Seed collection and processing practices affect subsequent seed storage longevity in durum wheat and wild relatives

Lists

Tools

Jawad, R., Hay, F. R., Yazbek, M. and Ellis, R. ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3695-6894 (2025) Seed collection and processing practices affect subsequent seed storage longevity in durum wheat and wild relatives. Seed Science and Technology. ISSN 0251-0952 (In Press)

[thumbnail of Rama Jawad et al FULL COPY 11 June 2025 .pdf]

Text - Accepted Version
· Restricted to Repository staff only
1MB

It is advisable to refer to the publisher's version if you intend to cite from this work. See Guidance on citing.

Abstract/Summary

Potential seed storage longevity is influenced by environment during seed development and maturation but post-harvest processing may also affect longevity, particularly in accessions with variable maturity or seed shedding. The impact of sequential harvesting and post-harvest processing was examined in durum wheat (Triticum turgidum subsp. durum) and its wild relatives Triticum turgidum subsp. dicoccoides and T. monococcum subsp. boeoticum. Spikes were collected in sequential harvests as they matured and either processed immediately (fumigated, threshed, cleaned, dried) or delayed (remaining in the field until all plots were harvested). A separate study with durum wheat assessed seed quality throughout development and maturation and the effects of initial post-harvest drying temperatures. Delayed processing resulted in equal or greater seed longevity than immediate processing across all accessions. In durum wheat, longevity improved considerably between 21 and 41 days after heading but declined thereafter. Initial seed drying temperature affected longevity: 30°C was optimal for the earliest harvests, whereas 15°C was superior at harvest maturity and beyond. These findings demonstrate that immature seeds can continue to develop in quality ex planta under warm, dry conditions, challenging conventional recommendations for immediate post-harvest processing and suggesting a potential role for delayed processing in optimizing seed longevity.

Item Type:	Article
Refereed:	Yes
Divisions:	Life Sciences > School of Agriculture, Policy and Development > Department of Crop Science
ID Code:	123268
Uncontrolled Keywords:	drying, genebanks, germination, harvest, seed development, seed longevity, seed storage
Publisher:	International Seed Testing Association Ista

