Seed dispersal:

Definition:

“Seed dispersal is the mechanism by which plant seeds are transported to new sites for
germination and the establishment of new individuals”.

Seed dispersal is universally considered important for biodiversity conservation. The

landscape structure strongly affects the distances traveled by seeds, regardless of whether
they are dispersed by abiotic factors (wind) or animals. Therefore, any type of disturbance,
such as habitat fragmentation or habitat modification by an invasive plant species, for
instance, is likely to change the patterns of seed movement, the patterns of seed recruitment,
and the genetic structure of the plant populations.

Types of Seed Dispersal

There are different ways in which seeds from their parent plant are dispersed. These include:

Seed Dispersal by Wind

The wind is the natural and fundamental means of seed dispersal in the plant kingdom. This
process of dispersal is mainly seen in those plants which bear very light seeds. The seeds of
the Orchid plant, Dandelions, Swan plants, Cottonwood tree, Hornbeam, ash, Cattail, Puya,
and Willow herb, are all examples of plants whose seeds are dispersed by the wind.

Seed Dispersal by Water

In this method of seed dispersal, seeds float away from their parent plant. These are mainly
seen in those plant that lives in water or nearby water bodies like beaches, lakes, ponds, etc.
Coconuts, palms, Mangroves, Water lilies, and Water mints are a few examples of plants
whose seeds are dispersed by the water.

Seed Dispersal by Animals and Birds

There are different ways in which animals and birds disperse the seeds. Few animals and
birds are attracted to bright colorful fruits. They eat the entire fruit and only the juicy part is
digested by their system and the seeds are excreted out in the form of their dropping, which
forms into new plants. Blackberry, cherry, tomato, and apple seeds are dispersed in this way.
A few species of squirrels collect nuts from different plants like acorns and bury them under
the soil as they store food for the winter season and often forget the place where they have
previously buried them and the seeds grow into new trees.

There are a few plants that bear seeds with hooks. The Burdock plant is an example of this
type of plant species. The seed of these plants catches on the fur of animals and are carried
away to different places, far from their parent plants. Dates, rambutan, sea grapes, sea holly,
tamarind, raspberry, sunflower, and tomatoes are a few examples of plants whose seeds are
dispersed by animals and birds.

Seed Dispersal by Gravity

Gravity is a force of attraction that exists among all the objects in the universe. As the fruits
from the tree fall on the ground due to the force of attraction, they sometimes roll down to
some smaller distance, get buried in the soil after a few days, and germinate into a new plant.
In certain cases, fruits that do not have very hard seed coat may crack and open after falling
from a height, which leads to a better dispersion of seeds. In some cases, the fallen fruit is
carried by other agents like water, wind, birds, or animals and helps in the dispersion of
seeds.

Apples, Commelina, Canna, and Coconuts are a few examples of plants whose seeds are
dispersed by Gravity – A force of attraction.

Seed Dispersal by Explosions

Explosions in fruits refer to bursting with all its energy. In this case, as the fruits get ripened,
they shoot out their seeds into the external environment. This type of seed dispersal is mainly
seen in those plants having pods.

Okra, Lupins, gorse, and broom are a few examples of plants whose seeds are dispersed by
Explosions. Pea and bean plants also have pods and the seeds burst out when they ripen and
the pod has dried.

Seed Dormancy

Seed dormancy can be defined as the state or a condition in which seeds are prevented from
germinating even under favourable environmental conditions for germination including,
temperature, water, light, gas, seed coats, and other mechanical restrictions.
The main reason behind these conditions is that they require a period of rest before being
capable of germination. These conditions may vary from days to months and even years.
These conditions are the combination of light, water, heat, gases, seed coats, and hormone
structures.

There are certain major causes for the seed dormancy. Listed below are a few reasons for the
seed dormancy.

 Light

 Temperature

 Hard Seed Coat

 Period after ripening

 Germination inhibitors

 Immaturity of the seed embryo

 Impermeability of seed coat to water

 Impermeability of seed coat to oxygen

 Mechanically resistant seed coat

 Presence of high concentrate solutes

Types of Seed Dormancy

The seed dormancy is of the following types:

Innate dormancy

It is the condition of seeds which is incapable of germination even if conditions suitable for
seedling growth are supplied. This inability to germinate may be due in certain species to the
embryo being immature at the time of dispersal.

Enforced dormancy

It is the condition of seeds that is incapable of germination due to an environmental restraint

which includes, an adequate amount of moisture, oxygen, light and a suitable temperature.

Induced dormancy
This type of seed dormancy occurs when the seed has imbibed water, but has been placed
under extremely unfavourable conditions for germination. Finally, seed fails to germinate
even under more favourable conditions.

Methods of Breaking Seed Dormancy

The different methods of breaking dormancy are mentioned below:

The natural breaking of Seed Dormancy

The nature of dormancy stops when the embryo gets an appropriate environment such as
adaptive moisture and temperature. The seed coat that exists in many species becomes
permeable due to the rupturing of the smoothing action of natural agents like
microorganisms, temperature, and abrasion by the digestive tract of birds and animals that
feed on these seeds. Other natural methods include:

 Completion of the over-ripening period.

 Leaching of inhibitors present in the seed coat.

 Inactivation of inhibitors by the supply of cold, heat, and light.

 Leaching of the excess and highly concentrated solutes from the seeds.

