Seed composition in oilcrops: its impact on seed germination performance.

IZQUIERDO NATALIA; ROBERTO LUIS BENECH-ARNOLD; DIEGO BATLLA; GONZALEZ BELO, R; TOGNETTI, J

Oil Seed Crops: Yield and Adaptations under environmental stress

Wiley

Año: 2017;

The amount and composition of lipids stored in seeds of oilcrops are the main determinants of their industrial yield and quality. Breeders have made efforts to increase seed oil concentration to obtain higher industrial yields, and to modify seed oil fatty acid composition according to industrial demands. Nevertheless, both traits can also be modified by environmental conditions prevailing during seed filling in the mother plant. Several environmental factors have been found to affect final seed oil concentration and fatty acid composition as well. Moreover, predictions related to the effect of climate change on oil quality have been reported considering those environmental factors on seed reserves synthesis. However, seeds are not only the harvest organ for industrial uses but also the perpetuation organ of the species. It is known that germination performance is affected by external factors (i.e., environment) but also by intrinsic seed factors. Then, it is necessary to understand how variations in seed oil concentration and fatty acid composition may in turn affect germination. There is very scarce information regarding these effects, but nevertheless its impact may be very significant on crop establishment. In this chapter we describe the variability in seed oil concentration and lipid fatty acid composition among species and within species. Effects of both genetics and environmental conditions prevailing during the seed filing in the mother plants are considered. Then, available information concerning the effects of seed oil concentration and lipid composition on germination performance is reviewed.