Seed Dormancy and Pre-treatment Procedures to Trigger Germination in Non-Viable Seeds

Abstract

The discovery of the application of seeds in producing vast food sources have been critical in the construction of self-sustaining food communities and the development of humanity as a species. Today, seeds are the genetic archives of thousands of years of agricultural plant selection and more plants grown from seeds contribute to the human society in the form of food, oils, industrial produce, medicines, cosmetics, ornamentals etc than any other technique of multiplication in current commercial crop production. Seeds have naturally evolved to be specialised structures for the replication of plant and for colonising new niches in the environment. A wide range of seed germination and dormancy techniques have evolved in plants to encourage germination in compatible environment and enhance survival and vitality in harsh conditions. Understanding of the physiochemical and molecular systems that control seed germination and dormancy as well as modern methods to break dormancy would thus help in optimising the process of germination and maximising plant yield. This review focuses on the concepts of seed dormancy, mechanism of dormancy and various available methods to relieve dormancy.

Cite as

Adityah Ganesh, & Rathnaprabha Dharavath. (2022). Seed Dormancy and Pre-treatment Procedures to Trigger Germination in Non-Viable Seeds. Research and Reviews: Journal of Environmental Sciences, 4(2), 1–14. https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.6718899