This study evaluated the germination characteristics and predicted longevity of Weigela subsessilis, an endemic plant in Korea, under long-term seed bank storage. Seeds from 16 accessions were stored at –18 °C for 0, 5, 10, and 20 years, and their germination performance was assessed. The initial germination percentage (78.75%) remained stable after five years (79.67%) but declined significantly after ten years (62.90%). Two accessions tested after 20 years showed a steep reduction to 14.86%. MGT and T50 were stable, GI increased slightly, but PV and GV declined, suggesting dormancy release alongside reduced vigor. Seed longevity was predicted using Probit analysis The estimated initial viability (Ki) was 1.15, with a slope of –0.092, yielding a predicted P50 of 12.5 years (95% CI: 11.2–13.8 years). The confidence interval broadened with longer extrapolations, underscoring the uncertainty of projections beyond 15–20 years where empirical data remain limited. These results provide the first empirical evidence of viability decline in W. subsessilis seeds over two decades of storage. They highlight the need for systematic monitoring in seed banks, with testing recommended at five-year intervals beyond ten years of storage. Regeneration or recollection strategies should also be implemented as viability approaches critical thresholds. This study offers essential baseline data for developing conservation strategies for Korean endemic species and contributes to the sustainable management of native plant genetic resources.

본 연구는 바이오소재 자원으로 주목받고 있는 멀꿀(Stauntonia hexaphylla)의 안정적 재배 기반 마련을 위한 종자 프라이밍(Priming) 처리 효과를 평가하고자 수행되었다. 경상남도 진주시에서 채집한 멀꿀 종자를 대상으로 GA3, NH4NO3, KNO3, KH2PO4, PEG 등 다양한 프라이밍 용액과 농도 조건을 설정하여 발아율, 발아속도, 발아균일성 및 유묘 생육 특성에 미치는 영향을 비교하였다. 그 결과, KH2PO4 100 mM 용액에 24시간 침지 처리한 종자에서 발아율(86.4%)과 발아속도, 발아균일성 지수가 가장 우수하였으며, 초장, 지상부 생중량 및 유묘 활력지수에서도 유의한 향상을 보였다. 특히 단위면적당 지상부 수확량이 대조구 대비 약 2.14배 이상 증가하여 산업적 활용 가능성을 확인하였다. 이러한 결과는 KH2PO4 프라이밍 처리가 멀꿀 종자의 발아 촉진 및 유묘 생육 증진에 효과적인 전처리 방법임을 시사하며, 향후 멀꿀의 대량 재배 및 바이오소재 산업화에 활용될 수 있는 실용적 기초자료로 활용될 수 있을 것이다.

Germination of chili pepper seeds is critical for crop yield and resource utilization. A high germination rate increases yield and effectively reduces resource wastage. This study collected 450 macroscopic images of chili pepper seeds and constructed a dataset for deep learning training through standardized germination experiments. Six deep learning models were evaluated to improve the chili pepper seed classification accuracy and germination rate. After comparing the performance of the models, MobileNet_v2 performed the best, not only having the fewest number of parameters but also achieving a 98.89% accuracy and 97.82% F1 score. The model improved the original germination rate from 87.33% to 100% on the test set, significantly optimizing the seed selection process

