysis provided insights into their functions, including factors such as Glyma.02G307000 , a pectin lyase-like superfamily protein, which could influence seed hardness through its role in pectin lyase enzyme activity. Expression analysis of these candidate genes demonstrated significant differences between the two parent varieties, further highlighting their potential role in seed coat hardness. This study offers valuable insights into the genetic mechanisms governing soybean seed coat hardness, providing a foundation for future research and crop improvement efforts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Seed physical properties are stable and visualized, and believed to be reference indicators for screening high-vigor seeds. However, the detailed relationship between seed vigor and its physical properties is not fully understood in rice. To elucidate the relationship mentioned above, seed physical properties such as seed size, hardness, and water absorption rate, and seed vigor indicators including germination rate, salt-stressed germination rate, and drought-stressed germination rate were determined among different rice cultivars. Significant differences in seed vigor indicators and seed physical properties were recorded among different rice cultivars. Germination rate, salt-stressed germination rate, drought-stressed germination rate, seed hardness, and water absorption rate ranged from 32.0 ± 1.7% to 99.7 ± 0.3%, 14.4 ± 2.4% to 99.7 ± 0.3%, 3.3 ± 2.6% to 95.7 ± 2.1%, 69.15 ± 0.15 N to 74.56 ± 0.14 N, and 0.09 ± 0.00 g/h to 0.12 ± 0.00 g/h, respectively. Additionally, correlation analysis showed that seed hardness and water absorption rate were significantly positively related to seed vigor (r = 0.33 **−0.41 **, from 2014 to 2016; r = 0.45 **−0.65 **, in 2021). Moreover, principal component analysis determined that the first principal component explained 91.4%, 90.1%, and 89.9% of the variance of seed physical properties, respectively, and loaded on seed hardness and water absorption rate. These results indicate that seed hardness and water absorption rate can be recommended as efficient indicators for screening rice seeds with high vigor.

The physical properties and the hardness of lentil seeds, which can also be affected by harvest times, are very important variables in the designing and adjustment of machineries used during harvest, handling and other processes. The objective of this study is to determine the effects of different harvest times on some physical and mechanical properties of lentil seeds. A field experiment was conducted at six harvest times including the harvesting at physiological maturity (H1) and 5, 10, 15, 20 and 25 days after physiological maturity (H2, H3, H4, H5 and H6, respectively). The variables determined were moisture content, diameter, thickness, sphericity, seed mass, bulk density, true density, porosity and hardness of lentil seeds. It was found that seed moisture content, seed dimensions, seed mass and bulk density decreased with delayed harvest time. However, sphericity, true density, porosity and hardness of lentil seeds increased with increased harvest time. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Canadian Journal of Plant Science is the property of Canadian Science Publishing and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Astragalus penduliflorus Lam. is an alpine-subalpine species. Several isolated populations occur in Europe: in the Alps, Pyrenees, Carpathians and in central Sweden. Astragalus penduliflorus is considered as critically endangered species in Poland, growing only at the locality in the Smytnia Valley, in the Western Tatra Mountains. The population is at risk, due to the limited reproduction caused by law rate of seed germination, periodically shortened vegetation period that prevent seed development and gnawing the aerial plant parts by deer. The aim of the study was to explain the reason for the poor germination of A. penduliflorus seeds. As a result of mechanical scarification, 100% of A. penduliflorus seeds germinated, which proved that these seeds are characterized by a water-impermeable seed coat, which classified them as hard seeds that go through physical dormancy. Results obtained in this work can be used for effective reproduction and active conservation of threatened A. penduliflorus.

