Hostname: page-component-8448b6f56d-dnltx Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-04-18T18:10:42.826Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Response of the recalcitrant seeds of Avicennia marina to hydrated storage: events occurring at the root primordia

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  19 September 2008

Nthabiseng Motete ,
N. W. Pammenter ,
Patricia Berjak  and
Jillian C. Frédéric
Nthabiseng Motete
Affiliation:
Department of Biology, University of Natal, Durban, 4041South Africa
N. W. Pammenter*
Affiliation:
Department of Biology, University of Natal, Durban, 4041South Africa
Patricia Berjak
Affiliation:
Department of Biology, University of Natal, Durban, 4041South Africa
Jillian C. Frédéric
Affiliation:
Department of Biology, University of Natal, Durban, 4041South Africa
*
*Correspondence
Get access Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Abstract

This study was undertaken to test the hypotheses that germinative metabolism of recalcitrant seeds in storage induces a requirement for additional water, which may result in the development of mild water stress, and that a reduction of the rate of this germinative metabolism will increase the storage lifespan of recalcitrant seeds. Studies were undertaken on seeds of Avicennia marina (Forssk.) Vierh. and concentrated on root primordia as these constitute the tissue that undergoes most change during storage. Encapsulating seeds from which the pericarp had been removed (naked seeds) in an alginate gel increased storage lifespan fourfold compared with naked seeds. Measures of metabolic rate such as time to first germination in storage and rate of protein synthesis did not indicate differences between alginate-coated and naked seeds, although ultrastructural observations indicated that both germinative and deteriorative processes were occurring more slowly in the alginate-coated seeds. Measures of water content and water and turgor potentials did not reveal signs of a mild water stress in either treatment. However, the number of seeds visibly contaminated with fungi and the rapidity with which this contamination became apparent were much reduced in alginate-coated seeds. It is suggested that fungal contamination constitutes a major cause of deterioration in stored, hydrated seeds of A. marina (and possibly other recalcitrant seed species) and the main effect of the alginate coating was to reduce the incidence of fungal contamination.

Keywords

alginateAvicennia marina, recalcitrantseedsseed storagewater stressultrastructure
Type
Recalcitrant seeds
Information
Seed Science Research , Volume 7 , Issue 2 , June 1997 , pp. 169 - 178
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 1997

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

Berjak, P., Dini, M. and Pammenter, N.W. (1984) Possible mechanisms underlying the differing dehydration responses in recalcitrant and orthodox seeds: desiccation associated subcellular changes in propagules of Avicennia marina. Seed Science and Technology 12, 365–384.Google Scholar
Berjak, P., Farrant, J.M. and Pammenter, N.W. (1989) The basis of recalcitrant seed behaviour: cell biology of the homoiohydrous seed condition. pp 89–108in Taylorson, R.B. (Ed.) Recent advances in the development and germination of seeds. New York, Plenum Press.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Edwards, C.A. and Mumford, P.M. (1985) Factors affecting the oxygen consumption of sour orange (Citrus aurantium L.) seeds during imbibed storage and germination. Seed Science and Technology 13, 201–212.Google Scholar
Farrant, J.M. (1991) Some aspects of the development of the homoiohydrous (recalcitrant) seeds of Avicennia marina (Forssk.) Vierh. PhD Thesis, Department of Biology, University of Natal, Durban, South Africa.Google Scholar
Farrant, J.M., Berjak, P. and Pammenter, N.W. (1985) The effect of drying rate on viability retention of recalcitrant propagules of Avicennia marina. South African Journal of Botany 51, 432–438.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Farrant, J.M., Pammenter, N.W. and Berjak, P. (1986) The increasing desiccation sensitivity of recalcitrant Avicennia marina seeds with storage time. Physiologia Plantarum 67, 291–298.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Farrant, J.M., Pammenter, N.W. and Berjak, P. (1989) Germination-associated events and the desiccation of recalcitrant seeds — a study on three unrelated species. Planta 178, 189–198.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
King, M.W. and Roberts, E.H. (1980) Maintenance of recalcitrant seeds in storage. pp 53–89in Chin, H.F. and Roberts, E.H. (Eds) Recalcitrant crop seeds. Kuala Lumpur, Tropical Press SDN BHD.Google Scholar
Mans, R.J. and Novelli, G.D. (1961) Measurements of the incorporation of radioactive amino acids into protein by filter paper disc method. Archives of Biochemistry and Biophysics 1, 499–514.Google Scholar
Mycock, D.J. and Berjak, P. (1990) Fungal contaminants associated with several homoiohydrous (recalcitrant) seed species. Phytophylactica 22, 413–418.Google Scholar
Pammenter, N.W., Farrant, J.M. and Berjak, P. (1984) Recalcitrant seeds: short-term storage effects in Avicennia marina (Forsk.) Vierh. may be germination-associated. Annals of Botany 54, 843–846.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Pammenter, N.W., Berjak, P., Farrant, J.M., Smith, M.T. and Ross, G. (1994) Why do stored recalcitrant seeds die? Seed Science Research 4, 187–191.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Pammenter, N.W., Motete, N. and Berjak, P. (1997) The response of hydrated recalcitrant seeds to long-term storage. pp 671–687in Ellis, R.M, Black, M., Murdoch, A.J. and Hong, T.D. (Eds) Basic and applied aspects of seed biology. Dordrecht, Kluwer Academic Publishers.Google Scholar
Smith, M.T. and Berjak, P. (1995) Deteriorative changes associated with the loss of viability of stored desiccation-tolerant and desiccation-sensitive seeds. pp 701–746in Kigel, J. and Galili, G. (Eds) Seed Development and Germination. New York, Marcel Dekker, Inc.Google Scholar
Sokal, R.R. and Rohlf, F.J. (1981) Biometry: the principles and practice of statistics in biological research. Second edition. San Francisco, W.H. Freeman.Google Scholar
Sowa, S., Roos, E.E. and Zee, F. (1991) Anesthetic storage of recalcitrant seed: nitrous oxide prolongs longevity of lychee and longan. HortScience 26, 597–599.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Tompsett, P.B. (1983) The influence of gaseous environment on the storage life of Araucaria hunsteinii seed. Annals of Botany 52, 229–237.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Tylkowski, T. (1977) Cold storage of Quercus robur L. acorns in an atmosphere of increased content of CO2 and a reduced O2 level. Arboretum Kórnickie 22, 275–283.Google Scholar
Xia, Q.H., Chen, R.Z. and Fu, J.-R. (1992) Moist storage of lychee (Litchi chinensis Sonn.) and longan (Euphoria longan Steud.) seeds. Seed Science and Technology 20, 269–279.Google Scholar