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Response of the recalcitrant seeds of Avicennia marina to hydrated storage: events occurring at the root primordia

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  19 September 2008

Nthabiseng Motete ,
N. W. Pammenter ,
Patricia Berjak  and
Jillian C. Frédéric
Nthabiseng Motete
Affiliation:
Department of Biology, University of Natal, Durban, 4041South Africa
N. W. Pammenter*
Affiliation:
Department of Biology, University of Natal, Durban, 4041South Africa
Patricia Berjak
Affiliation:
Department of Biology, University of Natal, Durban, 4041South Africa
Jillian C. Frédéric
Affiliation:
Department of Biology, University of Natal, Durban, 4041South Africa
*
*Correspondence
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Abstract

This study was undertaken to test the hypotheses that germinative metabolism of recalcitrant seeds in storage induces a requirement for additional water, which may result in the development of mild water stress, and that a reduction of the rate of this germinative metabolism will increase the storage lifespan of recalcitrant seeds. Studies were undertaken on seeds of Avicennia marina (Forssk.) Vierh. and concentrated on root primordia as these constitute the tissue that undergoes most change during storage. Encapsulating seeds from which the pericarp had been removed (naked seeds) in an alginate gel increased storage lifespan fourfold compared with naked seeds. Measures of metabolic rate such as time to first germination in storage and rate of protein synthesis did not indicate differences between alginate-coated and naked seeds, although ultrastructural observations indicated that both germinative and deteriorative processes were occurring more slowly in the alginate-coated seeds. Measures of water content and water and turgor potentials did not reveal signs of a mild water stress in either treatment. However, the number of seeds visibly contaminated with fungi and the rapidity with which this contamination became apparent were much reduced in alginate-coated seeds. It is suggested that fungal contamination constitutes a major cause of deterioration in stored, hydrated seeds of A. marina (and possibly other recalcitrant seed species) and the main effect of the alginate coating was to reduce the incidence of fungal contamination.

Keywords

alginateAvicennia marina, recalcitrantseedsseed storagewater stressultrastructure
Type
Recalcitrant seeds
Information
Seed Science Research , Volume 7 , Issue 2 , June 1997 , pp. 169 - 178
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 1997

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