 Production of growth hormones which can neutralize the effect of inhibitors.

Artificial Overcoming of Seed Dormancy

Some of the artificial methods used for breaking seed dormancy are listed below:

 Action with hot water for termination of waxes, surface inhibitors, etc.

 Rupturing of seed coats by filing, chipping, or threshing through machines.

 Exposure to heat, cold, or light, depending upon the type of seed dormancy.

 By applying Hydraulic pressure for 5 to 20 minutes to weaken the tough seed coats.

 Seed coats are treated with concentrated sulphuric acid to remove all traces of the
mineral acid.

Treatment to break dormancy in seeds

There are separate treatments to overcome dormancy, and they are further divided into the
following groups:
Seed coat treatment

These treatments make a hard seed coat permeable to water or gases either by softening or
cracking. This process is called scarification. The treatment can be either chemical or
physical.

Embryo treatments

Stratification: The incubation of seeds at an appropriate low temperature over a moist layer
before transferring to a temperature suitable for germination.

High-temperature treatment: Incubation at 40-50 °C for a few hours to a few days may
have an effect in overcoming dormancy in some species. For instance, rice seeds are treated
with hot water at 40°C for at least 4 hours.

Chemical treatments

Plant growth regulators or other chemicals can be used in induced germination growth
regulators.

Importance of Seed Dormancy

1. It follows the storage of seeds for later use by animals and man.

2. It helps in the dispersal of the seeds through the unfavourable environment.

3. Dormancy induced by the inhibitors present in the seed coats is highly useful to desert
plants.

4. Allows the seeds to continue to be in suspended animation without any harm during
cold or high summer temperatures and even under drought conditions.

5. Dormancy helps seeds to remain alive in the soil for several years and provides a
continuous source of new plants, even when all the mature plants of the area have
died down due to natural disasters.

The dormancy of seeds is for a long time, which acts as a survival mechanism. Seed can
adapt to adverse situations and resist inappropriate germination. But there is no uniform
germination. Dormancy makes it difficult to maintain the plant population and interferes in
seed testing procedure.

Seed Bank and its importance

The extinction of many plant species as a result of natural and man-made factors is well
known and poses a severe threat to the world. Two out of every five plant species on the
planet are endangered. To ensure that the future is as ecologically rich as today, one should
think of saving plants just like saving valuables and resources. That is exactly where seed
banks come into the picture.

WHAT IS A SEED BANK?

A seed bank is a facility that stores seeds to maintain genetically pure variety for future
generations. Typically, they are flood, bomb, and radiation-proof treasuries that store seeds
from various plant species. The seeds are usually stored in climate-controlled, low humidity
and frigid temperatures. This aids in the long-term preservation of the seeds, guaranteeing
that they will grow on a later day. As per one estimate, there are over 1700 seed banks around
the world, each with its type, size, and concentration.

WHY SEEDS BANKS ARE ESSENTIAL

The first step of growing food starts from seed. To sustain the planet and all living beings,
plants are paramount. Since plants are threatened by a variety of factors, including loss of
habitat, climate change, pollution, pests, and diseases, seed banks serve as an institution for
building agricultural resilience in times of crisis. It is estimated that 40% of plant species are
threatened with extinction on a global scale. Rare plants, heritage, indigenous, wild, or locally
distinctive are all at risk of extinction. Their extinction could result in the genetic
deterioration of our food system.

Without good genetic diversity, adapting to climate change or new pests can be challenging.
Crop breeders require a diverse set of genetic resources to aid in the adaptation of our crops
to changing situations. A seed bank is a type of insurance, that allows us to safeguard as many
plant species as possible from extinction.

HOW ARE SEEDS SELECTED, COLLECTED AND STORED?

Experts and volunteers from all over the world are meticulously gathering seeds for the seed
banks in the field. The best seeds are gathered in their dormant form and kept using strict
standards. As an additional assurance, it is customary practice for each bank to send a portion
of its precious seeds to another bank as an emergency backup. Some banks only hold seeds
connected to agricultural crops, while others may only keep seeds from uncommon species
with a very restricted sharing policy.
Depending on the species, seeds stored in these vaults are sometimes dormant for hundreds or
even thousands of years. According to experts, seeds in seed bank can last at least 150 years
in vaults, but hopefully much longer.

BENEFITS OF SEED BANKS

Plant genetic diversity is important for a variety of reasons, and seed banks help to preserve
it. These conserved seeds contain a wealth of beneficial genes that breeders might employ to
build improved varieties of our most important food crops. A few specific benefits of seed
banks:

 Improve plant disease and pest resistance, both existing and emerging

 Allow for drought or flood resistance

 To feed a growing global population, increase yields and improve nutrition

The Kunming Institute of Botany’s Germplasm Bank of Wild Species of China is striving to
preserve the seeds of as many wild plants as possible from across China’s huge land area.
Many wild plants have genes that enable them to thrive in difficult conditions and make them
resistant to diseases and drought. We may need these genetic resources in the future to
produce new crops that can better adapt to shifting climate.

CONCLUSION

Around the world, seed banks house large collections of plant species that are essential for
scientific research, education, species protection, and the preservation of Indigenous
traditions. Seed banks contain a large number of seeds for a variety of objectives, such as
restocking populations, research studies, and plant breeding programs. Seed banks that are
well-funded and well-maintained are crucial to mitigating the worldwide impact of the
climate on agriculture.