산마늘(Allium microdictyon)과 울릉산마늘(A. ulleungense) 은 수선화과(Amaryllidaceae) 부추속(Allium)에 속하는 다년 초 식물로 산마늘은 우리나라에서는 지리산, 오대산 등의 고산 지대, 울릉산마늘은 울릉도에 분포하고 있다. 본 연구는 산마늘 과 울릉산마늘의 휴면과 발아특성을 조사하여 효과적인 대량증 식법을 위한 기초자료를 제공하고자 수행하였다. 실험은 2021 년 7월에 강원도 정선에서 재배한 산마늘 종자와 2021년 8월에 울릉도에서 채종한 종자를 사용하였다. 수분흡수 실험결과, 산 마늘과 울릉산마늘 모두 수분흡수 3시간 만에 20% 이상의 수분 흡수율을 보여 물리적 휴면이 없는 것으로 판단하였다. 온도 처리(25/15, 20/10, 15/6, 5℃) 실험에서 패트리디쉬에 종자 를 치상 후 30일 이전에 5℃를 제외한 나머지 온도 처리에서 모두 발아가 나타났으며, 산마늘과 울릉산마늘 종자의 발아 적 온은 20~25℃인 것으로 확인되었다. 저온층적(0, 4, 8, 12주)처 리 결과, 산마늘과 울릉산마늘 종자 모두 발아율 향상에는 큰 효과가 없었지만, 저온층적처리 기간이 길어질수록 발아세가 증가하는 양상을 보였다. GA3 처리 결과, 산마늘 종자는 처리 농도 간 유의성이 나타나지 않았지만, 울릉산마늘 종자는 처리 농도가 높아질수록 평균발아일수 및 발아균일도에서 유의적인 차이를 나타냈다. 이러한 결과를 통하여 산마늘과 울릉산마늘 종자는 non-deep PD 유형인 것으로 판단된다.

This experiment was carried out to study the effect of elapsed time after air flow cutoff on the germination rate of Italian ryegrass seed with different moisture contents during natural drying on reclaimed land, Jangheung and Kimje of Korea from 2023 to 2024, respectively. Seeds with moisture contents of 15.3, 22.3 and 28.0% were placed in vinyl bag (30 × 40 cm) at storage thicknesses of 10, 15, and 20 cm, and air flow was cutoff for 48 h. Seed moisture content, seed temperature (℃) and germination rate were investigated at 12-h intervals. After 48 h of airflow cutoff during natural drying, seed moisture content did not significantly differ among storage thickness treatment (p>0.05). When Italian ryegrass seeds with moisture contents of 27~28% were stored under conditions with air flow cutoff at 15~20cm thickness for 48 h, the seed temperature reached up to 30℃ and the germination rate was excellent at around 70~80%.

This experiment was carried out to evaluate the effect of natural drying methods on the moisture content and germination of Italian ryegrass seed in Jicheon reclaimed land, Jangheung, Korea, from 2023 to 2024. The natural drying methods tested included seed spread thicknesses of 2.5, 5.0 and 7.5 cm; seed reversal frequencies of 1, 2 and 3 times per day; and two reversal methods: seed-only reversal and complete mixing of seed with a dry mat. The thinner seed spread thickness significantly accelerated moisture content reduction(p<0.001). However, the reduction in moisture contents due to the number and method of seed reversal was minimal, approximately 1%. Seeds initially having around 48.9% moisture content required 2, 4 and 5 days to reach a moisture content of 14% when dried at spread thickness of 2.5, 5.0 and 7.5 cm, respectively. Seeds with an initial moisture content of 23-26% required 1 to 2 days to reach 14% moisture content while maintaining approximately 80% germination rate under the tested natural drying methods. When seeds with an initial moisture content of 48.9% were dried at a spread thickness of 2.5 cm, the germination rate was 74.6%, which was significantly lower than the 83.8 and 81.6% germination rates observed for seeds dried at 5.0 and 7.5 cm thickness, respectively(p<0.002). These results suggest that for faster drying and higher-quality Italian ryegrass seed, harvesting at 30% seed moisture content, utilizing the cultivation field as a seed drying place, and applying a seed spread thickness of 2.5 to 5.0 cm are optimal practices.

