Seed purity, more appropriately seed product integrity, is maintained within a framework of regulatory (labeling) requirements through the Federal Seed Act, quality standards, seed testing performed by accredited entities, quality management practices, and production under principles and practices of coexistence. Cooperation among seed developers, seed producers, and growers at the local field ...

Ten yearling steers weighing 270-360 kg died acutely after eating early seed pod stage Lupinus argenteus (silvery lupine) containing high levels of piperidine alkaloids, including ammodendrine and N-methylammodendrine. Reduced availability of Quality feed from range moderately depleted of Quality grasses appeared a major factor in causing the cattle to graze lupine. Proximate analysis of whole ...

Seed development of flowering plant is a complicated process controlled by a signal network. Double fertilization generates 2 zygotic products (embryo and endosperm). Embryo gives rise to a daughter plant while endosperm provides nutrients for embryo during embryogenesis and germination. Seed coat differentiates from maternally derived integument and encloses embryo and endosperm. Seed size/mas...

Seed yield of alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.) is important in determining the effective distribution of new cultivars to farmers. Many genetic and environmental factors affect seed yield. This study was conducted to explain seed yield variation induced by either environmental conditions or cultivars. We analyzed seed yield, aboveground phytomass, harvest index, and seed yield components for a set ...

Seed performance after dispersal is highly dependent on parental environmental cues, especially during seed formation and maturation. Here we examine which environmental factors are the most dominant in this respect and whether their effects are dependent on the genotypes under investigation. We studied the influence of light intensity, photoperiod, temperature, nitrate, and phosphate during se...

Scatter-hoarding rodents are known to play a crucial role in the seed dispersal of many plant species. Numerous studies have indicated that both seed size and the energy content of seeds can affect rodent foraging behavior. However, seed size is usually associated with energy content per seed, making it difficult to isolate how seed size and energy affect rodent foraging preferences. This study...

A Mojave Desert shrub community was experimentally burned to understand changes in seed bank of desert annual plant species in response to wildfire. Seed mortality ranged from 55 to 80%, and fire caused significant losses of native and alien annual seeds. Schismus arabicus, Schismus barbatus, Bromus madritensis, Bromus tectorum, Erodium cicutarium and Plantago spp. made up >95% of the seed bank...

Rapid deforestation has fragmented habitat across the landscape of Madagascar. To determine the effect of fragmentation on seed banks and the potential for forest regeneration, we sampled seed viability, density and diversity in 40 plots of 1 m in three habitat types: forest fragments, the near edge of continuous forest, and deforested savanna in a highly fragmented dry deciduous forest landsca...