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Showing 136 results for Seed

Roya Ghorbani, Ali Movafeghi, Ali Ganjeali, Jafar Nabati,
Volume 9, Issue 1 (9-2022)
Abstract

Extended Abstract
Introduction: Drought stress, as abiotic and multidimensional stress, has severe effects on plant growth. One of the new approaches in the management of drought stress is the use of nanoparticles. Nanoparticles infilterate the seeds and increase nutrient and water uptake and ultimately, improve germination. The present research was conducted to evaluate the effects of titanium dioxide nanoparticles on chickpea plant germination factors to modify the negative effects of drought stress.
Materials and Methods: A factorial experiment was conducted in a completely randomized design with four replications on chickpea seeds of Arman cultivar in the Plant Sciences Research Institute of the Ferdowsi University of Mashhad in 2019. Seeds were primed with concentrations of 0, 5, 10, 15, and 20 mg L-1 titanium dioxide for 24 hours. The seeds were cultured in sterilized Petri dishes. Drought stress was applied using polyethylene glycol 6000 with 0, -2, -4 and -8 bar osmotic potentials.
Results: The analysis of variance results showed that the interaction effect of drought stress and titanium dioxide nanoparticles was significant on germination rate, the number of normal seedlings, seed vigor index, germination index, length of seedling, radicle length, and radicle dry weight. All germination traits were inhibited as a result of drought stress. On the other hand, the presence of titanium dioxide nanoparticles partially decreased this inhibition in some traits. Germination percentage, germination rate, normal seedling percentage, seed vigor index, germination index, epicotyl length, radicle length and radicle dry weight decreased as a result of stress.
Conclusion: At all drought stress levels, the concentration of titanium dioxide nanoparticles up to 20 mg L-1 significantly improved traits such as germination percentage, seed vigor index, epicotyl length, and epicotyl dry weight. It seems that nanoparticles can stimulate cell activity and increase the transformation of reserves to translocatable material and consequently, improve germination characteristics. Thus, the application of titanium dioxide nanoparticles up to a concentration of 20 mg L-1 can partially reduce the negative effects of drought stress on the germination characteristics of chickpeas.

Highlights:
1- Germination percentage and seed vigor index of chickpea increased with the application of titanium dioxide nanoparticles up to 20 mg l-1 at all drought stress levels.
2- The radicle length and dry weight of chickpea increased by titanium dioxide nanoparticles.
3- The negative effects of drought stress on chickpea seed germination decreased by titanium dioxide nanoparticles.

Mohammad Mehrabi‌ Kooshki, Ali Moradi, Hamidreza Balouchi, Roya Behboud, Hojatollah Latifmanesh,
Volume 9, Issue 1 (9-2022)
Abstract

Extended Abstract
Introduction: Pulses are among the best sources of plant protein and important components of crop rotation, which in recent years, have been considered one of the major options for plant research. Seed storage is one of the important traits in legume breeding. Storage temperature, seed moisture content, and storage duration are the most important factors affecting seed quality during storage. Inappropriate storage conditions lead to deterioration and reduction of seed quality during storage, which is severely affected by the environmental conditions of storage.
Materials and Methods: This research was conducted at the Seed Technology Laboratory, Faculty of Agriculture, Yasouj University in 2014 as a three-way factorial based on the completely randomized design with 5 replications of 20 seeds. Seeds with moisture content at 5 levels (6, 10, 14, 18, and 22%) and storage temperature at 4 levels (15, 25, 35 and 45 °C) were stored for 9 months (0, 30, 60, 90, 120, 150, 180, 210, 240 and 270 days). After sampling at the end of each month, a standard seed germination test was done using the pleated paper method in a germinator at 25 °C for 10 days. Also, an electrical conductivity test of the electrolytes leaked from the seeds incubated for 24h in water at 20 ˚C was done with 4 replicates. Some germination attributes and electrical conductivity of the electrolytes leaked from the seeds were measured according to standard methods.
Results: According to the results, interaction effects of storage temperature, seed moisture content, and storage duration on germination indices and electrical conductivity of bean seeds were significant (P<0.1). The germination trend during storage at 15 °C and seed moisture content of 6% decreased from 94% to 81% after 270 days of storage, so that germination decreased to 35% under similar moisture content after 270 days of storage as temperature increased from 15 to 45 °C. As the storage time passed, electrical conductivity increased and this increase was more pronounced at higher temperatures. Viability constants were calculated 9 months after storage using the seed viability equation, in which KE, CH, CW, and CQ were calculated -5.39697, 0.03201, 2.13041, and 0.000017, respectively.
Conclusions: The results showed that the electrical conductivity of the leaked material increased with increasing storage temperature and seed moisture content, which led to lower viability of seeds. At 15 °C and 6% seed moisture content provided better conditions for seed survival during the 9-month storage time compared with all other temperatures and moistures and had the lowest rate of deterioration. The results showed that with increasing seed temperature and moisture so that they had to lowest electrical conductivity of the leaked material from seeds and deterioration rate.

Highlights:
1- Over storage duration, the electrical conductivity of materials leaked from seeds increased.
2- With increasing moisture content up to 22% and storage temperature up to 45 °C, the electrical conductivity of the material leaked from seeds increased.
3- Bean seed viability coefficients were calculated to evaluate seed viability under controlled storage conditions.
 