This study investigates the factors influencing the seed longevity of Quercus myrsinifolia, a species with recalcitrant seeds highly sensitive to desiccation and freezing. The effects of moisture content, seed collection date, and storage methods on seed viability were analyzed using exponential decay modeling. Interactions between these factors were also explored to refine conservation strategies. Seeds with moisture content above 40% demonstrated a predicted seed longevity of 2.19 years, whereas those with moisture content below 30% had seed longevity of less than 1 year. Late-season seeds collected in November and December exhibited superior germination percentages and longer predicted seed longevity (1.32 years) compared to early-season seeds collected in September and October (<1 year). In seed weight, large seeds (2.0 g) showed longer predicted seed longevity about 1.5 times greater than that of small seeds (<1.2g). Storage methods significantly affected seed longevity, with refrigerator (4°C) with silica gel maintaining viability for 2–3 years, while seeds stored at room temperature (25°C) exhibited a seed longevity of less than 1 year. Silica gel was found to prevent seed deterioration due to over-desiccation, emphasizing the importance of balanced moisture regulation. Q. myrsinifolia seeds exhibited 𝑏 values ranging from 0.30 to 2.04, demonstrating a close relationship between decay constant, moisture content, storage conditions, and seed longevity. These findings provide critical insights into optimizing seed storage and propagation strategies for Q. myrsinifolia, contributing to its conservation and ecological restoration efforts.

초당옥수수는 고당도 옥수수 품종으로, 식단 트렌드 변화와 천연 당류에 대한 관심 증가로 인해 수요가 증가하면서 재배가 확대되고 있다. 초당옥수수는 높은 당도로 매우 달고 맛이 좋지만, 전분 함량이 낮아 일반 옥수수에 비해 발아율이 낮은 특징이 있다. 본 연구는 초당옥수수 계통의 전분 함량과 발아율의 상관관계를 조사하여, 우수한 생장과 발아율을 갖춘 고품질 계통을 선발하는 것을 목표로 하였다. 본 연구에서는 10개의 초당옥수수 계통을 대상으로 발아율과 식물체 생장 특성을 평가하였다. 모든 계통이 80% 이상의 발아율을 보였으며, KH51 계통이 53일로 가장 출사일이 빨랐고, KH29W 계통이 148cm로 간장이 가장 크게 나타났다. 고당도 계통을 선발하기 위해 수정 후 20일째에 이삭을 수확하여 유리당 함량을 측정하였다. KH28W 계통이 가장 높은 당 함량(23.3%)을 보였으며, KH45 계통이 가장 낮은 당 함량(8.1%)을 나타냈다. 또한, 전분 함량이 유리당과 비례하여 축적되는지를 확인하기 위해 수분 후 40일째에 이삭을 수확하여 분석한 결과, KH47 계통이 가장 높은 전분 함량(30.1%)을, KH28W 계통이 가장 낮은 전분 함량(23.6%)을 보였다. 전분 함량이 발아에 미치는 영향을 평가하기 위해 발아와 관련된 효소 및 유전자들을 분석하여, 발아 과정에서의 효소 활성 및 유전자 발현 수준을 측정하였다. 낮은 전분 함량은 발아 초기에 효소 활성과 유전자 발현을 저하시켜 발아 지연 및 불균일성을 초래하였으나, 발아 후 생장에는 큰 영향을 미치지 않았다. 이는 초당옥수수 종자의 초기 발아 과정이 유리당과 전분 함량에 의해 영향을 받을 수 있음을 시사한다.

Wheat (Triticum aestivum L.), a significant cereal crop from the Gramineae family, serves as a vital source of protein, essential minerals, B-group vitamins, and dietary fiber. However, its productivity is often hindered by issues such as poor seed germination, which can adversely affect yield and crop quality. This study investigated the effects of different silicon concentrations and priming durations on wheat germination and seedling growth. Analysis of variance revealed that silicon treatment significantly influenced key parameters of germination and growth, including germination percentage (GP), germination index (GI), vigor index (VI), radicle length (RL), plumule length (PL), and seedling dry weight (SDW). Priming with silicon at a concentration of 1 mM resulted in notable improvements, increasing GP, GI, VI, RL, and PL by 10.6%, 65.5%, 29.4%, 18.6%, and 28.6%, respectively, after 6 hours of priming. Certain germination traits demonstrated strong positive correlations, particularly GP and GI (r = 0.96) and VI and RL (r = 0.94), after 4 hours of priming. These improvements in seed germination and seedling development may result from enhanced water uptake, stimulated cell division, and increased hydrolytic enzyme activity, which facilitate the mobilization of seed reserves and accelerate the growth of embryonic tissues.