Variable-temperature sand storage treatment process for breaking deep dormancy of seeds

Abstract

The invention relates to the technical field of plant seed treatment, in particular to a variable-temperature sand storage treatment process for breaking deep dormancy of seeds, which comprises the following steps: step (1) pretreatment: removing impurities from seeds, selecting mature and full seeds with uniform shape and size, soaking and scrubbing the seeds with clear water, and drying the seeds; naturally air-drying for later use; (2) disinfection: disinfecting with sodium hypochlorite, washing, and drying in the shade at an indoor ventilated place to obtain disinfected seeds; step (3) seed soaking; step (4) preparation: adjusting the humidity of the clean river sand by using sterilization distillation to obtain wet river sand; (5) sand storage; and (6) temperature changing: performing indoor hot storage, transition, cold storage and temperature returning, and checking the white exposure condition. According to the variable-temperature sand storage treatment process for breaking the deep dormancy of the seeds, the variable-temperature sand storage treatment process is provided, the common risks of mildewing, rotting and uneven germination in the traditional lamination process are effectively reduced through accurate temperature, humidity, time, mechanical scratching and transition stages, the germination rate of the seeds is increased, and the application prospect is good.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention belongs to the field of plant seed treatment technology, specifically relating to a variable-temperature sand storage treatment process to break deep seed dormancy. Background Technology

[0002] Seed dormancy is an adaptive strategy developed by plants over a long period of evolution, which is of great significance for the survival and reproduction of species in harsh environments. However, in agricultural production and ecological restoration, deep seed dormancy leads to extremely low germination rates, excessively long germination cycles, and highly uneven germination, severely restricting the large-scale production of seedlings and the breeding and promotion of superior germplasm resources.

[0003] Seeds exhibiting deep dormancy, especially those possessing both morphological and physiological dormancy—the so-called morphophysiological dormancy seeds—are characterized by embryos that are typically underdeveloped at harvest and require a period of time to continue growing and developing under suitable conditions. Furthermore, even after morphological development is complete, the embryo remains dormant due to the presence of germination inhibitors or a lack of germination promoters. Plants belonging to this category include, but are not limited to, various rare medicinal plants (such as Notopterygium incisum, peony, and Schisandra chinensis), temperate fruit trees (such as peach, cherry, and apple rootstocks), and rare forest trees (such as Taxus chinensis and Magnoliaceae plants).

[0004] Currently, low-temperature stratification is commonly used in production to break dormancy in this type of seed. This method involves mixing seeds with a moist substrate and placing them in a low-temperature (0-5℃) environment for a period of time to simulate winter conditions, thereby decomposing germination inhibitors and completing physiological after-ripening. However, this method has significant limitations: poor specificity and unstable effects: low-temperature treatment alone is effective for seeds with only physiological dormancy, but has little effect on seeds with morphological dormancy. The morphological after-ripening process of the embryo requires warm conditions, which cannot be met by low temperature alone, resulting in a still low germination rate. The process is lengthy and inefficient: many deeply dormant seeds require low-temperature stratification for several months or even more than a year, severely consuming production space and time, and incurring high costs. Uneven germination: due to the failure to systematically and synchronously complete morphological and physiological after-ripening, the germination sequence of seeds varies greatly after stratification, resulting in uneven emergence and greatly increasing the difficulty of seedling management.

[0005] Therefore, there is an urgent need in this field for a comprehensive treatment process that has clear steps, precise parameters, and can systematically and simultaneously solve the problems of morphological and physiological after-ripening, thereby efficiently, quickly, and uniformly breaking the deep dormancy of seeds. Summary of the Invention

[0006] The purpose of this invention is to provide a variable-temperature sand storage process to break deep seed dormancy, thereby solving the aforementioned technical problems in the prior art.

[0007] To achieve the above objectives, the present invention adopts the following technical solution: This invention provides a variable-temperature sand storage process to break deep seed dormancy, comprising the following steps: Step (1) Pretreatment: Remove impurities from the seeds, select mature and plump seeds with uniform shape and size, soak and wash them with clean water, and air dry them for later use; Step (2) Disinfection: Disinfect with sodium hypochlorite, wash, and air dry in a well-ventilated indoor area to obtain disinfected seeds; Step (3) Soaking seeds: After mechanically scratching the seed coat, soak the seeds in warm water, changing the water daily during the soaking process to obtain swollen seeds; During the above process, the seed fully absorbs water and softens its seed coat.

[0008] Step (4) Preparation: Adjust the humidity of clean river sand by sterile distillation to obtain moistened river sand; Step (5) Sand storage: Mix the absorbent seeds with moist river sand evenly to obtain a sand storage mixture, pour it into a container, cover it with a lid and punch holes for ventilation; Step (6) Temperature change: Indoor heating, transition, refrigeration, warming up, and checking for whitening.

[0009] Using the above technical solutions: stop sand storage when 30-50% of the seeds show white sprouts and proceed with sowing; heat storage allows the embryo to develop slowly at a suitable temperature and complete physiological after-ripening; the low temperature of cold storage can break the dormancy of the embryo and promote the decomposition of substances that inhibit germination, which is the most crucial step in breaking deep dormancy. During the entire sand storage period, check the moisture of the sand every 2-3 weeks. If it becomes dry, spray water to keep it moist. At the same time, check whether the seeds are moldy. If moldy seeds are found, they should be picked out immediately.

