Emerging Trends in Seed

A seed enhancement or seed invigoration is the post-harvest treatment used to improve the germination and growth of seedlings.

Fremont, CA: The emergence of seedlings is rapid and uniform, leading to their successful establishment in the soil before the topsoil dries out, hardens, or reaches a temperature above optimal. The changing environments and seedbed constraints require a wide range of techniques to assist in seed sowing and to improve or protect seedling establishment and growth. The response of seeds to temperature and water availability in the soil has led many scientists to suggest techniques for improving crop germination. The techniques can be classified based on physiological aspects (priming, coating, pelleting) as well as physical aspects (magnetic, radiation, and plasma) and biological aspects (seed enhancements).

Researchers are enhancing seed capabilities in the following ways:

Physical agents: Seeds are treated externally with physical treatments without hydration or chemical application. Seedling establishment and germination are the main objectives of this procedure. In agronomic and horticultural crops, magnetic field treatments are considered effective seed enhancement tools, but their application at a large scale is limited. Magnet fields and microwaves or ionizing radiations are the most promising physical methods for treating seeds before sowing. Physical seed enhancements are thus an alternative to chemical seed invigoration treatments that offer a better solution to the growing world seed market.

Magnetic fields for seed treatments: The role of magnetic seed stimulation is to identify the exposure dose of the magnetic field that will influence the germination, early growth of seedlings, and yield of crops. Depending on the flux density of the magnetic field and the time to exposure, you can calculate the magnetic exposure dose. Static and alternating magnetic fields have different flux densities when exposed to seeds. Several agronomic and horticultural crops benefit from magnetic fields because they ensure rapid germination and uniform stand establishment. Additionally, they decrease the incidence of pathogenic diseases and increase the rate of germination, growth, and yield.

Plasma seed treatments: Agricultural and medical applications of plasma are recent advances. There are agricultural aspects such as seed germination and plant growth. Many studies report that plasmas containing various gases, such as aniline, cyclohexane, and helium, can affect germination and growth enhancement mechanisms. Various treatments are available to enhance the development and growth of seeds and plants, including microwave plasma, magnetized plasma, and atmospheric plasma. Plasma treatments commonly study the effects of gases. According to various studies, a redox reaction persuaded by the active oxygen species in water vapor plasma influenced the quality of plant development controlling thiol groups.