Tomato Seed Coat Permeability: Optimal Seed Treatment Chemical Properties for Targeting the Embryo with Implications for Internal Seed-Borne Pathogen Control

Seed treatments are frequently applied for the management of early-season pests, including seed-borne pathogens. However, to be effective against internal pathogens, active ingredient must able penetrate seed coat. Tomato seeds were focus this study, and objectives (1) evaluate three coumarin fluorescent tracers in terms uptake (2) quantify coat permeability relation lipophilicity better elucidate chemical movement tissue. Uptake treated with 1, 120, 151 was assessed by fluorescence microscopy. For quantitative studies, a series 11 n-alkyl piperonyl amides log Kow range 0.02–5.66 applied, two portions, namely, embryo, endosperm + coat, analyzed high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). Coumarin 120 lowest 1.3 displayed greater than 1 2.9. In contrast, optimal embryo ranged from 2.9 3.3 derived amide series. Therefore, heterogeneous not suitable determine uptake. Three tomato varieties investigated series, maximum percent recovered embryonic tissue only 1.2% 5%. These data suggest that application ingredients as could result suboptimal concentrations being efficacious.