Chemistry Reference
In-Depth Information
6. Influence of the seed traits on the root growth and development
Introductory notes
Higher plants play the most important role in keeping a stable environment on the Earth to
regulate global environment by many ways in terms of different levels molecular,
individual, community, and so on [49,50], but the nature basis of the mechanism is gene
expression and control temporally and spatially at the molecular level. There are many
adverse stress conditions in the continuously changing environment, such as cold, drought,
salinity and UV, which influence plant growth, development and crop and seed production.
Environmental conditions during the growing season affect biological quality of the
evolving seeds, i.e. chemical composition of seeds, anatomical and morphological seed traits
and traits of sprouting plants - basic metabolic seed pathways. Generally is known that the
biological quality of seed is also one of basic factors, which influences growth and
development of the roots at beginning of the filial generation and during vegetation period.
It is possible to conclude that there is significant indirect influence of environmental
conditions through the seed traits on the root development.
After harvest seed should be stored, i.e. there are storage conditions, which also affect the
properties of seeds (enzyme activity, formation of free radicals).
The seed traits and traits of sprouting plants
affect in filial generation especially root
morphology at begin of vegetation period: length, surface, deep of roots penetration and
also root weight, and later also number of root tips, number of root hairs, number of lateral
roots and density of roots. Crop emergence, especially with good roots then influences the
further course of growth. The start of period has significant influence on the following
growth.
So far obtained results confirmed also in all experiments statistically significant influence of
abiotic stresses (drought, high temperature) on the traits of seed and via the seeds influence
on the root and shoot traits at begin of vegetation period. Very similar results among
analyzed field crops in all types of experiments were obtained [17].
This physiological phenomenon - germination (1) is influenced by the environment
conditions during germination, during vegetation period and in time of new seed
formation (2) and during new seed germination and growth (3). Resistance or tolerance to
the environmental influences is (4) hereditary phenomenon.
1. Germination
Uptake of water
Uptake of water by mature dry seed is triphasic: I - rapid initial uptake (imbibition), II -
plateau phase (metabolic processes) and III - this phase occurs when germination is
completed. This phase is inhibited by the plant hormone ABA. The interactions between
abscisic acid (ABA), gibberellins (GA) and brassinosteroids (BR) are regulating key
