P. A. Brocklehurst

Bio: P. A. Brocklehurst is an academic researcher from University of Warwick. The author has contributed to research in topics: Germination & Priming (agriculture). The author has an hindex of 10, co-authored 14 publications receiving 527 citations.

Interactions between seed priming treatments and nine seed lots of carrot, celery and onion. I. Laboratory germination

Abstract: SUMMARY Samples of three seed lots of each of three cultivars of carrot, celery and onion were primed in polyethylene glycol solution for 2 weeks at 15 °C. Priming reduced the mean germination times (recorded at 15 °C) of all seed lots (compared to the untreated control) by 3–4 days in carrot, 6–10 days in celery and 3–5 days in onion. The largest reductions in mean germination time occurred in the slowest-germinating seed lots. There were highly significant interactions between priming and cultivars, and between priming and seed lots within cultivars for each species. Drying back the primed seeds at 15 °C increased the mean germination times (compared to primed seed which had not been dried) by 0·6 day in carrot and 1·4 days in celery, and there was no interaction with cultivars or seed lots. The corresponding increase for onion was either 1·0 or 1·8 days, according to the cultivar, but this variation was largely attributable to differences in time taken for the dried seeds to re-imbibe. Seeds dried back at 30 °C germinated 0·2·0·7 day (depending on the species) later than those dried at 15 °C. Percentage germination was not affected by either priming or drying back. Priming reduced the spread of germination times in all cultivars. For primed and dried-back seed, the spread of germination times was larger than that of primed seed in certain cultivars, but was always smaller than that of untreated seeds.

Effects of osmotic priming and ageing on onion seed germination.

Abstract: SUMMARY Onion seeds were osmotically primed in polyethylene glycol solution (342 g/kg water) either for 14 days before accelerated ageing at 40°C. 18% m.c. for 0, 24, 48, 72 or 96 h, or for 10, 14 or 17 days after ageing. Priming improved the rate of germination compared with non-primed seed. Priming before ageing delayed the loss of viability due to ageing, but priming after ageing had no effect on viability. Primed and dried onion seed was stored for 18 months at 10°C, 9% m.c. with no effect on viability; improvements in germination rate due to priming were maintained over the storage period. Conductivity measurements of seed leachates were not a consistently reliable indicator of germination performance.

Interactions between seed priming treatments and nine seed lots of carrot, celery and onion. II. Seedling emergence and plant growth

Abstract: SUMMARY Samples of three seed lots of each of three cultivars of carrot, celery and onion were primed in polyethylene glycol solution for two weeks at 15 °C. Seedling emergence was recorded in the field for carrot and onion and in the glasshouse for celery. Compared to the untreated control, priming increased the percentage seedling emergence in certain poorly-emerging seed lots of carrot and celery, but had no effect on onion. Mean emergence times were reduced by priming in all seed lots, by 3–5, 5–8 and 3–9 days in carrot, celery and onion respectively. The largest effects occurred in the slowest-emerging seed lots. There were significant interactions between priming and seed lots within cultivars in carrot and celery and between priming and cultivars in celery and onion. Priming generally reduced the spread of emergence times, but the effects were not statistically significant in carrot. Drying back the primed seeds had no effect on percentage emergence in onion, but reduced it (compared to primed seed which had not been dried-back) in certain carrot and celery seed lots. Primed and dried-back seeds emerged later than primed seeds, by up to 1·5, 2·6 and 2·6 days in carrot, celery and onion respectively. The spread of emergence times was generally larger for primed and dried-back seeds than for primed seeds, but the differences were not always statistically significant. Plant fresh weights were recorded 9, 7 and 12 wk after sowing for carrot, celery and onion, respectively. In each species, mean plant weight was inversely related to seedling emergence time; thus plants grown from primed seed were always heavier than the controls, by up to 33%, 182% and 47% in carrot, celery and onion respectively.

Effects of osmotic priming and ageing on the germination and emergence of carrot and leek seed

Abstract: SUMMARY Carrot and leek seed was osmotically primed in polyethylene glycol solution (273 g/kg water and 342 g/kg water respectively) for 10, 14 or 17 days before accelerated ageing for 0, 24, 48, 72 or 96 h. Priming reduced the germination time compared with non-primed seed. Accelerated ageing increased germination and emergence times and decreased percentage germination and emergence to a greater extent for the primed seeds than for non-primed seeds in both species. Primed and dried but non-aged seed from both species was stored at 10°C for 12 months. There was no loss of viability and improvements in germination time due to priming were maintained throughout the storage period for all the priming treatments in leek, and for the 10 and 14 day priming treatments in carrot. Carrot seed primed for 17 days lost some viability after 12 months storage compared with non-stored seed.