Seyedeh Tina Mousavi Kani, Davoud Kartoolinejad, Zohreh Bahrami, Ali Asghar Zolfaghari, Elahe Nikouee,
Volume 9, Issue 1 (9-2022)
Abstract

Extended Abstract
Introduction: Nowadays, due to land use change and destruction of natural resources induced by human activities, attention to desertification has immensely become widespread. One of the most important species for biological rehabilitation of desert areas on a large scale is the hawthorn plant. Hawthorn is a plant belonging to the family Amaranthaceae, the two species of which are called white saxaul (Haloxylon persicum Bunge ex Boissier & Buhse) and black saxaul (Haloxylon aphyllum (Minkw.) Iljin) are more notorious and widespread in Iran. These plants own extensive root systems and stabilize running sands. The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of mesoporous titanium dioxide nanoparticles on germination traits of black saxaul seeds under drought stress, as an important species in desert areas.
Materials and Methods: The experiment was performed as a factorial experiment in a completely randomized design with 3 replications. Experimental treatments included five titanium nano dioxides with concentrations of 0, 25, 50, 100 and 200 mg / l and six drought stress levels including 0, -4, -8, -12, -16 and -20 bar. After nanopriming, black saxaul seeds were subjected to drought stress for 15 days in a germinator at a temperature of 20 °C with four replications. After germination, in each of the treatments, germination percentage (GP), germination rate (GS), mean germination time (MGT) and seed vigor index (VI) were calculated.
Results: The results of two-way ANOVA and mean comparison of germination indices showed that the highest germination percentage (74%) belonged to the zero level of stress treatment with a concentration of 200 mg/l and the lowest one (3%) belonged to -20 bar treatment with 25 and 200 mg/l nano-titanium dioxide. With increasing drought stress intensity from zero to -20 bar level, germination rate decreased from 7.01 to 0.43 seeds per day. The highest amount of seed vigor index at zero drought level belonged to the treatment of 200 mg/l concentration of nano-titanium, with a rate of 325.77.
Conclusion: The results showed that germination indices and initial growth of black saxaul seeds decreased in all primed and unprimed treatments with increasing drought stress, and nanopriming with titanium dioxide had a positive effect on seed germination traits.

Highlights:

1- Seed priming using mesoporous nano-titanium dioxide improved the germination percentage of black saxaul seeds under drought stress.
2- The concentration of 200 mg/l of mesoporous nano titanium dioxide revealed a better effect on seed germination index, mean germination time, germination rate and percentage
3- Seed nano priming using titanium dioxide did not have much effect on the growth characteristics of black saxaul seedlings at higher levels of drought stress.
 
Majid Azimmohseni, Farshid Ghaderi-Far, Mahnaz Khalafi, Hamid Reza Sadeghipour, Marzieh Ghezel,
Volume 9, Issue 1 (9-2022)
Abstract


Extended abstract
  Introduction: Numerous studies are being carried out to reveal the effects of different treatments on the germination of seeds from various plants. The most commonly used method of analysis is the nonlinear regression which estimates germination parameters. Although the nonlinear regression has been performed based on different models, some serious problems in its structure and results motivated researchers to investigate alternative approaches with higher accuracy and precision. The main purpose of the present research is to introduce the alternative parametric time to event model and comparing its reliability to the nonlinear regression in experiments carried out under different conditions.
  Materials and Methods:  The results of four different experiments were used here including the effect of Potassium cyanide on walnut seed germination, the effect of salinity on wheat seed germination, the effect of water potential on corn seed germination and the effect of temperature on cotton seed germination. The nonlinear regression and time to event methods were applied based on the Gompertz model. The obtained standard errors from the two models were further assessed using the Monte-Carlo method.
  Results: Both methods provided well-fitting models according to the MSE and R2   criteria. Although the germination parameters were approximately identical in both models, the standard error of parameters in nonlinear regression was significantly less than those of time to event method except for the experiments in which all tested seeds germinated within the time frame of study so that in the latter case the estimated standard errors in both models were identical. The Monte-Carlo method confirmed the results of the time to event model and reveals the underestimation of the nonlinear regression method in estimating the standard error of parameters.
  Conclusions: Generally, the results of this research showed that the time to event model can be trustfully utilized in seed germination studies under different conditions and treatments. This model, not only provides precise estimates of the germination parameters but also provides the precise standard error of parameters that have important roles in making inferences for parameters. The drc package in R software enables researchers to fit the different time to event models.

 
Highlights:
  1. Using the time to the event model in estimation of seed germination parameters.
  2. Comparing the time to event and nonlinear regression methods in different seed germination experiments.
  3. Using the Monte-Carlo method for investigating the accuracy of results of the used methods.
 
 
 
 
 
 
Asieh Siahmarguee, Farshid Ghaderifa, Javid Gherekhloo, Atefeh Akbari Gelvardi, Maryam Gorgani,
Volume 9, Issue 1 (9-2022)
Abstract

Extended abstract:
Introduction: Reports indicate the invasion of two species of Ivy-leaved morning-glory (Ipomoea hederaceae Jacq) and Asian spider flower (Cleome viscosa L.) to summer crops fields such as soybeans in Golestan province. Considering the importance of knowing the cardinal temperatures of germination in the models for predicting the presence of weeds and consequently designing correct management strategies on these plants, this experiment was conducted to study the germination behavior and to compare the cardinal temperatures of germination for two species of Ivy-leaved morning-glory and Asian spider flower under two conditions of constant and alternating temperatures.
Materials and Methods: In order to study the effects of constant and alternating temperature on the percent, rate and estimating cardinal temperature of germination for Ivy-leaved morning glory and Asian spider flower, two separate experiments as a Completely Randomized Design with four replications were carried out at the seed laboratory of Gorgan University of Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources. Studied temperature treatments on Ivy-leaved morning glory included the constant temperatures of 10,15,17,20,25,30,35 and 40 oC and alternating temperatures of 12.5:7.5,10:15, 12.5:20, 15:25, 20:30, 25:37.5, 30:42.5 and 35:45 oC. Temperature treatments on Asian spider flower included the constant temperatures of 15, 20, 23, 25, 28, 30, 35, 40, 45 and 50 o C and alternating temperatures of 15:20, 20:25, 20:30, 25:30, 25:35, 30:40, 30:45, 30:50 and 40:50 oC.
Results: Results indicated that alternating temperatures had a positive effect on the germination of Ivy-leaved morning glory, which increased from 78% at constant temperatures to 94% at alternative temperatures. However, the maximum germination percentage of Asian spiderflower at the alternative temperature of 20:30 was 79%, which had no significant difference with a constant temperature of 30 with 84% germination. The base temperature for seed germination of Ivy-leaved morning glory at alternating temperatures (10.09 oC) was a little lower than that of constant temperatures (11.25 oC). But in Asian spider flower, the base temperature at alternating temperatures (17.57 oC) was more than that of constant temperatures (15.43 o C).
Conclusion: The most important factor in the occurrence of such different responses to constant and alternating temperatures in Ivy-leaved morning glory and Asian spider flower is their adaptation to environmental conditions and their survival in highly degraded agricultural environments. These two weeds are warm-season plants and their seeds enter the soil seed bank in autumn. The presence of dormancy (regardless of its type) in the seeds of these two plants prevents the germination of their seeds in winter; and the experience of alternating temperatures at this time prepares the seeds for germination in the spring. The base temperature of Ivy-leaved morning glory was not much different under the constant and alternating temperature conditions. But the base temperature of Asian spider flower was higher under alternating temperatures compared with constant temperatures.
 
