Hiro Nonogaki

Kent Bradford

The formation, dispersal and germination of seeds are crucial stages in the life cycles of gymnosperm and angiosperm plants. The unique properties of seeds, particularly their tolerance to desiccation, their mobility, and their ability to schedule their germination to coincide with times when environmental conditions are favorable to their survival as seedlings, have no doubt contributed significantly to the success of seed-bearing plants. Humans are also dependent upon seeds, which constitute the majority of the world’s staple foods (e.g., cereals and legumes). Seeds are an excellent system for studying fundamental developmental processes in plant biology, as they develop from a single fertilized zygote into an embryo and endosperm, in association with the surrounding maternal tissues. As genetic and molecular approaches have become increasingly powerful tools for biological research, seeds have become an attractive system in which to study a wide array of metabolic processes and regulatory systems. Seed Development, Dormancy and Germination provides a comprehensive overview of seed biology from the point of view of the developmental and regulatory processes that are involved in the transition from a developing seed through dormancy and into germination and seedling growth. It examines the complexity of the environmental, physiological, molecular and genetic interactions that occur through the life cycle of seeds, along with the concepts and approaches used to analyze seed dormancy and germination behavior. It also identifies the current challenges and remaining questions for future research. The book is directed at plant developmental biologists, geneticists, plant breeders, seed biologists and graduate students.

Annual Plant Reviews, Seed Development, Dormancy and Germination

Chengdao Li

Jose Barrero

Pre-harvest sprouting (PHS) and late-maturity alpha-amylase (LMA) are two of the biggest grain quality defects that grain growers encounter. About 50 percent of the global wheat crop is affected by pre-harvest sprouting to various degrees. Pre-harvest sprouting is a genetically-based quality defect and results in the presence of alpha-amylase in otherwise sound mature grain. It can range from perhaps undetectable to severe damage on grain and is measured by the falling numbers or alpha-amylase activity. This is an international issue, with sprouting damage lowering the value of crops to growers, seed and grain merchants, millers, maltsters, bakers, other processors, and ultimately the consumer. As such it has attracted attention from researchers in many biological and non-biological disciplines. The 13th International Symposium on Pre-Harvest Sprouting in Cereals was held 18-20 September, 2016 in Perth to discuss current findings of grain physiology, genetic pathways, trait expression and screening methods related to pre-harvest sprouting and LMA. This event followed the previous symposium in 2012 in Canada.

Hiro Nonogaki

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