Abstract Germinated and microwave roasted black chickpea were evaluated for physical, proximate, pasting, functional, and antioxidant properties. A significant variation was observed in quality of grain upon germination and roasting. The effect of germination and roasting on functional groups was analyzed using Fourier‐transform infrared spectroscopy. The results showed that germination improved the physical and pasting properties, whereas roasting enhanced the functional properties. The lightness of germinated grains significantly improved as compared with dark colored roasted sample. The germinated sample was found rich in protein, whereas carbohydrates and fiber content increased in roasted sample. Water and oil absorption content were reduced by 7.14% and 5.13% in germination as compared with control. However, roasting significantly improved the water absorption capacity and oil absorption capacity by 69.51% and 6.41% as compared with control.

The seeds of Cercis chinensis Bunge are important for reproduction and propagation, but strong dormancy controls their germination. To elucidate the causes of seed dormancy in C. chinensis, we investigated the permeability of the hard seed coat and the contribution of the endosperm to physical dormancy, and we examined the effect of extracts from the seed coat and endosperm. In addition, the effectiveness of scarification methods to break seed dormancy was compared. Cercis chinensis seeds exhibited physical and physiological dormancy. The hard seed coat played an important role in limiting water uptake, and the endosperm acted as a physical barrier that restricted embryo development in imbibed seeds. Germination percentage of Chinese cabbage [Brassica rapa subsp. chinensis (L.) Hanelt] seeds was reduced from 98% (control) to 28.3% and 56.7% with a seed-coat extract and an endosperm extract, respectively. This demonstrated that both the seed coat and endosperm contained endogenous inhibitors, but the seed-coat extract resulted in stronger inhibition. Mechanical scarification, thermal scarification, and chemical scarification had positive effects on C. chinensis seed germination. Soaking non-scarified seeds in gibberellic acid (GA₃) solution did not promote germination; however, treatment with exogenous GA₃ following scarification significantly improved germination. The optimal method for promoting C. chinensis seed germination was soaking scarified seeds in 500 mg·L⁻¹ GA₃ for 24 h followed by cold stratification at 5 °C for 2 mo.

Sugar palm (Arenga pinnata) has a hard and impermeable pericarp, which make an obstacle for it’s germination. Scarification of seed is needed to breakdown the physical dormancy of seeds. One of the methods to break the physical dormancy is stratification by soaking seed in to the water in some different temperature level.  The aims of the study were to determine the effectiveness of stratification and to figure out the best water temperature in breaking the dormancy. A Completely Randomized Design (CRD) in four treatments (control, water immersion at 25°C, 50°C, and 75°C) with four replications was employed as research design.  Statistical analysis was conducted using homogenity of variance, variance analysis, and least significant difference tests. The result showed that the water immersion of arenga seed at 25°C and 50°C resulted in the germination percentage, germination rate and test germination that was comparable to control. Water immersion at 75°C reduced the percentage of germination and germination rate, however the treatment could increase the germination test. Water immersion of arenga seed at 25°C, 50°C, and 75°C were not effective to break the dormancy of sugar palm seed. Keywords: aren seeds, dormancy, water immersion

Mechanical scarification with a scalpel is the best treatment to break physical dormancy and reach high germination percentages in many legumes. However, it is highly time-consuming. Given the ecological relation­ship between the presence of physical dormancy and high temperatures in tropical grasslands, dry heat treatment could also promote breaking of physical dormancy in Desmodium and Stylosanthes species. This study assessed seed germination of several accessions of nine species of Desmodium and Stylosanthes. Seeds were treated with dry heat (80°C for 30 minutes) and scarified with a scalpel to determine whether dry heat is a reliable alternative treatment to overcome physical dormancy. Mechanical scarification with a scalpel was effective and resulted in high germination for all species. In S. guianensis, both treatments had an equivalent effect, making dry heat a feasible alternative. Dry heat could also be a reliable alternative in D. heterocarpon, D. velutinum, S. hamata, and S. scabra, but tetrazolium tests may be necessary to confirm viability. For D. barbatum and D. scorpiurus, dry heat could be an alternative but further research is needed to confirm this, while in S. capitata and S. viscosa dry heat is not a reliable alternative.