Deposit Details

References

• Bray, E.A. (1997). Plant responses to water deficit. Trends in Plant Science, 2, 48-54. • Chatelain, E., Hundertmark, M., Leprince, O., Le Gall, S., Satour, P., Deligny-Penninck, S., Rogniaux, H. and Buitink, J. (2012). Temporal profiling of the heat stable proteome during late maturation of Medicago trunculata seeds identifies a restricted subset of late embryogenesis abundant proteins associated with longevity. Plant Cell and Environment, 35, 1440–1455. • Cromarty, A.S., Ellis, R.H. and Roberts, E.H. (1982). The Design of Seed Storage Facilities for Genetic Conservation, IBPGR, Rome. • Dasgupta, J., Bewley, J.D. and Yeung, E.C. (1982). Desiccation-tolerant and desiccation-intolerant stages during the development and germination of Phaseolus vulgaris seeds. Journal of Experimental Botany, 33, 1045-57. • Ebert, A.W. and Engels, J. M.M. (2020). Plant biodiversity and genetic resources matter! Plants, 9, article 1706. https://doi.org/10.3390/plants9121706 • Ellis, R.H. (2019). Temporal patterns of seed quality development, decline, and timing of maximum quality during seed development and maturation. Seed Science Research, 29, 135-142. • Ellis, R.H. and Hong, T.D. (2007). Quantitative response of the longevity of seed of twelve crops to temperature and moisture in hermetic storage. Seed Science and Technology, 35, 432-444. • Ellis, R.H. and Pieta-Filho, C. (1992). The development of seed quality in spring and winter cultivars of barley and wheat. Seed Science Research, 2, 9-15. • Ellis, R.H. and Roberts, E.H. (1980). Improved equations for the prediction of seed longevity. Annals of Botany, 45, 13-30. • Ellis, R.H. and Roberts, E.H. (1981a). An investigation into the possible effects of ripeness and repeated threshing on barley seed longevity under six different storage environments. Annals of Botany, 48, 93-96. • Ellis, R.H. and Roberts, E.H. (1981b). The quantification of ageing and survival in orthodox seeds. Seed Science and Technology, 9, 373-409. • Ellis, R.H. and Yadav, G. (2016). Effect of simulated rainfall during wheat seed development and maturation on subsequent seed longevity is reversible. Seed Science Research, 26, 67–76. • Ellis, R.H., Hong, T.D. and Roberts, E.H. (1985). Handbook of Seed Technology for Genebanks. Volume I. Principles and Methodology, IBPGR, Rome. • FAO (2014). Genebank Standards for Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture, Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, Rome. • FAO/IPGRI (1994). Genebank Standards, Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, Rome/International Plant Genetic Resources Institute, Rome. • Galau, G.A., Hughes, D.W., Dure, L, III. (1986). Abscisic acid induction of cloned late embryogenesis-abundant (Lea) mRNAs. Plant Molecular Biology, 7, 155-170. Greenwood, J.S. and Bewley, J.D. (1982). Seed development in Ricinus communis (castor bean). I. Descriptive morphology. Canadian Journal of Botany, 60, 1751–1760. • Hay, F.R. and Smith, R.D. (2003) Seed maturity: when to collect seeds from wild plants. In Seed Conservation, Turning Science into Practice (Eds. R.D. Smith, S.H. Linington, J.B. Dickie, H.W. Pritchard and R.J. Probert), pp. 97–133, Royal Botanic Gardens Kew, UK. • Hay, F.R., Klin, J. and Probert, R. (2006). Can a post-harvest ripening treatment extend the longevity of Rhododendron L. seeds? Scientia Horticulturae, 111, 80-83. • ISTA (2020). International Rules for Seed Testing, International Seed Testing Association, Bassersdorf, Switzerland. • Kebreab, E. and Murdoch, A.J. (1999). A quantitative model for loss of primary dormancy and induction of secondary dormancy in imbibed seeds of Orobanche spp. Journal of Experimental Botany, 50, 211–219. • Kermode, A.R. (1990). Regulatory mechanisms involved in the transition from seed development to germination. Critical Reviews in Plant Sciences, 9, 155-195. • Kermode, A.R., and Bewley, J.D. (1985). The role of maturation drying in the transition from seed development to germination. I. Acquisition of desiccation tolerance and germinability during development of Ricinus communis L. seeds. Journal of Experimental Botany, 36, 1906-1915. • Kermode, A.R. and Bewley, J.D. (1986). Alteration of genetically regulated syntheses in seeds by dessication. In Membranes, Metabolism and Dry Organisms (Ed. A.C. Leopold), pp. 59-83, Cornell University Press, Ithaca, New York. • Kermode, A.R., Bewley, J.D., Dasgupta, J. and Misra, S. (1986). The transition from seed development to germination: a key role for desiccation? HortScience, 21, 1113-1118. • Khatun, A., Kabir, G. and Bhuiyan, M.A.H. (2009). Effect of harvesting stages on the seed quality of lentil (Lens culinaris L.) during storage. Bangladesh Journal of Agricultural Research, 34, 565-576. • King, R.W. (1976). Abscisic acid in developing wheat grains and its relationship to grain growth and maturation. Planta, 132, 43–51. • Mitchell, B., Armstrong, C., Black, M. and Chapman, J. (1980). Physiological aspects of sprouting and spoilage in developing Triticum aestivum L. (wheat) grains. In Seed Production (Ed. P.D. Hebblethwaite), pp. 339-356, Butterworths, London. • Nasehzadeh, M. and Ellis, R.H. (2017). Wheat seed weight and quality differ temporally in sensitivity to warm or cool conditions during seed development and maturation. Annals of Botany, 120, 479-493. • Nellist, M.E. (1980). Safe drying temperatures for seed grain. In Seed Production (Ed. P.D. Hebblethwaite), pp. 371-388, Butterworths, London. • Probert, R., Adams, J., Coneybeer, J., Crawford, A. and Hay, F.R. (2007). Seed quality for conservation is critically affected by pre-storage factors. Australian Journal of Botany, 55, 326-335. • Rao, N.K., Hanson, J., Dulloo, M.E., Ghosh, K., Nowell, D. and Larinde, M. (2006). Manual of Seed Handling in Genebanks, Handbooks for Genebanks No. 8, Bioversity International. • Rosenberg, L.A. and Rinne, R.W. (1986). Moisture loss as a prerequisite for seedling growth in soybean seeds (Glycine max L. Merr.). Journal of Experimental Botany, 37, 1663–1674. • Sinniah, U.R., Ellis, R.H. and John, P. (1998). Irrigation and seed quality development in seed quality development in rapid-cycling Brassica: soluble carbohydrates and heat-stable proteins. Annals of Botany, 82, 647-655. • Taiz, L. and Zeiger, E. (1991). Plant Physiology, The Benjamin/Cummings Publishing Company, Inc., Redwood City, California. • Whitehouse, K.J., Hay, F.R. and Ellis, R.H. (2015). Increases in the longevity of desiccation-phase developing rice seeds: response to high-temperature drying depends on harvest moisture content. Annals of Botany, 116, 247-59. • Whitehouse, K.J., Hay, F.R. and Ellis, R.H. (2018). Improvement in rice seed storage longevity from high-temperature drying is a consistent positive function of harvest moisture content above a critical value. Seed Science Research, 28, 332–339. • Yadav, G. and Ellis, R.H. (2016). Development of ability to germinate and of longevity in air-dry storage in wheat seed crops subjected to rain shelter or simulated supplementary rainfall. Seed Science Research, 26, 332-341.

University Staff: Request a correction | Centaur Editors: Update this record

University of Reading

CentAUR: Central Archive at the University of Reading

Accessibility navigation

Seed collection and processing practices affect subsequent seed storage longevity in durum wheat and wild relatives

Abstract/Summary

Page navigation

See also

Footer navigation