Tamilmani Eevera

Palak (Beta vulgaris var. bengalensis), an important leafy vegetable, may exhibit poor and non-uniform germination. Seed coating with a bio-based polymer offers a low cost seed enhancement approach. A laboratory experiment was carried out at the Department of Seed Science and Technology, Tamil Nadu Agricultural University (TNAU), Coimbatore, to standardise the polymer-to-water ratio of TNAU Vidhai Amirtham, for Palak cv. All Green. Seeds were coated with 7, 8, 9 and 10 g polymer combined with 40, 50 and 60 mL water resulting twelve treatments along with hydropriming and untreated control with four replications in a completely randomised design (CRD) The 7 g polymer + 60 mL water treatment (T₃) recorded the highest germination (94 %), germination speed (9.81), root length (10.6 cm), shoot length (7.0 cm), vigour index I (1654) and vigour index II (0.658), significantly exceeding the untreated control, representing improvements of 34.3 % in germination and 96.9 % in vigour index I over the untreated control. T₃ also recorded the highest α-amylase activity (2.789) and dehydrogenase activity (1.921 OD), consistent with enhanced metabolic activity and reserve mobilisation during germination. Catalase and peroxidase activities showed no significant treatment effect, suggesting that antioxidant enzyme responses were not major determinants of the observed treatment differences. These results identify 7 g polymer + 60 mL water as the most effective TNAU Vidhai Amirtham coating combination for improving physiological and biochemical seed quality in palak, suggesting its potential as a low-cost, chemical-free seed enhancement strategy for improving field establishment and stand uniformity in leafy vegetable nurseries and seed production systems.

Phytohormones are small molecules that act as signalling molecules in plant growth and development, seed dormancy, seed germination and environmental stress responses and they interact with one another through interconnected signalling pathways. Among these, abscisic acid (ABA) and gibberellins (GA) have antagonistic functions in seed development and germination. Abscisic acid prevents seed germination and increases stress tolerance while GA stimulates embryo development, radicle emergence and seedling establishment. Besides their well-known roles in plant defence, jasmonic acid (JA) and salicylic acid (SA) are involved in the regulation of seed germination and early plant growth. In general, jasmonoyl-isoleucine (JA-Ile) inhibits germination, while its precursor, 12-oxo-phytodienoic acid (OPDA) promotes germination under certain physiological conditions. Likewise, the effects of SA on seed germination and stress responses depend on its concentration. These phytohormones participate in interconnected signalling pathways involving key regulators such as ABI5 (ABA insensitive 5), DELLA (aspartic acid-glutamic acid-leucine-leucine-alanine) proteins, jasmonate zim-domain (JAZ) repressors and non-expressor of pathogenesis-related genes 1 (NPR1). Although the individual roles of ABA, GA, JA and SA have been described, their interconnected signalling networks and molecular interactions that regulate seed dormancy, germination and plant growth remain poorly understood. This review summarises the molecular and physiological mechanisms underlying the interactions and crosstalk among these phytohormones and emphasises the role of their coordinated interactions in the regulation of seed dormancy, germination and plant growth.

The presence of Benzene in aqueous solution is a great concern for the health-related issues of the living things that consume the same. Among various removal methods, the adsorption method with volcanic ash is a less laborious and eco-friendly process. With this notion, the seeds and grains of maize COH (M) 8 were coated with volcanic ash and they are utilized in this study as a biological entity to remove the benzene from the aqueous solution. Volcanic ash was characterized using FTIR, XRD, and FE-SEM-EDAX analyses, revealing key structural features, including sulfoxide functional groups, a crystalline size of 179.06 nm, and particle sizes ranging from 36.24 to 234.60 nm. Batch experiments were conducted to optimize adsorption and degradation efficiencies under different conditions. A maximum degradation efficiency of 80.62 % was achieved at a benzene concentration of 10 µg/mL within 1 hr. The efficiency increased to 87.96 % with a higher catalyst dosage at a benzene concentration of 50 µg/mL over 5 hr. Acidic conditions (pH 3) further enhanced the efficiency to 81.43 % over 5 hr. Under sunlight irradiation, a maximum degradation efficiency of 83.54 % was achieved within 1 hr. These findings establish volcanic ash as a promising, eco-friendly material for benzene adsorption in aqueous solutions, with the added advantage of enhancing seed germination and growth parameters. Its abundant availability and cost-effectiveness make it a sustainable solution for environmental remediation and agricultural applications.