A comparison of different chemicals for osmotic treatment of vegetable seed

Abstract: SUMMARY Samples of carrot, celery, leek and onion seed were treated before sowing by imbibition in osmotic solutions of polyethylene glycol 6000 (PEG), glycerol and potassium dihydrogen orthophosphate (KH2PO4). The solutions were sufficiently concentrated to prevent germination during treatment, and within each species, the amount of water taken up by the seeds during treatment did not vary greatly between solutions. All treatments increased the rates of seed germination and seedling emergence compared to untreated controls, but glycerol-treated seeds germinated and emerged significantly more slowly than did PEG- and KH2PO4-treated seeds. The effects of PEG and glycerol treatments on percentage germination and seedling emergence were small, but KH2PO4 treatment tended to reduce percentage germination and emergence, most markedly in leek and one cultivar of celery. It is concluded that PEG treatment gives the most consistently beneficial effects for the range of species tested.

Seed priming: state of the art and new perspectives.

Abstract: Priming applied to commercial seed lots is widely used by seed technologists to enhance seed vigour in terms of germination potential and increased stress tolerance. Priming can be also valuable to seed bank operators who need improved protocols of ex situ conservation of germplasm collections (crop and native species). Depending on plant species, seed morphology and physiology, different priming treatments can be applied, all of them triggering the so-called ‘pre-germinative metabolism’. This physiological process takes place during early seed imbibition and includes the seed repair response (activation of DNA repair pathways and antioxidant mechanisms), essential to preserve genome integrity, ensuring proper germination and seedling development. The review provides an overview of priming technology, describing the range of physical–chemical and biological treatments currently available. Optimised priming protocols can be designed using the ‘hydrotime concept’ analysis which provides the theoretical bases for assessing the relationship between water potential and germination rate. Despite the efforts so far reported to further improve seed priming, novel ideas and cutting-edge investigations need to be brought into this technological sector of agri-seed industry. Multidisciplinary translational research combining digital, bioinformatic and molecular tools will significantly contribute to expand the range of priming applications to other relevant commercial sectors, e.g. the native seed market.

Seed priming for abiotic stress tolerance: an overview

Abstract: Plants are exposed to any number of potentially adverse environmental conditions such as water deficit, high salinity, extreme temperature, submergence, etc. These abiotic stresses adversely affect the plant growth and productivity. Nowadays various strategies are employed to generate plants that can withstand these stresses. In recent years, seed priming has been developed as an indispensable method to produce tolerant plants against various stresses. Seed priming is the induction of a particular physiological state in plants by the treatment of natural and synthetic compounds to the seeds before germination. In plant defense, priming is defined as a physiological process by which a plant prepares to respond to imminent abiotic stress more quickly or aggressively. Moreover, plants raised from primed seeds showed sturdy and quick cellular defense response against abiotic stresses. Priming for enhanced resistance to abiotic stress obviously is operating via various pathways involved in different metabolic processes. The seedlings emerging from primed seeds showed early and uniform germination. Moreover, the overall growth of plants is enhanced due to the seed-priming treatments. The main objective of this review is to provide an overview of various crops in which seed priming is practiced and about various seed-priming methods and its effects.

Concepts and Technologies of Selected Seed Treatments

Abstract: Seed treatments are used on many crop seeds for a variety of purposes. The greatest use of seed treatments has been to provide an inexpensive insurance against rotting of planted seeds by soil fungi such as Pythium spp. and Rhizoctonia solani. Seed treatments for many other purposes are being de­ veloped and used. Increasingly, commercial seed treaters are beginning to view seed treatments as a means to substantially increase the value of the seed and to improve plant growth and productivity. Examples of other types of seed treatments are: (a) treatment with systemic chemicals that can translocate into the seed to control deep-seated plant pathogens. Several chemicals also translocate to the above-ground portions of the seedling and protect against foliar diseases; (b) treatment with microor­ ganisms that can proliferate on the seed, transfer to the root and fix N2, enhance uptake of nutrients, protect the subterranean plant portions against attack by soil-inhabiting fungi, and/or increase plant growth; (c) physical treatments that control seedbome pathogens; (d) seed coatings or pellets that can improve seed shape for planting or provide other benefits; (e) physiolog­ ical seed treatments that enhance germination rate and plant performance; and (j) various treatments that affect seed moistUre relationships and result in improved seed storability or performance.