In this study, genetic analysis was conducted on the inheritance of qualitative traits, such as leaf color, flower color, seed size, and seed hardness, in the F2 population derived from the cross between var. frutescens and var. crispa. As determined by the separation pattern of each trait in the F2 population, F2 plants with a green color were more common than those with a purple color on the leaf surface, whereas F2 plants with a purple color were more common than those with a green color on the reverse side of the leaf. For flower color, more F2 plants were observed to have a white color. For seed size, more F2 plants were observed to have a seed size of above 2 mm, and for seed hardness, more F2 plants were observed to have characteristics of seed hardness. Our examination of the genetic separation ratios with respect to Mendel’s law of genetics revealed that three traits, leaf color (surface and reverse side) and flower color, did not follow the separation ratio of 1:2:1, and the seed size did not follow the segregation ratio of 3:1, but seed hardness was found to follow the separation ratio of 3:1. The results of this study are expected to provide basic information to help understand the genetic segregation of leaf and seed characteristics in the F2 population derived from the cross between var. frutescens and var. crispa, and also to provide useful information for breeding studies to assist the development of varieties of Perilla crop. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The pomegranate, Punica granatum L., which has been cultivated since antiquity, is known to be a superfruit, possessing an array of functional anti-oxidants and various other health benefits. The hardness of pomegranate seeds is an important indicator of fruit quality, which in turn affects economic value and market demand. However, the molecular mechanism underlying pomegranate seed hardness remains to be fully understood. In this study, we found a positive correlation between seed hardness and lignin content in two pomegranate varieties: "Tunisia" and "Sanbai". Specifically, genes associated with lignin biosynthesis were differentially expressed in soft-seed and hard-seed pomegranate varieties. Among these differential genes, we cloned and characterized the NAC transcription factor PgSND1-like. Sequence alignment found a single base replacement at the 166-bp position of CDS in the PgSND1-like gene from "Tunisia" and "Sanbai". Both PgSND1-like (Sanbai) and PgSND1-like (Tunisia) proteins are localized in the cell nucleus and have a transcription activation domain in the C-terminus. Yeast two-hybrid analysis indicated that PgSND1-like protein interacts with itself to form a homodimer. Overexpression of PgSND1-like (Sanbai) in Arabidopsis showed a higher lignin content in inflorescence stem and mature seed compared with wild-type Arabidopsis. Accordingly, the expression levels of several lignin biosynthesis-associated genes were upregulated in stem cells and mature seeds of transgenic plants. However, PgSND1-like (Tunisia) transgenic Arabidopsis showed no phenotypic differences with wild-type Arabidopsis. Taken together, we suggest that PgSND1-like may regulate at least two different functions in two pomegranate varieties, promoting lignin biosynthesis and seed hardness of pomegranate. • Overexpression of PgSND1-like (sanbai) in Arabidopsis can increase lignin biosynthesis. • Overexpression of PgSND1-like (Tunisia) in Arabidopsis showed no phenotypic differences with wild type. • PgSND1-like may regulate at least two different functions in two pomegranate varieties, promoting lignin biosynthesis and seed hardness of pomegranate. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Astragalus penduliflorus Lam. is an alpine-subalpine species. Several isolated populations occur in Europe: in the Alps, Pyrenees, Carpathians and in central Sweden. Astragalus penduliflorus is considered as critically endangered species in Poland, growing only at the locality in the Smytnia Valley, in the Western Tatra Mountains. The population is at risk, due to the limited reproduction caused by law rate of seed germination, periodically shortened vegetation period that prevent seed development and gnawing the aerial plant parts by deer. The aim of the study was to explain the reason for the poor germination of A. penduliflorus seeds. As a result of mechanical scarification, 100% of A. penduliflorus seeds germinated, which proved that these seeds are characterized by a water-impermeable seed coat, which classified them as hard seeds that go through physical dormancy. Results obtained in this work can be used for effective reproduction and active conservation of threatened A. penduliflorus. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Soybean seed hardness is a key trait that influences planting, nutritional quality, and postharvest processing, but its genetic and molecular mechanisms remain to be clarified. We used meta-analysis to detect 17 meta-quantitative trait locus (QTLs) for soybean seed hardness. We then identified a hard-seeded chromosome segment substitution line, R75, with fragments introduced from hard-seeded wild germplasm in four of the meta-QTL intervals. Observations of the seed coat ultrastructure revealed thicker palisade tissue in R75 than in its soft-seeded recurrent parent. Transcriptomics and proteomics of R75 and its recurrent parent revealed multiple candidate genes associated with seed hardness. Fifty-seven were located on homozygous introduced fragments, 26 in meta-QTL intervals, and one in both ( Glyma.02G268600 ). Five initial candidates were selected for KASP marker development on the basis of their predicted functions and nonsynonymous SNPs. The selection efficiency of the markers was as high as 90% for nonhard lines and 43% for hard lines in the chromosome segment substitution line (CSSL) population.