Highlights:
1- The Response of germination percentage of Ivy-leaved morning-glory and Asian spider flower were investigated under constant and alternating temperatures.
2- Cardinal temperatures of germination for these two weeds were compared at constant and alternating temperature conditions.

Elham Latifinia, Hamid Reza Eisvand,
Volume 9, Issue 1 (9-2022)
Abstract

Extended Abstract
Introduction: Structural and physiological delicacy of soybean seeds is known as an important quality indicator in the cultivation of this plant, but at the same time, the most chronic problems of soybean seed quality are the reduction of seed quality during storage and before sowing. The effect of some nutrients on the quality of soybean seeds under accelerated aging stress was investigated
Materials and Methods: Experiments were conducted for two consecutive years (2019-2020) in the research field of Lorestan University, Faculty of Agriculture in a randomized complete block design. Nutritional treatments included nitrogen and phosphorus application (as soil application) and iron and molybdenum as foliar application. Seeds were harvested at the maturity stage and 1000-grain weight and seed coat resistance to mechanical damage was investigated. Following the exposure of seeds to accelerated aging, leakage from seeds and germination were measured.
Results: The results showed that nutrition had a significant effect on all studied traits. However, the effect of year was only significant on 1000-seed weight and resistance to mechanical damage of seed coat. The highest number of traits related to seed quality was related to complete fertilizer treatment (N-P-Fe-Mo) and accelerated aging had a less negative effect on them.
Conclusion: Among the nutrients, nitrogen and phosphorus had the most effect on germination indices, and iron and molybdenum were in the next ranks. Seeds with strong vigor and treated with fertilizer were less affected by accelerated aging and had better germination. The lower the seed vigor, the more sensitive they were to this stress.
Highlights 
  1. The effect of soybean nutrition on seed quality traits was investigated under the accelerated aging test.
  2. The effects of macro- and micro- nutrients on the germination and quality of soybean seeds were investigated.

Amin Salehi, Yaghoub Behzadi, Raham Mohtashami, Nasrin Niknam,
Volume 9, Issue 2 (3-2023)
Abstract

Extended abstract
Introduction: Safflower (Carthamus tinctorius L.) is an annual oilseed crop that is adapted to arid and semi-arid regions and is considered an indigenous plant of Iran. Germination and seedling stage in the soil is one of the most important stages in the life cycle of plants. High germination rate and percentage increase the number of seedlings and the rapid successful establishment of seedlings in the soil also contributes to the suitable vegetative growth of the seedlings in later stages of life. Therefore, evaluation of germination indices and seedling establishment in the soil and finding more suitable conditions to improve these indices can have a direct impact on more successful plant cultivation. One of the methods used in this regard is priming.
Materials and Methods: In order to study the effect of plant growth-promoting bacteria and temperature treatments on germination indices and seedling growth of the safflower, this investigation was conducted based on a completely randomized block design with three replications at the Agricultural Research Laboratory of Yasouj University in 2016. Experimental factors were seven levels of temperature treatments (5, 10, 15, 20, 25, 30, 35°C) and seed priming with three strains of Pseudomonas fluorescens such as Pf 2, Pf 25 and CHA 0 and one strain of Bacillus subtilis and control (without inoculation).
Results: The results showed that 20°C temperature caused the highest germination percentage, germination rate and vigor length. Also, seeds inoculated with Pseudomonas fluorescens growth-promoting bacteria strain CHA0 had the highest germination percentage (68.74), germination rate (3.49 seeds per day) and vigor length vigor (6.22). Seedling length, dry weight and vigor weight were the other parameters that showed the best results at 20 and 25°C. Also, germination and seedling growth indices decreased by an increase or decrease in the optimum temperature. The use of plant growth-promoting bacteria causes increased activity of ascorbate and catalase enzymes, which leads to a decrease in injuries related to non-optimum temperature and improved germination indices.
Conclusion: According to our results, to accelerate the germination rate and other parameters, it is better to inoculate seeds with bacteria strains CHA0 and 25 in the temperature range of 20-25°C.

Highlights:
  1. The germination behaviour of safflower primed with bacteria varies at different temperatures.
  2. Seeds inoculated with Pseudomonas fluorescens growth-promoting bacteria of CHA0 strain had better germination conditions.
Using the 20-25°C temperature improves germination indices.

Marzieh Besharati-Far, Gholamrez Khajoei-Nejad, Enayatollah Tohidi-Nejad, Jalal Ghanbari,
Volume 9, Issue 2 (3-2023)
Abstract

Extended Abstract
Introduction: The application of different physical, chemical, and hormonal treatments mainly improves the germination of plants such as Dracocephalum kotschyi Boiss that have a seed dormancy mechanism. However, the interaction effects of germination, temperature, pretreatment with sulfuric acid, treatment with gibberellic acid and mycorrhiza on D. kotschyi germination have not been studied. Therefore, this experiment was performed in vitro to study the effect of seed pretreatment on improvement of germination characteristics of D. kotschyi seed.
Materials and Methods: The treatments studied in this experiment included (1) pretreatment of seed coat with sulfuric acid (97-95 %, for 10 min) and non-pretreatment (distilled water); (2) different treatments including treatments with concentrations of 0, 250, and 500 mg L-1 gibberellic acid (GA) or inoculation with mycorrhiza suspension in two separate experiments; and (3) two temperature treatments; room and refrigerator (about 4 °C) temperatures. The experiment was performed as a factorial based on a completely randomized design with four replications and different germination and initial seedling growth indices were examined.
Results: Gibberellic acid application at room temperature resulted in a significant increase in germination percentage and rate, whereas there was no significant difference between different levels of gibberellic acid and control at 4 °C. Similarly, the application of 250 mg L-1 GA improved seedling length and seedling vigor index at room temperature. While pretreatment with sulfuric acid significantly reduced germination and seedling growth indices compared to non-pretreatment, inoculation with mycorrhiza suspension in both pretreatment conditions compensated the germination reduction caused by sulfuric acid pretreatment by improving germination. Similarly, while the highest seedling length and vigor were obtained from mycorrhizal treatment at room temperature in non-pretreatment with sulfuric acid, at 4 ° C, inoculation with mycorrhiza also significantly reduced the loss in seedling length and seedling vigor index caused by sulfuric acid application.
Conclusion: According to the findings, it seems that the application of 250 mg L-1 GA at room temperature can be considered to improve the germination trend of D. kotschyi. Also, according to the results, treatment with mycorrhiza in sulfuric acid-free treatment at room temperature can be recommended as optimal conditions to improve the germination of D. kotschyi.

