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Cited by 1,027Seed Germination and PhysiologyPlant Parasitism and ResistanceAgricultural Engineering and Mechanization

Seed vigour and crop establishment: extending performance beyond adaptation.

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Finch-Savage, W.E., Bassel, G.W.·2016·Journal of Experimental Botany
DOI 10.1093/jxb/erv490
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Abstract

Seeds are central to crop production, human nutrition, and food security. A key component of the performance of crop seeds is the complex trait of seed vigour. Crop yield and resource use efficiency depend on successful plant establishment in the field, and it is the vigour of seeds that defines their ability to germinate and establish seedlings rapidly, uniformly, and robustly across diverse environmental conditions. Improving vigour to enhance the critical and yield-defining stage of crop establishment remains a primary objective of the agricultural industry and the seed/breeding companies that support it. Our knowledge of the regulation of seed germination has developed greatly in recent times, yet understanding of the basis of variation in vigour and therefore seed performance during the establishment of crops remains limited. Here we consider seed vigour at an ecophysiological, molecular, and biomechanical level. We discuss how some seed characteristics that serve as adaptive responses to the natural environment are not suitable for agriculture. Past domestication has provided incremental improvements, but further actively directed change is required to produce seeds with the characteristics required both now and in the future. We discuss ways in which basic plant science could be applied to enhance seed performance in crop production.

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Cited by

Sorted by citations

Authors
Finch-Savage, W. E., & Bassel, G. W.
Affiliations
  • University of Warwick (GB)
  • University of Birmingham (GB)
Corresponding author
Finch-Savage, W.E.
ORCID
Bassel, G.W.
Venue
Journal of Experimental Botany
Publisher
Oxford University Press (OUP)
Published
2015-11-19
Volume
67
Issue
3
Pages
567-591
ISSN
  • 0022-0957 (ISSN-L)
  • 1460-2431
DOI
10.1093/jxb/erv490
OpenAlex
W2178703498
Cited by
1,027
References
1
Citations by year
2026: 155 · 2025: 142 · 2024: 121 · 2023: 125 · 2022: 144 · 2021: 104 · 2020: 106 · 2019: 62 · 2018: 42 · 2017: 16 · 2016: 9
FWCI
2.33
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
Locations
  • Journal of Experimental Botany (publishedVersion)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
  • Warwick Research Archive Portal (University of Warwick) (acceptedVersion)
  • HighWire Press Open Archive (submittedVersion)
  • University of Birmingham Research Portal (University of Birmingham) (submittedVersion)
Funders
  • European Commission (311840)
  • Directorate for Biological Sciences
  • Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BB/E006418/1, BB/N009754/1, BB/L010232/1)
Topics
  • Life Sciences › Agricultural and Biological Sciences › Plant Science › Seed Germination and Physiology
  • Life Sciences › Agricultural and Biological Sciences › Plant Science › Plant Parasitism and Resistance
  • Physical Sciences › Engineering › Mechanical Engineering › Agricultural Engineering and Mechanization
Keywords
seed vigor, crop establishment, seed germination, seedling establishment, seed performance, plant domestication, crop yield
MeSH terms
Adaptation, Physiological, Hybrid Vigor, Seeds, Stress, Physiological, Crops, Agricultural, Biophysical Phenomena

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