Seed coats of six pea genotypes contrasting in dormancy were studied by laser desorption/ionization mass spectrometry (LDI-MS). Multivariate statistical analysis discriminated dormant and non-dormant seeds in mature dry state. Separation between dormant and non-dormant types was observed despite important markers of particular dormant genotypes differ from each other. Normalized signals of long-chain hydroxylated fatty acids (HLFA) in dormant JI64 genotype seed coats were significantly higher than in other genotypes. These compounds seem to be important markers likely influencing JI64 seed imbibition and germination. HLFA importance was supported by study of recombinant inbred lines (JI64xJI92) contrasting in dormancy but similar in other seed properties. Furthemore HLFA distribution in seed coat was studied by mass spectrometry imaging. HLFA contents in strophiole and hilum are significantly lower compared to other parts indicating their role in water uptake. Results from LDI-MS experiments are useful in understanding (physical) dormancy (first phases of germination) mechanism and properties related to food processing technologies (e.g., seed treatment by cooking). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A choice test study was conducted in the field from 2014 to 2016 to determine the mechanism(s) involved in resistance to the safflower fly ( Acanthiophilus helianthi , Diptera, Tephritidae) in germplasm of the wild safflower species with pigmented (Carthamus oxyacanthus , C. lanatus , and C. glaucus ) and white ( C. palaestinus ) seed coats, some white-seeded cultivated genotypes, and a novel breeding line (A82) with black seeds obtained through interspecific hybridization of C. tinctorius × C. oxyacanthus . The choice test in 2014 revealed the significantly higher values of infested heads per plant and seed yield loss per plant of the white-seeded cultivated safflower (26.3–48.7% and 37.3–73.2%, respectively) compared with those recorded for the color-seeded wild accessions (3.0–10.9% and 3.8–11.4%, respectively) and line A82 (15.9% and 19.3%, respectively). Similar results were obtained in the two consecutive years of 2015 and 2016 as the black seed coated genotype A82 exhibited significantly lower seed loss per head and seed yield loss per plant than the other four cultivated genotypes. The highly significant correlations found between resistance to the safflower fly and each of the two parameters of seed hardness and seed coat color indicated that these latter parameters strongly affected plant response to the safflower fly; that is, harder seeds with darker seed coat colors made greater contributions to plant's resistance against the safflower fly while the white-seeded lines were generally found to be more susceptible to the fly. In short, the color-seeded wild species and the black-seeded line A82 exhibited a higher resistance while the white-seeded cultivars showed little or no resistance at all. Scanning electron microscopy was also used to investigate the morphological differences in seed coat among the color-seeded wild genotypes, black-seeded line A82 (resistant), and white-seeded cultivars (susceptible). The color-seeded genotypes and the white-seeded cultivars exhibited differences in their seed coat surface structure and thickness, suggesting that morphological structure and seed coat color concomitantly contribute to the fly resistance in some safflower genotypes. Based on the results obtained, genotype A82 may be suggested as a preferable and superior genotype for cultivation in areas under infestation by the safflower fly. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A study was conducted to determine the effect of pollen source on fruit, aril, and seed characteristics in pomegranate. The cultivar Malas Yazdi was pollinated with three pollen sources including: Rabab Neyriz (a commercial cultivar), Malas Pishva Varamin (selected superior local cultivar), and Poost Sefid Dezful (non-commercial cultivar). The results showed that the rate of fruit set from different pollen sources varied from 13% to 46%. Pollen source also had significant effects on other fruit properties, such as fruit weight, fruit shape, fruit length and diameter, fruit peel color, fruit peel thickness, and edible portion of the fruit. Aril characteristics including number of arils per fruit, aril length and diameter, aril weight, and aril color were also significantly affected by pollen source as well as seed physical properties, including seed weight, seed length and diameter, seed hardness, and seed toughness. However ‘Malas Pishva Varamin’ as a pollinizer showed the lowest rate of fruit set, but performed better in terms of fruit quality and seed characteristic than ‘Rabab Neyriz’ and ‘Poost Sefid Dezful’. This is the first observation of xenia effect in pomegranate breeding and could serve as a new area of research for pomegranate production. These findings suggest that selection of suitable pollinizer could be a new area of research for pomegranate production. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, 27 biochemical and pomological attributes were used to assess 50 pomegranate (Punica granatum L.) accessions from five leading regions in Fars province of Iran for two consecutive years. Studied accessions exhibited significant diversity in the fruit characteristics in particular fruit color, seed hardness, anthocyanin, TA, and vitamin C. PCA analysis were carried out and seven principal components were identified; the most important factors were seed hardness, aril size, and color-related characters. Biochemical attributes of fruit juice including TA, antioxidant capacity, total phenolic, and vitamin C were also important for characterization. There were high positive and negative correlations between some of the studied variables; in particular, seed hardness was positively correlated with 100 arils fresh weight, woody portion percent, and aril length/diameter. Fruit color was positively correlated with aril color, anthocyanin, seed hardness and vitamin C, while it was negatively correlated with aril length. Cluster analysis confirmed the results of tri-plot and divided the accessions mostly according to the fruit and aril color and seed hardness as well as fruit taste. Among different samples we used in our study, seven accessions were determined as real soft-seeded and five accessions as semi soft-seeded, which are suitable in this important trait to be used for cultivation and breeding programs for decreasing of seed hardness in commercial pomegranates. Also by multiple regression analysis, some attributes were identified to be important to be considered in breeding programs with the aim of reducing seed hardness. Altogether, there is high diversity in pomegranate accessions in Fars province and this represents genetic resources for future conservation and breeding work. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Herbivores can play an important role as seed dispersal vectors, ungulates constituting potential seed dispersal agents of Mediterranean grasses and shrubs. We evaluated the role of domestic goats as seed dispersers of five representative Mediterranean forage shrub species (Cistus albidus L., Phillyrea angustifolia L., Calicotome villosa (Poir.) Link., Rhamnus lycioides L. and Atriplex halimus L.). Following seed ingestion by goats, total faeces were collected at 24-h intervals for five days. The total number of seeds recovered varied among species, with R. lycioides showing the minimum recovery percentage (1.3%) and C. albidus (35.8%), the maximum. Seed recovery was significantly related to seed hardness and length. In most species, the maximum amount of seeds recovered occurred 48-72 h after ingestion. The passage through the goat gut significantly depressed seed germination in C. albidus, C. villosa and A. halimus; inhibited it in R. lycioides and increased it in P. angustifolia. Seedling emergence was significantly lower in intact dung pellets than in broken-down ones, and both significantly lower than in uneaten seeds (control). The results of this study show that goats can potentially favor or inhibit seed dispersal of browsed Mediterranean shrub species. Therefore, goat grazing could be a potential management tool for expanding target shrub species populations or preventing shrub encroachment in undesired areas.