Highlights:
1- The interaction effect of chemical pretreatment with biological and hormonal treatments on the germination of Dracocephalum kotschyi was investigated.
2- The application of gibberellic acid at room temperature improved germination compared to the control, whereas it had no effect on germination at 4 °C.
3- Application of mycorrhiza reduced germination loss caused by pretreatment with sulfuric acid and led to maximum germination and seedling growth.

Iraj Rahimi, Ismail Asadi, Pejman Tahmasebi, Alireza Monfared, Ali Abbasi Suraki,
Volume 9, Issue 2 (3-2023)
Abstract

Extended Abstract:
Introduction: Predation is the common fate of most seeds produced by plants. Loss of seeds due to predation can be harmful to plants and causes such species to become rare, as rare species are vulnerable to extinction through processes that disrupt the mechanisms of plant dispersal. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of pre-dispersal seed predation on rare astragalus species and their common counterparts.
Materials and Methods: In order to investigate the effects of pre-dispersal seed predation, 12 species including 6 species with herbaceous life form (including three rare species (A. Caraganae, A. Heterophyllus and A. Holopsilus) and three common species (A. Angustiflorus, A. Curvirostris and A. Effusus) and 6 species with shrub life form (including three rare species (A. Cephalanthus, A. Camphylanthus and A. Cemerinus) and three common species (A. Verus, A. Susianus and A. Rhodosemius) were compared in 2018 and 2019. From each plant type, 20 and from each plant type 10 pods (for each plant type 200 pods), randomly selected and the parameters of area size, perimeter length, length, width, length-to-width ratio, circularity, and distance between IS and CG from the seed center were measured and compared for both pods and seeds of these species. Also, pod mass and seed mass, number of pods and seeds attacked by predators, number of healthy seeds, pod shape and seed shape of species were compared.
Results: The results of comparing the mean morphological characteristics of seeds between herbaceous and shrub astragalus species showed the highest and lowest area size, perimeter length, length, width, length-to-width ratio, circularity, and distance between IS and CG from the seed center, was related to common astragalus species. in the case of shrub species, most of the characteristics were related to common astragalus species, and the lowest characteristics were related to rare astragalus species. The results of morphological characteristics of pods between herbaceous and shrub species showed that the highest and lowest characteristics belonged to both groups of common and rare species. The results showed that the highest and lowest means of seed mass, number of damaged seeds, number of healthy seeds, and seed shape under the influence of pre-dispersal seed predation among herbaceous species showed that the highest and lowest means of seed mass, number of damaged seeds, belonged to common species. the highest and lowest numbers of healthy seeds and seed shapes belonged to rare species. Among the shrub astragalus species, the highest seed mass, the number of damaged seeds, the number of healthy seeds, and the seed shape were related to common astragalus species, and the lowest of these characteristics were related to rare astragalus species.
Conclusion: The overall results showed that the more species that can produce seeds of larger and smaller sizes, the better the distribution status. And the larger the seed and pod mass of the plant and the larger the shape, the more predators attack those species, but the amount of predator attacks does not lead to the rarity of the species.

Highlights:
  1. The role of pre-dispersal seed predation on rare and common astragalus species was investigated.
  2. Morphological characteristics of seeds and life forms of rare and common astragalus species were compared.

Arezoo Paravar, Saeideh Maleki Farahani, Alireza Rezazadeh,
Volume 9, Issue 2 (3-2023)
Abstract

Extended abstract
Introduction: Lallemnatia ibercia (Dragon’s head) is an annual herb, which belongs to the Lamiaceae family. Nowadays, its seed is widely used in food and pharmaceutical industries due to its high mucilage and oil content. Soil moisture, nutrition, light, and temperature of the maternal environment play an important role in plant growth. However, the effect of soil moisture on yield and seed quality indices is greater during seed development. The positive effects of maternal plant nutrition with mycorrhizal inoculation can influence the quality improvement of the seeds developed under water deficit conditions. The reason for the quality improvement of the seeds developed under mycorrhizal inoculation condition is reported to be their water balance under water deficit conditions and as a result, more absorption of water and nutrients. Nutrient uptake by the maternal plant can play an important role in improving the germination and quality characteristics of the seeds developed under drought stress.
Materials and Methods: A field experiment was conducted in a completely randomized design with three replications at the Seed Science and Technology Laboratory of the College of Agriculture, Shahed University during f 2018-19 and 2019-20 years. Experimental treatments included irrigation regime (30, 60 and 90% of depletion of available soil water (ASW)) and mycorrhizal inoculation (non-inoculation and inoculation).
Results: The results showed that a reduction in soil moisture in the maternal environment decreased germination percentage and seed quality.  Germination percentage (51.20%) germination rate (7%), seed vigor index (27.70%), seedling length (28.3%), seedling dry weight (34.80%), seed mucilage (75.40%), as well as seed nutrients (27.30%), seed oil (14.60%) and catalase (35.25%) and ascorbate peroxidase (25.70%) enzymes activities enhanced in the seeds developed under 60% depletion of available soil water and application of mycorrhizal compared to control (30% depletion of available soil water and without mycorrhizal). Compared with the 30% depletion of available soil water and without mycorrhizal, mean germination time (17%) and lipid peroxidation (41.10%) increased under the 90% depletion of available soil water and without fertilizer mycorrhizal.
Conclusions: According to the results of this study, the irrigation regime of 60% available soil water depletion of maternal plants leads to the reduction of seed quality. However, the nutrition of maternal plants by mycorrhizal inoculation effectively improved the quality of seeds developed under water deficit due to the absorption of water and nutrients.

