Advances in seed science and technology for more sustainable crop production (Burleigh Dodds Series in Agricultural Science, 120)

Seed quality is critical to achieving successful crop cultivation, propagation and breeding, whilst seeds are also pivotal to the conservation and management of plant genetic resources. The sector must develop a better understanding of seed quality, germination and seedling emergence to ensure successful crop establishment. Advances in seed science and technology for more sustainable crop production provides an authoritative review of the wealth of current research on key advances in seed science and technology. The collection considers the development of new techniques to ensure seed quality control, including seed phenotyping, hyper-spectral imaging and electrophotography. Later chapters discuss advances in seed coating, conditioning and priming techniques, as well as the growing use of biostimulant-based seed treatments throughout agriculture. Half Title page Series Page Title Page Copyright Page Contents Series list Introduction Acknowledgement Part 1 Understanding seeds: from biology to the field Chapter 1 Seed dormancy and germination: a critical update 1 Introduction 2 The acquisition of dormancy 3 To germinate or not to germinate: the abscisic acid-gibberellin balance 4 The breaking of primary dormancy 5 Secondary dormancy and dormancy cycling 6 The seed-to-seedling phase transition: germination 7 Biological variability 8 Future trends in research 9 Where to look for further information 10 References Chapter 2 Understanding the effects of maternal environment in controlling seed dormancy 1 Introduction 2 Dormancy response patterns to the effect of the maternal environment in seeds displaying physiological and physical dormancy 3 Physiological and molecular bases underlying the modulation of dormancy by the environment experienced by the mother plant dur 4 Ecological implications of dormancy modulation by the maternal environment 5 Agricultural implications of dormancy modulation by the maternal environment: managing crops for dormancy 6 Summary 7 Future trends in research 8 Where to look for further information 9 References Chapter 3 Applying population-based threshold models to quantify and improve seed quality attributes 1 Introduction 2 The importance of seed quality and behavior in crop production and weed control 3 Understanding the population-based behavior of seeds 4 Population-based models for environmental factors affecting seed germination 5 Population-based models for physiological and other factors affecting seed behavior: dormancy, aging, seed vigor, respiration 6 Applying population-based threshold models 7 Future trends in research 8 Where to look for further information 9 Acknowledgements 10 Abbreviations 11 References Chapter 4 Biotic sources of seed losses influencing germination and emergence success in crop plants and agricultural weeds 1 Introduction 2 Major biotic sources of seed losses 3 Mitigating effects of seed losses through management 4 Future trends in research 5 Where to look for further information 6 References Chapter 5 Advances in understanding the genetic and environmental factors determining seed longevity 1 Introduction 2 Distribution of seed lifespans among species 3 Advances in the understanding of longevity using genetic diversity 4 Environmental effects on longevity: plasticity and adaptation 5 Ageing protocols and the limits of extrapolating accelerated ageing conditions 6 Conclusions and future research trends 7 Where to look for further information 8 Acknowledgements 9 References Part 2 Seed quality control and treatment Chapter 6 Advances in seed phenotyping using X-ray imaging 1 Introduction 2 Sample preparation 3 Projection acquisition 4 Image reconstruction 5 Image processing 6 Conclusion and outlook 7 Future trends 8 Where to look for further information 9 References Chapter 7 Advances in testing seed health 1 Introduction 2 Traditional detection methods 3 Serological detection techniques 4 Nucleic acid-based detection methods 5 Spectroscopy-based methods 6 Case study: detecting pathogens in tomato seeds 7 Summary and future trends 8 Where to look for further information 9 References Chapter 8 Advances in preservation of seed vigour during storage 1 Introduction 2 How can conditions during seed production affect seed quality? 3 Post-harvest treatments to improve seed lot quality 4 Maintaining viability and vigour during storage 5 Monitoring and other ways to predict viability and vigour during storage 6 Conclusion 7 Future trends in research 8 Where to look for further information 9 Acknowledgements 10 References Chapter 9 Enhancing seed defence mechanisms against pathogens 1 Introduction 2 Microbial priming agents 3 Chemical priming agents 4 Transgenerational defence priming 5 Beneficial microbe delivery 6 Summary and future trends 7 Where to look for further information 8 References Chapter 10 Advances in seed priming techniques 1 Introduction 2 Oxygen-controlled priming 3 A new variation on drum priming 4 Pellet-based priming and vapour heat priming 5 Pulsed radio frequency 6 Ultrasonics 7 UV-B radiation, cold plasma and pulsed light 8 Assessing new priming techniques 9 Future trends 10 Where to look for further information 11 References Index Cover.pdf "The editors of this excellent book, Dr Julia Buitink and Dr Olivier Leprince, are two world-renowned seed scientists. They have brought together a fantastic team of experts for the ten book chapters with topics covering the broad and diverse field of seed science, providing the latest technological advances and bridging the fundamental and applied research relevant for supporting a more sustainable crop production. In summary, this is a highly attractive and comprehensive book into advances in seed science and technology for more sustainable crop production, written by world experts. It is a valuable source of information for advanced-level university students, academic and industrial researchers, and other professionals across a wide range of plant science disciplines and beyond in seed sector agencies. The attractive format of the chapters with many excellent colour figures and extensive lists of relevant literature are beneficial for university-level teaching and industrial workshops. This illuminating book addresses the key challenges facing seed science and deserves high recommendation." (Book Review by Professor Gerhard Leubner, Royal Holloway University of London, UK – Published in Seed Science Research) With the continued effects of climate change threatening the security of the global food system, there is a greater emphasis on ensuring successful crop establishment as a means of optimising agricultural production. Advances in seed science and technology for more sustainable crop production considers how an improved understanding of seed quality, germination and seedling emergence can address this challenge. The book reviews the development of new techniques to ensure seed quality control, including seed phenotyping, as well as the role of genetic and environmental factors in determining seed longevity. In its comprehensive exploration of seed science and technology, the book highlights how an informed understanding of seed biology can contribute to mitigating the effects of climate change on seed quality and consequently crop production. This collection reviews the wealth of recent research on advances in seed science and technology, including key developments in seed phenotyping and seed treatments, and their role in contributing to a more sustainable agriculture. This collection reviews the wealth of recent research on advances in seed science and technology, including key developments in seed phenotyping and seed treatments, and its role in contributing to a more sustainable agriculture