Complex animal-plant interactions are present in the Neotropical bat family Phyllostomidae. Many of these interactions are still unknown, mainly due to the paucity of information available on the diet and habits of these species. The wrinkle-faced bat, Centurio senex, has been always considered as an enigmatic species. However, emerging evidence has partially elucidated the feeding ecology of this bat, confirming adaptations to consume hard food items. In addition to this information, here we show evidence of the predation of the seeds of Sideroxylon capiri (Sapotaceae) by C. senex. Bats employed principally deep unilateral bites to process the seeds. Our observations show that endocarp hardness has important implications on the ecological interaction between C. senex and S. capiri, due to the bats inability to puncture seeds with harder endocarps, causing an alternation between predation and dispersal of seeds. Nutritional rewards could be related to the predatory behavior documented. However, additional information is needed to clarify seed predation and seed dispersal patterns that exist between the 2 species. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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Pomegranate fruit and its products are being widely promoted to consumers as healthy alternatives for their daily diet. The aim was to study the main sensory differences among twenty pomegranate cultivars, determining which cultivars have particular flavour or texture notes that could make them more appropriate for fresh consumption or processing. Four clusters grouped all samples, two of them included sour cultivars and two of them included sweet and sweet-sour cultivars. Cluster 1 (sour) was characterized by having floral, apple, and grape flavour notes and also producing a tongue numbing sensation. Cluster 2 (sour), which included the Wonderful cultivar, had samples with wine-like attributes. Clusters 3 and 4 (sweet and sour-sweet) were characterized by having overall sweet, pear and grape notes for cluster 3, and beet, fruity-dark, fermented, musty and woody flavour for cluster 4. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Artificial seeds offer an important method to assay the bioactivity of natural and synthetic compounds against insect larvae that develop within the cotyledons of seeds. Here, the efficacy of artificial seeds as a mechanism to deliver bioactive compounds to larvae of the bruchid beetle, Callosobruchus maculatus, was compared to that of black-eyed beans that had been imbibed with the same bioactive compounds: malachite green or the methanolic extract of neem ( Azadirachta indica). Females laid an equivalent number of eggs on control artificial seeds in comparison with black-eyed beans, although egg-to-adult survival on artificial seeds was reduced. Manipulation of the hardness of artificial seeds influenced female oviposition decisions, with more eggs laid on the harder seeds, although seed hardness had no effect on egg-to-adult survival. Incorporation of neem extract or malachite green into the artificial seeds resulted in 100 % larval mortality, while larval mortality on seeds imbibed with neem extract or malachite green was between 50 and 70 %. This suggests incorporation of toxins into artificial seeds, produces a more sensitive assay of compound toxicity in comparison with the method of imbibing seeds and offers a useful method to study of seed-arthropod interactions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background and Aims: Mimetic seeds simulate the appearance of fleshy fruits and arilled seeds without producing nutritive tissues as a reward for seed dispersers. In this strategy of seed dispersal, seeds may remain attached to the mother plant for long periods after maturity, increasing their availability to naïve seed dispersers. The hypothesis that seed coat impermeability in many tropical Fabaceae with mimetic seeds serves as an exaptation to protect the seeds from deterioration and rotting while awaiting dispersal was investigated. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Breeding specialty soybeans for the soyfood market requires proper methodology in evaluation of seed quality attributes. In this study, efficient methods that could be potentially used for testing soybean seed hardness were developed by examining different instruments and seed parameters. Five food-grade soybean genotypes with different seed sizes were used to determine seed water-absorption capacity and hardness. Water absorption capacity was expressed by swell ratios for seed weight, seed dimension, and volume of water changes before and after soaking. Seed hardness test was conducted by a one-bite method using a food texture analyzer equipped with five different probes. The results showed that hardness testing by a 75 mm cylinder with 10 steamed seeds, single blade with five steamed seeds, and shear cell with 30 g steamed seeds produced dependable and consistent results with low coefficient of variance. However, shear cell may not be practical for early plant selection in a breeding program due to a relatively large sample requirement. Seed size can be used as indirect selection indicators for seed hardness. PRACTICAL APPLICATIONS Seed hardness is an important factor in determining soybean suitability for natto production. This study used two texture analyzers equipped with five different probes to test hardness of five soybean genotypes with different seed size. The methodologies for testing the seed texture of soybean have been established, which can help regulate the seed hardness testing for commercial production and provide consistent hardness references for natto breeding