Highlights:
  1. Germination and seedling growth indices, quality and biochemical characteristics of the Lallemantia iberica seeds developed under different conditions of irrigation regime were investigated.
  2.  The effect of mycorrhiza on nutrient uptake, oil content, and antioxidant enzyme activity of the seeds developed under different irrigation regimes was investigated.
  3. The extent of damage to the lipid structures of cells in the seeds developed under different irrigation regimes and mycorrhiza fertilizer was investigated.

Hamideh Khalaj,
Volume 10, Issue 1 (9-2023)
Abstract

Extended Abstract
Introduction: Althaea officinalis L. is one of the most important plants of the Malvaceae family which is used in traditional medicine and as a drug to treat the disorders of digestive and respiratory systems. The fresh seeds of Althaea do not have a good growth potential. This experiment was performed to evaluate the different methods of seed dormancy breaking on the improvement of A. officinalis L. seed germination.
Materials and Methods: An experiment was conducted in a completely randomized design with three replications at the agricultural laboratory of Payame Noor University Tehran, Shahriar Center in 2017. The experimental treatments included 10 treatments (control, seed coat removal, seed coat removal + gibberellic acid (500 and 1000 ppm), seed coat removal + potassium nitrate (0.1 and 0.2%), seed coat removal + sulfuric acid (30 and 60 minutes), sulfuric acid (30 and 60 minutes).
Results: The results showed that the highest germination index with averages of 433.3 was observed in seed coat removal + 30- minutes of sulfuric acid treatment. The highest germination rate (44.7 seed/day) was observed in seed coat removal + 60-minute sulfuric acid treatment. The highest germination percentage (86.6%) was observed in seed coat removal+ 0.2% potassium nitrate treatment. Also, the highest mean germination time (20.2 day) was observed in both control and seeds coat removal treatments. The highest plumule and seedling length and fresh and dry weight were observed in seed coat removal + 30 and 60- minute sulfuric acid, and seed coat removal +0.2% potassium nitrate treatment, without significant difference. The highest radicle length was obtained in seed coat removal +30- minutes sulfuric acid treatment and seed coat removal + 0.2% potassium nitrate treatments.
Conclusion: Since all three sulfuric acid, potassium nitrate and gibberellic acid treatment along with seed coat removal treatment significantly affect the measured traits compared with control. It may be suggested that A. officinalis L. seed has a type of physical and physiological dormancy and seed dormancy breaking treatments (especially 30- minutes sulfuric acid) can be used to increase germination the fresh seeds of this plant.

Highlights:
  1. In A. officinalis plant, removal of seed coat using chemical treatments is very effective in applying seed dormancy treatments.
 Development of A. officinalis seed cultivation and propagation is possible by applying seed dormancy breaking methods.

Omid Ansari, Esmaeil Shirghani, Khodadad Shabani,
Volume 10, Issue 1 (9-2023)
Abstract

Extended abstract
Introduction: Due to the high sensitivity of seeds to damage caused by diseases or environmental stresses, germination is considered an important stage in the plant life cycle: Germination, its uniformity and emergence decline during storage due to seed vigor deterioration. Moisture stress is one of the important environmental factors affecting germination, especially during improper storage. Seed priming with gibberellic acid improves seedling characteristics in different plants under different environmental conditions. Therefore, this research aims to investigate the effect of gibberellic acid and seed deterioration on germination indices and antioxidant enzymes of safflower seeds (Carthamus tinctorius L.) under water stress conditions.
Materials and Methods: In order to investigate the effect of gibberellic acid on germination indicators and changes in antioxidant enzymes of aged safflower seeds under osmotic stress conditions, a factorial experiment was conducted in the form of a completely randomized design with four replications. The first factor includes three osmotic stress levels: zero (control), -0.4, and -0.8 MPa, the second factor includes nine aging levels (zero, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, and 8 days of aging). at a temperature of 41 degrees Celsius) and the third factor included seed priming treatment at three control levels (non-priming), zero (hydro-priming), and priming with 50 mg/l gibberellic acid. A 3-parametric sigmoid model was used to show the changes in germination indices at different levels of seed deterioration.
Results: The effect of osmotic stress, seed deterioration, and seed priming on the measured indices such as germination percentage, germination rate, seedling dry weight, normal seedling percentage, seedling length, seed germ, catalase, and ascorbate peroxidase, as well as seed protein were significant so that the measured indicators decreased with increasing seed deterioration and moisture stress. The results showed that the highest measured germination indices were obtained from seed treatment with 50 mg/l gibberellic acid under normal osmosis and non-deterioration conditions. Also, seed priming with gibberellic acid treatment caused an increase in catalase, ascorbate peroxidase, and protein activity compared to non-primed seeds under deterioration and non-deterioration conditions.
Conclusion: Results showed that the most suitable prime level used was gibberellic acid 50 mg/l, which had acceptable results under both stress conditions and normal conditions and deterioration and non-deterioration in comparison with other treatments. Therefore, the use of gibberellic acid hormone can help to improve germination indices as a result of changes in biochemical activities.

Highlights:

1. The effect of accelerated aging and priming on safflower seed germination under moisture stress conditions was investigated.
2.The effect of priming on catalase and peroxidase activity of aged safflower seeds was investigated.

