Scatter-hoarding rodents are known to play a crucial role in the seed dispersal of many plant species. Numerous studies have indicated that both seed size and the energy content of seeds can affect rodent foraging behavior. However, seed size is usually associated with energy content per seed, making it difficult to isolate how seed size and energy affect rodent foraging preferences. This study...

A Mojave Desert shrub community was experimentally burned to understand changes in seed bank of desert annual plant species in response to wildfire. Seed mortality ranged from 55 to 80%, and fire caused significant losses of native and alien annual seeds. Schismus arabicus, Schismus barbatus, Bromus madritensis, Bromus tectorum, Erodium cicutarium and Plantago spp. made up >95% of the seed bank...

Rapid deforestation has fragmented habitat across the landscape of Madagascar. To determine the effect of fragmentation on seed banks and the potential for forest regeneration, we sampled seed viability, density and diversity in 40 plots of 1 m in three habitat types: forest fragments, the near edge of continuous forest, and deforested savanna in a highly fragmented dry deciduous forest landsca...

1. Assessing dispersal events in plants faces important challenges and limitations. A methodological issue that limits advances in our understanding of seed dissemination by frugivorous animals is identifying ‘which species dispersed the seeds’. This is essential for assessing how multiple frugivore species contribute distinctly to critical dispersal events such as seed delivery to safe sites, ...

brassica napus l. and sinapis alba l. are two cruciferous species for which some medicinal uses are mentioned in the iranian, indian and chinese traditional medicine. seed oil of  b. napus has cathartic action, and is either used as such or after partial hydrogenation for cooking, shortening or as margarines. sees of s. alba have also cathartic action and some other medicinal uses but, because ...

The dormancy status of S. faberi seed at abscission was assessed with reference to tiller and panicle development. Seed from a single genetic line were grown under field, greenhouse and controlled environment growth chamber conditions. At abscission, a small fraction (<10%) of S. faberi seed germinated under favorable conditions. Seed were dissected and germination of caryopses and embryos also...

The effect of seed size on germination and early growth of maize plant, was examined within three weeks to determine the best seed size require for planting. The larger size seed produced significant growth compared to medium size and small size. The seedling height, seedling width, and seedling biomass increased in larger size seed. The significant growth observed in larger size seed showed th...

To understand the gene expression networks controlling soybean seed set and size, transcriptome analyses were performed in three early seed developmental stages, using two genotypes with contrasting seed size. The two-dimensional data set provides a comprehensive and systems-level view on dynamic gene expression networks underpinning soybean seed set and subsequent development. Using pairwise c...