programs and the seed industry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Seeds cryopreservation is one of the modern methods used to preserve Plant Germplasm Resources. We followed the seed germination of alfalfa, (Medicago sativa) and pea, (Pisum sativum), after seed cryopreservation by immersion in liquid nitrogen (LN) (-196 °C) for five minutes, one hour, one day, one week and one month. The germination haven't been affected negatively anyone was the duration of immersion. In case of alfalfa the seed germination increased after seed cryopreservation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Many studies on the efficiency of feeding in finches concentrate on husking time in relation to average seed size and bird size. Large species are capable of eating larger seeds and are able to husk large seeds faster than smaller species. It is generally assumed that husking time is related to bite force. However, there are very few studies that investigate the relationship between husking time, seed hardness and bite force directly. In our experiments we measured the seed husking time and the maximal bite force of two taxa of seed cracking birds. Husking time is related to maximal bite force in a highly non-linear way and differs between estrildids and fringillids. Fringillids with the same bite force as estrildids take less time to crack seeds, but only when the strength of the seed coat is close to their maximal bite force. For seeds that are relatively soft the difference in husking time becomes very small. A preliminary jaw motion analysis provides evidence that this difference in husking time between estrildids and fringillids is paralleled by a difference in husking technique. This difference in technique does not affect bite force as such, but decreases the chance of failed cracking attempts. The selective advantage of a small increase in maximal bite force may be related more to the decrease in husking time for seeds with hardness below the maximal bite force, than to the increase in range of seed hardness that the bird is able to crack. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of the research was to develop an innovative technique in the seed production of red clover. The research was carried out in 2013–2016, in Felin (51°22′ N, 22°65′ E), in a dependent arrangement (split-split-plot) in four replications. The first order factor was the use of an attractant: (1) control object, with pure water spraying, (2) attractant used in the 60 BBCH phase, (3) attractant applied twice—in the 60 and 65 phase, in the BBCH scale. The factor of the second order was fertilization: (a) standard object with PK fertilization; (b) fertilization with microelements (B + Mo) against the background of constant PK fertilization. The use of attractant 'Pollinus' preparation in the cultivation of red clover, both once and twice, in the form of spraying on plants, contributed to an increase in the seed yield, number of heads, share of seeds in the head, thousand seeds weight, and seed germination capacity, compared to the control object. Elements of the red clover yield structure achieved more favorable values with foliar feeding (B + Mo) compared to the standard one. Under the influence of plant biofortification with boron and molybdenum, the number of seeds infected with fungal pathogens and abnormally germinating decreased. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Seed quality is an important bottom-up factor driving life-history traits of seed beetles (Chrysomelidae: Bruchinae). However, information on how seed traits change spatiotemporally and affect herbivores' survival is incipient in Neotropics. We evaluated how the spatio-temporal variation in seed weight, hardness, size, and water content of Mimosa setosa var. paludosa (Fabaceae: Mimosoideae) affects the occurrence and body-size pattern of the seed beetle, Acanthoscelides quadridentatus (Schaeffer, 1907), in Brazilian Cerrado. We collected 400 fruits from four populations of M. setosa var. paludosa in Cerrado roadsides from Goiás and Minas Gerais states and then we assessed in laboratory seed traits along with the weight and body size of A. quadridentatus. Additionally, we collected a total of 76 fruits (immature plus mature) in beginning and end of the fruiting phase and counted the frequencies of unhatched and hatched eggs of the seed beetle to evaluate the effect of seed hardening on beetle posture. We found greater seed damage in the population with softer, smaller and lighter seeds. Larger and heavier seeds were harder than smaller and lighter seeds; and male and female reared from larger and heavier seeds were respectively 15 and 25% larger than that reared from smaller and lighter seeds. We also found that weight and body size of A. quadridentatus were positively correlated with seed length, weight and water content. Unhatched eggs were found only in beginning of fruiting phase when seeds were immature and softer, suggesting the occurrence of a window of time in which females lay their eggs before seed hardening to facilitate the entry of first instar larvae. These results highlight that larger and heavier seeds are most protected against herbivory, but individuals of A. quadridentatus that overcome plant hardness can grow larger in size. We suggest that seed traits change across a spatio-temporal scale and affect life-history traits of A. quadridentatus. • Seed quality affects the life-history traits of Acanthoscelides quadridentatus. • Seed hardness is an important bottom-up factor influencing beetle egg laying. • Spatio-temporal scale plays a central hole in this trophic interaction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]