Emad Shahmansouri, Zahra Abbasi,
Volume 10, Issue 1 (9-2023)
Abstract

Extended Abstract
Introduction: The selection of optimum planting date for every climate and mother bulb size are important factors affecting the quantity and quality of seed production in different cultivars. This study was performed in Isfahan province, Frieden, during two growing years 2016-2017 to determine the effect of planting time and mother bulb size on the quantity and quality of short-day onion seed varieties Texas Early Grano 502
Materials and Methods: A split-plot experiment was performed in a randomized complete block design with four replications. The main factor was cultivation dates at four levels: the end of August, the first of September, the end of September and the first of October and mother bulb size at three levels with 3.55, 5.5-7, and 7.5-9cm diameters were assigned as sub-plots. The measured traits were number of umbel per unit area, the number of fertilized capsules in umbel, the number of seeds per capsule, 1000 seed weight, seed yield and germination rate.
Results: The results of combined analysis of variance showed that effect of year was only significant on the number of capsules per umbel at p<0.01. The interactions of year× mother bulb diameter and year× planting date× mother bulb diameter were not significant for any of the traits. The traits were not affected by the year. The results showed that the planting date had a significant effect on all traits except for 1000 seed weight, and the first planting date (the end of August) had the highest values in all traits. The highest germination percentage (89.83%) and the highest germination rate (12.8) were obtained on the first planting date, which showed a statistically significant difference with the subsequent planting dates. However, these two traits were not affected by mother bulb diameter treatment. The highest seed yield for onion diameter factor (505.65 kg h-1in the first year and 465.78 kg h-1 in the second year) was associated with mother bulb size of 7.5-9 cm.
Conclusions: The overall result showed that to obtain the highest and most desirable quality of onion seeds of Texas Early Grano 502 cultivar in Friedan of Isfahan, the planting date of the first of September and the size of the mother bulb between” 7 to 9 cm is recommended.

Highlights:
1- Early planting time (the first of September) increased germination rate.
2- Increasing the mother bulb size increased the onion yield.

Ladan Zinati, Asieh Siahmarguee, Farshid Ghaderi-Far, Masomeh Yones-Abadi, Bhagirath Singh Chauhan,
Volume 10, Issue 1 (9-2023)
Abstract

Extended Abstract
Introduction: The different species of Amaranthus species are among the most important damaging weeds in the world. Due to the importance of studying the effect of management factors on seed dynamics of different weed species, this experiment aimed to investigate the effect of burial depth and high temperatures on the seed dynamic of different species of Amaranthus in Golestan province including white pigweed (A. albus), prostrate pigweed (A. belitoides), hybrid Amaranthus (A. chlorostachys), redroot pigweed (A. retrofelexus) and green Amaranthus (A. viridis) were performed.
Materials and Methods: This research was conducted on five amaranthus species of white pigweed, prostrate pigweed, hybrid Amaranthus, redroot pigweed, and green Amaranthus at the seed laboratory and greenhouse of Gorgan University of Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources. In the first experiment, seed emergence of different species of Amaranthus was studied in eight burial depths including 0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, and 10 cm. In the second experiment, seeds were exposed to 50, 60, 70, 80, 90, 100, and 110 °C temperatures for 5, 10, and 15 minutes
Results: All seeds of A. blitoides and A. viridis germinated in the topsoil (zero depth); But, in A. albus, A. retroflexus, A. chlorostachys, 93%, 83%, and 3% of the seeds were emergence at the soil surface, respectively. By increasing the burial depth to one centimeter, the percentage of seeds emergence in different species of Amaranthus decreased significantly and was negligible at 2 cm depth. Germination test performed on retrieved seeds showed that zero to 16% of the seeds were able to germinate in petri dish, and most of the non-germinated seeds were viable. In all species except for A. chlorostachys high temperatures reduced the germination percentage.
Conclusion: Due to the reduction of seed germination percentage of different species of Amaranthus from a depth of more than one centimeter of soil, it seems that the use of conservation and conventional tillage methods has a good potential to reduce infestation of fields by these weeds. Also, although high temperatures reduce weed infestation in fields, they do not have a significant effect on depleting the seed bank of these species.

Highlights:
1- Seed dynamics of different species of Amaranthus were affected by burial depth and high temperature
2- Deep burial of seeds of different species of Amaranthus causes the stability of their seeds in the soil seed bank.

Fatemeh Ghorbannezhad, Mohsen Zavareh, Farzad Sharifzadeh,
Volume 10, Issue 1 (9-2023)
Abstract

Extended abstract
Introduction: Linseed (Linum usitatissimum L.) is a multipurpose crop and is cultivated to obtain oil, fiber, and seeds. Under optimal moisture conditions, the temperature is considered an environmental factor affecting the germination of this crop. Hence, knowing the cardinal temperatures can help farmers to predict the successful germination, emergence, and even yield of linseed and help scientists to develop new cultivars that are more tolerant to high temperatures. Therefore, this study was performed to determine the temperature range and the cardinal temperatures of germination in two linseed genotypes.
Material and methods: The germination response of two linseed genotypes (Golchin genotype and Line 286) to nine temperatures (3, 5, 10, 15, 20, 25, 30, 35, and 40 Celsius degrees) was quantified in a CRD based split-plot experiment with four replications. For this purpose, three nonlinear regression models (beta, segmented, and dent-like) were used to fit to the data and select the superior model. The superior model was selected using the Akaike information index (AIC), the modified Akaike index (AICc), and ∆i.
Results: Findings showed that the beta model had the best performance in estimating the line 286 cardinal temperatures according to its lower AIC (-3.96), AICc (-89.61), and ∆i (0). Accordingly, the base, optimum, and maximum temperature as well as the number of biological hours estimated by this model for Line 286 were 7.18, 24.22, 40.16 Celsius degrees, and 19.25 hours, respectively. In the Golchin genotype, the beta model with the lowest AIC=-3.89 and AICc= -89.083 fitted better compared with the other models. Nonetheless, considering ∆i for beta which was respectively 0, 1.61, and 4.49 for beta, segmented, and dent-like models, Beta and segmented models had a similar accuracy in estimation of cardinal temperatures for Golchin genotype. These findings represent that the suitable temperature range for germination of the Golchin genotype is 3.8- 23.85 Celsius degrees and the range of biological hours to 50% of germination varied from 16.42 to 19.77 hours.
Conclusion: Overall, according to the results of this study, it is possible to predict the time to germination under optimal moisture conditions using the beta model for Line 286 and one of the two beta and segmented models for the Golchin genotype.

Highlights:
1. A suitable model was developed for a suitable prediction of the seed germination percentage of two linseed genotypes (Golchin genotype and Line 286).
2. The cardinal temperatures for two linseed genotypes (Golchin genotype and Line 286) were determined.