This paper presents an experiment using a radio frequency atmospheric pressure plasma jet to generate cold plasma for pre-sowing stimulation of Wolska onion seeds. Impact of the He + N₂ afterglow plasma on germination was investigated. Eight groups of seeds characterized by different exposure times (2, 5, 10, 15, 60, 120, 240, and 480 s) and distance from the electrodes (20 mm and 50 mm) were used. Pre-sowing plasma stimulation of the seeds improved the germination capacity and germination energy for all tested groups, relative to control. The impact of radio frequency plasma on the onion seed germination parameters was statistically significant. The highest germination parameters were obtained for seeds stimulated for 240 s at a distance of 50 mm. No significant differences in physical and morphological properties of onion seeds were found.

Fire and high summer soil temperatures can break physical seed dormancy in Mediterranean fire-prone ecosystems. Their independent effect is somewhat recognized but both factors may act together with a synergistic effect yet unknown. This study aims to determine the isolated and combined effects of fire and summer temperatures on the release of physical seed dormancy in Cistaceae species. Fire and summer temperature treatments were applied in a factorial experiment to seeds of 12 species of Cistaceae. Seeds previously exposed or not to a heat shock (fire simulation) were kept for 1 or 2 months at constant or alternating temperatures (summer temperatures simulation). Additionally, I compared the effect of exposing the seeds to a heat shock before or after they had been subjected to the summer temperatures. Heat shock increased germination of all species, but summer temperatures produced different results. When seeds were exposed to summer temperatures after heat shock, germination decreased. This negative effect disappeared when heat shock was simulated at the end of the summer temperatures. Fire and summer temperatures modulate timing of germination in Cistaceae with a joint control on post-fire regeneration. Cycling of sensitivity to physical dormancy release may be the mechanism to explain this fine-tuning, which would ensure germination when environmental conditions are suitable for growth. These results contribute to our understanding of vegetation dynamics and postfire regeneration in Mediterranean ecosystems.

Seasonally tropical dry forests are among the most threatened environments by climate change. However, these forests, which are at risk of desertification, are still poorly studied and conserved. Seeds of several species endemic to the Caatinga, a Brazilian dry forest, are also understudied, mainly regarding their ability to cope with a hotter and drier climate predicted for the future. For the first time in seeds of Cenostigma microphyllum (Leguminosae), we aimed to study the presence of physical dormancy, temperature and salt tolerance to ascertain the effects of current and future climate on seed germination. Intact and scarified seeds were investigated by incubating at constant temperatures (15 to 40°C) or in NaCl solutions (?0.2 to ?1.0 MPa) at 25 and 30°C. Thermal and osmotic thresholds, as well as thermal time and hydrotime constants, were calculated using linear regressions between the germination conditions and germination rate. To predict germination in the future, a heat sum model based on thermal time and hydrotime was applied to current and future climate scenarios. Seeds of C. microphyllum were permeable to water and did not have physical dormancy. The results indicated that increases in temperature are unlikely to affect germination, despite greater sensitivity to salinity presented at higher temperatures. In a future climate, the reduction in the number of weeks with at least 15 mm rainfall will affect the germination timing for the seeds. Thus, we can conclude that under the most pessimistic climate scenario predicted for the future, the seed germination of C. microphyllum may be restricted, likely leading to low seedling recruitment and establishment.

This study analyzed morpho-anatomy and histochemistry of seed coats, the effect of temperature on breaking seed dormancy and changes in water gap of Colubrina glandulosa Perkins (Rhamnaceae). Thermal shocks, alternating temperatures and forest environments were tested to analyze the break of physical dormancy. Morpho-anatomical studies were made using fresh or fixed tissue observed under stereoscopic, optical and scanning microscopes. To perform histochemical studies, sections of fresh seeds were left to stain in different reagents and then observed under epifluorescence microscope. Seedling emergence in forest edge and forest understory was similar to seed germination under laboratory conditions, indicating that the differences between environments had no effect on the germination of seeds. The germination ability of fresh seeds was lost in forest gap environments or when stored. Alternating temperature and thermal shocks have not alleviated the physical dormancy of seeds with the exception of dormancy acquired during seed storage. The results of germination suggest the presence of sensitive cycling phenomenon in these seeds. The seed coat features were similar to those of species undergoing physical dormancy, presenting a layer of macrosclereids impregnated with substances impermeable to water, as callose and lignin, in addition to compact sclerenchymatic tissue. Treatments of sulfuric acid and alternating temperatures increased the width and number of cracks around the hilar fissure; however, water could not penetrate the seed through these cracks, suggesting that water enters through the hilar slit.