The storage of biodiesel feedstock presents significant challenges for the biodiesel industry due to the deterioration of fatty acid constituents, which compromises both oil and biodiesel quality. Seed viability plays a critical role in preserving the quality of oil within biodiesel feedstock during storage. Recognizing the need for an affordable and efficient storage solution, this study aimed to develop a method for preserving the physiological and fuel characteristics of groundnut seeds (biodiesel feedstock) under tropical conditions. Groundnut seeds with a moisture content of 6.4% and an initial viability of 91% were stored in 3 different types of container: cloth bags, evacuated aluminum foil pouches and CO2-infused plastic containers for 7 months under ambient tropical conditions (34 ± 2 °C, 56 ± 4% RH). The study assessed the impact of storage conditions on seed viability, antioxidant enzyme activity and oil quality parameters, including free fatty acid (FFA), acid value (AV), peroxide value (PV), saponification value (SV), iodine value (IV) and cetane number (CV). Results indicated that CO2-infused plastic containers effectively maintained seed viability (72%), enhanced antioxidant enzyme activity and minimized oil deterioration. Furthermore, the feedstock stored in these containers complied with international biodiesel standards and remained suitable for alkali-based trans-esterification processes. This cost-effective storage method offers a viable solution for preserving biodiesel feedstock storage in tropical climates, thereby ensuring year-round biodiesel production and supply.

Amaranth is a highly valued leafy vegetable known for its exceptional nutrient profile, including high-quality protein, dietary fiber and essential vitamins and minerals. The seeds of amaranth are particularly rich in calcium, magnesium, phosphorus and vitamin C, making them a valuable component of a healthy diet. Additionally, amaranth is well-suited for terrace gardening and sustainable agriculture. However, despite its nutritional benefits, the consumption of amaranth in daily diets remains limited. One of the major challenges in amaranth cultivation is the imbibition issue caused by the tannin-rich testa and exotegmen cells in the seed coat. These factors contribute to poor seed quality, delayed germination and prolonged dormancy, which can last several years, ultimately reducing crop productivity. Seed treatment plays a crucial role in overcoming these limitations by improving seed viability and enhancing germination rates. Effective seed treatment methods help eliminate non-viable seeds, break dormancy and improve the physico-chemical properties of seeds. Furthermore, seed treatments can enhance seedling vigor, provide resistance against biotic and abiotic stresses and improve overall crop establishment. Conventional techniques such as priming, scarification and chemical treatments, as well as advanced methods like hydropriming, biopriming and nano priming, have shown promising results in enhancing amaranth seed quality. This critical review explores various seed treatment strategies, comparing their effectiveness and highlighting their potential to improve amaranth production. A better understanding of these techniques can help optimize amaranth cultivation and contribute to its increased adoption in sustainable food systems.

The yield of sunflowers is impacted by inadequate source-sink connections. There are no vascular bundles in the center of the capitulum, resulting in low seed setting and filling. It was hypothesized that manipulation of resource availability to peripheral and intermediary seeds by eliminating the predominantly ill-filled seeds of the capitulum core would have an augmenter effect on the filling of seeds in the rest of the two regions. A field experiment was conducted to achieve capitulum core destruction by operating a newly designed hand-held battery-operated ‘capitulum core destructor’, capable of removing the core area to a diameter of 0.8 and 1.5 cm. . Field experiments were conducted to standardize the optimum stage for capitulum core destruction (R5.0- 0% flowering of the capitulum total area (disc florets), R5.1- 10% flowering, R5.4- 40% flowering, R5.8- 80% flowering) and optimum area of core destruction (0.8 and 1.5 cm of inner diameter). The results revealed that the core destructed treatments outperformed the control (T1) in terms of seed yield and seed quality attributes. Amongst the treatments, T5 (1.5 cm core destruction at R5.8 stage) showed a 21% increase in seed yield over the control and registered the highest total number of seeds, total seed weight (48.63 g) and 100-seed weight (g). Additionally, the T5 treatment improved seed recovery percentage (80.23% compared to 70.45% in the control) and reduced rejected seed percentage (19.76% compared to 29.54% in the control). Concomitantly, the resultant seeds of T5 (1.5 cm core destruction at R5.8 stage) also possessed the highest germination potential, speed of germination, seedling growth and vigour index. This study demonstrates a scalable approach for sunflower cultivation globally, offering a practical solution to enhance yield and quality. Therefore, it was concluded that capitulum core destruction optimized resource allocation among the periphery and middle whorls of the capitulum, thereby resulting in a significant augmentation of seed yield and quality potential in sunflower crops.

Cotton, a crucial commercial fibre crop, depends heavily on seed-associated characteristics like germination rate, vigour, and resistance to post-harvest deterioration for both production and lint quality. Serious cellular damage during post-harvest processes such as delinting, prolonged seedling emergence periods, decreased viability, increased susceptibility to infections, and lipid peroxidation during storage pose serious problems to seed quality. The performance of seeds and total crop productivity are adversely affected by these problems. Traditional methods of seed improvement, like physical scarification and seed priming, have demonstrated promise in raising cotton seed vigour and germination rates. Furthermore, modern approaches including plasma therapies, magnetic water treatments, and nanotechnology-based treatments have shown promise in improving seed quality and reducing environmental stresses. By offering sustainable substitutes for conventional approaches, these cutting-edge procedures lessen the need for fungicides and other agrochemicals that pollute the environment. This review explores various conventional and emerging strategies to address the detrimental factors impacting cotton seed quality. It emphasizes the importance of integrating classical and advanced approaches to enhance germination, ensure robust crop establishment, and achieve higher yields. In addition to promoting sustainable cotton production, this kind of integration helps preserve the ecosystem and create resilient farming methods.