Farzaneh Amirikia, Majid Nabipour, Masoumeh Farzaneh,
Volume 10, Issue 1 (9-2023)
Abstract

Extended Abstract
Introduction: The use of seed priming technology to accelerate the germination and seedling emergence of multi-purpose plants such as halophytes (Alhagi) with the ability to produce medicine and forage under environmental stress conditions or use of saline water (such as seawater of Persian Gulf) has received much attention today. Therefore, the present study was conducted to investigate seed priming methods and different salinity levels on germination, seedling emergence, and some growth responses of Alhagi plant.
Material and Methods: Two separate split-factorial experiments were conducted based on a randomized complete block design with four replications as a petri dish culture (first experiment) and a pot experiment in the field was performed in the Department of Plant Production and Genetics, Faculty of Agriculture, Shahid Chamran University (Ahwaz, Iran) during 2020-21. In both experiments, different levels of salinity (municipal water source with EC=0.96 dS.m-1, 8 and 16 dS.m-1 using seawater of Persian Gulf) were assigned as the main plot, and different methods of seed priming (non-priming, hydro priming, hormonal priming with 50 ppm gibberellin and hydro priming+hormonal priming with 50 ppm gibberellin) and species (A. maurorum and A. graecorum) were assigned as sub-factors.
Results: The results showed the significance of salinity × species × priming interaction on all studied traits. According to the mean comparison results, the highest values of germination percentage, seed vigor index, seedling emergence, plant height, number of branches, total dry matter and stomatal conductance were obtained from a municipal water source with EC=0.96 dS.m-1 and hydro priming+hormonal priming with 50 ppm gibberellin for A. graecorum (29.1, 90.2, 24.0, 32.3, 52.5, 52.1 and 32.4% increase compared to non-priming and control salinity stress on this species, respectively). The output of the fitted logistic model to seedling emergence percentage showed that this model well explained the relationship between seedling emergence of two Alhagi species in responses to salinity and seed priming (R2 adj≥0.98 and RMSE≤3.38). Therefore, in both studied species, the decline in seedling emergence started from the 8 dS/m salinity level. However, at the 16 dS/m salinity level, the slope of increase in seedling emergence percentage was slower per time unit.
Conclusion: To cultivate and exploit the saline coastal lands and also to restore the pastures in the country, A. graecorum species under the combined treatment of hydro priming + hormonal priming with 50 ppm gibberellin are recommended in comparison with other treatment levels.

Highlights:
1- Germination and growth responses of two Iranian Alhagi species and the possibility of production by irrigation of seawater of Persian Gulf were investigated.
2- Seed priming technique was used to accelerate seedling emergence and improve some traits in two Alhagi species.

Bijan Shadkam, Mohammed Hussain Gharineh, Amin Lotfi Jalalabadi, Seyed Amir Mousavi,
Volume 10, Issue 1 (9-2023)
Abstract

Extended Abstract
Introduction: Salinity stress is one of the important damaging factors for seed germination which interrupts the uptake of some nutrients by lowering soil water potential and causing ion toxicity due to salt accumulation inside the seeds. Since hyssop seeds are sensitive to salinity stress in the early stages of seed germination, it is necessary to investigate seed enhancement methods to improve seed germination in this species under saline conditions. In this research, the effects of seed priming using iron were studied on hyssop seed germination characteristics under salinity stress conditions.
Material and Methods: This research was conducted as two separate factorial experiments in complete random design with three replications. The treatments included five levels of iron nano-chelate and micro-chelate (zero, 50, 100, 200, and 400 mg /l) and six levels of salinity (zero, 50, 100, 150, 200, and 250 mM) and two priming durations. It included 12 and 24-hours.
Results: The results showed that with the increase in salinity, the germination characteristics declined so at 200 mM of salinity, seedling growth declined significantly and ceased completely at 250 mM level. Application of iron micro-chelate under non-stress conditions did not have any positive effect on hyssop germination, and the use of distilled water for 12 hours worked better than iron nano-chelate. No significant difference was observed among the different concentrations in micro-iron treatment. Application of nano and micro chelate at 100 and 150 mM salinity stress had a stronger effect so that nano iron chelate concentrations of 200 mg/L for 12 hours and 100 and 200 mg per liter concentrations of iron micro chelate had the highest germination, seedling growth, and seed germination in 24 hours. The amount of soluble protein and peroxidase and catalase activity increased at 50 mg/L salinity but decreased at higher salinities. Also, pretreatment of seeds with an iron micro-chelate and nano iron chelate concentration of 200 mg/liter intensified this process.
Conclusion: Conclusion: The results of this study showed that seed germination of hyssop is highly declined due to salinity stress, so the seedlings were unable to grow at a salinity concentration of 200 mg/L. Moreover, germination does not occur at 250 mg/liter salinity. Also, seed pretreatment of this plant is not justifiable under non-stress and mild stress conditions, and pretreatment with iron chelate had negative effects and was ineffective at best. However, iron chelate application at high salinity levels- especially in the nanoscale with a concentration of 200 mg/liter for 12 hours- is effective in reducing the effect of salinity.

Highlights:
1- The role of the iron element was investigated by seed pretreatment method to alleviate the negative effects of salinity stress on hyssop seed germination characteristics.
2- The nanotechnology used in the production of iron fertilizer and its effect on improving the germination characteristics of hyssop under salinity stress were investigated.

