Seed germination and subsequent seedling growth define crucial steps for entry into the plant life cycle. For those events to take place properly, seed developmental genes need to be silenced whereas vegetative growth genes are activated. Chromatin structure is generally known to play crucial roles in gene transcription control. However, the transition between active and repressive chromatin st...

In order to study the effect of irrigation interval, N fertilizer and superabsorbent on yield and qualitative traits of sesame (Sesamum indicum L.), a split-split-plot experiment was coducted in a farm in Khusf of Birjand, Iran in 2009 on the basis of a Randomized Complete Block Design. The main plot was devoted to irrigation interval at three levels of 6, 12 and 18 days, the sub-plot was devot...

PREMISE OF THE STUDY Mammalian herbivores, particularly white-tailed deer, can have a major impact on plant abundance and distribution. However, plants can tolerate herbivory by increasing seed production or seed quality. We used the monocarpic perennial Prenanthes roanensis to examine tolerance to mammalian herbivory through seed quality and modeled the effects of tolerance on population growt...

Abstract Alternatives to pesticides are urgently needed meet sustainable agriculture goals but few options available for many systems. Here we test how a form of olfactory misinformation on newly sown wheat crop can prevent wild house mice ( Mus musculus ) from finding buried seeds. Our tactic, odour camouflage, reduced seed loss by >63%, providing simple, non-lethal and ethical way reduce d...

A critical goal for ecologists is understanding how ongoing local and global species losses will affect ecosystem functions services. Diversity–functioning relationships, which are well-characterized in primary producer communities, much less consistently predictable involving two or more trophic levels, particularly situations where multiple one level impact functional outcomes at another leve...

Seed development in Arabidopsis thaliana undergoes an initial phase of endosperm proliferation followed by a second phase in which the embryo grows at the expense of the endosperm. As mature seed size is largely attained during the initial phase, seed size is coordinately determined by the growth of the maternal ovule, endosperm, and embryo. Here, we identify SHORT HYPOCOTYL UNDER BLUE1 (SHB1) ...

Seed dispersal governs the distribution of plant propagules in the landscape and hence forms the template on which density-dependent processes act. Dispersal is therefore a vital component of many species coexistence and forest dynamics models and is of applied value in understanding forest regeneration. Research on the processes that facilitate forest regeneration and restoration is given furt...

Improvement of local germplasm through artificial selection is regarded as the main force behind maize evolution and diversity in Mexico, the crop's center of origin. This perspective neglects the larger social context of maize evolution. Using a theoretical approach and Mexico-wide data, we show that farmer-led evolution of maize is largely driven by a technological diffusion and appropriation...

The endosperm plays a pivotal role in the integration between component tissues of molecular signals controlling seed development. It has been shown to participate in the regulation of embryo morphogenesis and ultimately seed size determination. However, the molecular mechanisms that modulate seed size are still poorly understood especially in legumes. DASH (DOF Acting in Seed embryogenesis and...

Changes in ascorbate content and its enzymatic utilization pattern were studied in embryonic axes and cotyledons of sal seeds undergoing rapid loss of viability, at ambient conditions. Ascorbate levels were significantly higher initially in the embryonic axes (0.32 mg/g fresh weight) and cotyledons (0.21 mg/g fresh weight) of freshly mature, relatively hydrated (42.2% moisture content) and 100%...