Farzad Delfan, Feizollah Shahbazi, Hamidreza Esvand,
Volume 10, Issue 2 (2-2024)
Abstract

Extended abstract
Introduction: The seeds of agricultural products are constantly subjected to impact forces from machines from the moment they are harvested to the time they are transferred into storage. Improper design and performance of machines in each of these stages can cause mechanical damage to seeds. Mechanical damage caused by free fall on the seed of agricultural products, which occurs during different stages of harvesting, transportation and other processes, causes a decrease in their quality and an increase in waste. This study aimed to evaluate the amount of mechanical damage caused to chickpea seeds due to the impact of free fall.
Materials and methods: The experiment was conducted as a factorial in the form of a completely randomized design with three replications. The factors included drop height (3, 6, 9 and 12 m), the contact surface (concrete, plywood, metal (iron) and seed-on-seed) and seed moisture content (10, 15, 20 and 25 %).  The studied traits or the amount of damage to the seeds included the measurement of seed deterioration by the accelerated aging method (loss in germination percentage in the accelerated aging test) and the measurement of electrical conductivity.
Results: The results of the analysis of variance showed that all three factors (drop height, the contact surface and moisture content) had significant effects at p<0.01 on the loss in germination percentage in the accelerated aging test and changes in electrical conductivity of chickpea seeds. In terms of loss in germination percentage, the highest damage to seeds occurred in the metal contact (41.96%) and the least in the seed-on-seed treatments(29.71%). Also, the highest amount of electrical conductivity was related to the seeds dropped on the metal (36.09 μS cm-1g-1) and the lowest was related to seed-on-seed contact (21.68 μS cm-1g-1). As the drop height rose from 3 to 12 m, the loss in germination and electrical conductivity of seeds increased from 27.74 to 48.08% and from 18.72 to 40.47 μS cm-1g-1, respectively. Increasing the moisture content of chickpea seeds from 10 to 25% causes a decrease in the amount of damage to the seeds in terms of electrical conductivity (from 38.40 to 21.18 μS cm-1g-1). However, the damage was in the form of loss in germination percentage during the accelerated aging test (from 29.22 to 42.88 %).
Conclusion: The findings of this study revealed that the movement of chickpea seeds and the subsequent free fall had a notable impact on their latent damage, leading to a decrease in germination rate and alterations in electrical conductivity. Therefore, it is recommended to minimize fall height and prevent seeds from hitting hard surfaces during seed processing and transportation to mitigate the damage.

Highlights:
  1. Seed deterioration tests using accelerated aging and electrical conductivity can be used as appropriate criteria to measure the mechanical damage to chickpea seeds.
  2. When designing machines that come into contact with the seeds, it is important to choose surfaces made of soft materials to minimize the destructive effects of the seeds falling from greater heights.
  3. The moisture content during the processing and transportation of the seeds should be at an optimal level of around 15%.

Ahmad Munir Amini, Farshid Ghaderi-Far, Dr Benjamin Torabi, Asieh Siahmargue, Hamid Reza Sadeghipour,
Volume 10, Issue 2 (2-2024)
Abstract

Extended abstract
Introduction: With regard to the ever-growing water deficit in the world, the adoption of the direct-seeded rice cultivation system has been suggested as an alternative to the transplanting method. One of the disadvantages of the direct-seeded method is low and non-uniform germination and emergence due to low seed vigor in rice. Priming is a technique which improves the rate and uniformity of seed germination under these conditions. Thus, this study aimed to investigate the effects of priming treatments on seed germination of different rice cultivars under different temperature conditions using the thermal time model.
Materials and methods: This study was conducted in 2019 at the seed research laboratory of Gorgan University of Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources. In this experiment, germination of primed and non-primed seeds in three rice cultivars (Nada, Anam, and Tolo) was investigated under different temperatures (15, 20, 25, 30, and 35°C). The priming treatments which consisted of control, hydropriming, and osmopriming with different chemicals (potassium chloride 2%, potassium nitrate 1%, calcium chloride 4%, glycine betaine 10 ppm, salicylic acid 10 ppm, and ascorbic acid 10 ppm) were investigated under different temperatures.
Results: The results showed that priming treatments had no significant effect on the seed germination percentage of rice cultivars at different temperatures. The thermal time model based on binomial distribution fitted well to cumulative germination percentages in all priming treatments. Among the parameters of the thermal time model, the greatest priming effect was on the reduction of the thermal coefficient, followed by the reduction of the sigma coefficient, which resulted in the increased rate and uniformity of germination. Priming treatments had no significant effect on base temperature. Also, the responses of rice cultivars to seed priming treatments varied so that in Anam and Neda, priming with calcium chloride but in Tolo, hydropriming was more effective on the model parameters, especially thermal time to 50% of germination.
Conclusion: In general, priming treatments did not affect the base temperature of germination in rice cultivars, but they significantly affected the rate and uniformity of seed germination. As the latter issue is one of the main problems in the direct-seeded rice system, suitable priming treatments for each cultivar can be adopted to increase the rate and uniformity of seed germination and emergence in this system.

Highlights:
  1. The thermal time model can be used to select the appropriate priming treatment for improving seed germination components of rice cultivars.
  2. The responses of rice cultivars to different seed priming treatments were different.
  3. Priming treatments did not improve the base temperature of seed germination in rice cultivars, but they significantly affected seed germination rate and uniformity.

Abdolhosein Rezaei, Farshid Ghaderi-Far, Hamid Reza Sadeghipour,
Volume 10, Issue 2 (2-2024)
Abstract

Extended Abstract
Introduction: Safflower seeds are rich in unsaturated fatty acids with a high capacity for peroxidation, which have a high potential to reduce germination and seed vigor during the storage period. Therefore, Introducing appropriate methods to preserve or improve their germplasm during storage would be advantageous. The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of seed priming on germination and vigor of safflower seeds (Sofeh and Sina cultivars).
Materials and Methods: A three-factor experiment was conducted in a completely randomized design with three replications before and after artificial deterioration. The experimental factors included controlled deterioration of seeds at 45°C in six levels (no deterioration, 1, 2, 3, 4, and 6 days) and priming in four levels (no prime, hydropriming, salicylic acid 50 mg/l and sodium chloride 5 percent).
Results: Artificial aging strongly and linearly reduced the germination ability of safflower seeds, and germinability and seed vigor reach zero in a time interval which lasts between 2.5 to 4.5 days (depending on the treatment and the investigated trait). The use of priming prior to artificial aging was more advantageous than priming after artificial aging. In addition, priming with salicylic acid was more useful compared to other priming treatments.
Conclusion: Priming of safflower seeds before storage would result in the extended shelf-life of the stored seeds while also preserving the seed germination potential. 

Highlights:
  1. The effect of priming on germination and vigor of safflower seeds before and after artificial deterioration was compared and investigated.
  2. The effect of priming before and after artificial deterioration on the improvement of safflower seed quality varied in different cultivars.


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