[0010] Preferably, in step (1), the soaking conditions are as follows: the soaking temperature is 25-30℃ and the soaking time is 10-12h; the seeds are at least one of Notopterygium incisum, peony, and Schisandra chinensis.

[0011] Preferably, in step (2), the sodium hypochlorite mass fraction is 2wt%; the disinfection time is 4-6 min; and the washing method is to rinse with water 3-5 times.

[0012] Preferably, in step (3), the mechanical abrasion of the seed coat is performed 7-8 hours before soaking; the soaking conditions are: soaking temperature of 40-50℃ and soaking time of 24-72 hours.

[0013] Preferably, in step (4), the method for treating the sterilized distilled water is as follows: sterilize the distilled water at 120-122℃ for 25-35 minutes to obtain sterilized distilled water; the method for treating the clean river sand is as follows: rinse the river sand with running water for 5-6 hours, then sterilize it at 180-190℃ for 4-6 hours, and let it dry to room temperature to obtain clean river sand; the particle size range of the river sand is 0.25-0.5 mm; the moisture content of the moistened river sand is 55-65%; the state of the moistened river sand is that it can be formed into a ball when squeezed in the hand, but crumbles when released; Preferably, in step (5), the volume ratio of the imbibition seeds to the moist river sand is 1:3; the sand-stored mixture occupies 2 / 3 of the container capacity.

[0014] Preferably, in step (6), the hot storage conditions are: hot storage temperature is 20-25℃, hot storage time is 1-2 months; transition conditions are: transition temperature is 10-15℃, transition time is 3-5 days; cold storage conditions are: cold storage temperature is 0-5℃, cold storage time is 2-4 months; cold storage is carried out in a low-temperature cold storage room; warming conditions are: warming temperature is 5-10℃, warming time is 7-10 days; the method for checking the whitening condition is: randomly take out 10-20 seeds every 2-3 days and check the whitening condition.

[0015] In summary, due to the adoption of the above technical solution, the beneficial effects of the present invention are: The 0.25-0.5mm sand selected in this invention maintains good air permeability and water retention, providing an optimal balance for seed respiration and moisture retention. Furthermore, the variable-temperature sand stratification process provided by this invention, through precise control of temperature, humidity, time, mechanical abrasion, and transition stages, effectively reduces the risks of mold, rot, and uneven germination commonly encountered in traditional stratification processes. It precisely simulates and optimizes natural conditions. Simultaneously, the heat storage-transition-cold storage-warming process concentrates and optimizes the complete seasonal cycle that seeds undergo in nature, shortening the natural germination cycle from several years to 5-7 months, significantly improving efficiency. It effectively promotes the conversion of energy substances within the seed, enhances the activity of protective enzyme systems, regulates the balance of endogenous hormones, and synergistically improves the seed germination rate. Attached Figure Description

[0016] To more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present invention or the prior art, the drawings used in the description of the embodiments or the prior art will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, the drawings described below are only some embodiments of the present invention. For those skilled in the art, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without creative effort.

[0017] Figure 1 The diagram shows the dynamic change in embryo rate of seeds obtained by the variable-temperature sand storage process of the present invention, which breaks the deep dormancy of seeds. Figure 2The image shows the germination effect of seeds obtained by the variable-temperature sand storage treatment process that breaks the deep dormancy of seeds according to the present invention. Detailed Implementation

[0018] The technical solutions of the embodiments of the present invention will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the described embodiments are only some embodiments of the present invention, and not all embodiments. Based on the embodiments of the present invention, all other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art without creative effort are within the scope of protection of the present invention. Example 1

[0019] This embodiment discloses a variable-temperature sand storage process for breaking deep seed dormancy, including the following steps: Step (1) Pretreatment: Remove impurities from Schisandra seeds, select mature, plump seeds with uniform shape and size, soak them in 27℃ water for 11 hours and rub them, then air dry them for later use. Step (2) Disinfection: Disinfect with 2wt% sodium hypochlorite for 5 minutes, then rinse with water 4 times, and air dry in a well-ventilated indoor place to obtain disinfected seeds; Step (3) Soaking: Mechanically abrade the seed coat 7 hours before soaking, then soak in warm water at 45℃ for 248 hours, changing the water every day during the soaking process to obtain swollen seeds; Step (4) Preparation: Sterilize distilled water at 121℃ for 30 minutes to obtain sterilized distilled water; then rinse river sand with running water for 5.5 hours, sterilize it at 185℃ for 5 hours, and then let it dry to room temperature to obtain clean river sand; adjust the humidity of the clean river sand to 60% by sterilizing distilled water to obtain moistened river sand. Step (5) Sand storage: Mix the absorbent seeds and moist river sand in a volume ratio of 1:3 and pour them into a container. The sand storage mixture should occupy 2 / 3 of the container's capacity. After covering the container, make holes for ventilation. Step (6) Temperature change: Place the container in an indoor hot storage at 23℃ for 1.5 months; move it to a 12℃ environment for 4 days; store it in a low-temperature cold storage room at 2.5℃ for 3 months, and then move the container back to 7℃ for 9 days. Randomly take out 15 seeds every 3 days to check the whitening status. If 40% of the seeds show whitening, they are sown. Example 2

[0020] This embodiment discloses a variable-temperature sand storage process for breaking deep seed dormancy, including the following steps: Step (1) Pretreatment: Remove impurities from Schisandra seeds, select mature, plump seeds with uniform shape and size, soak them in 25℃ water for 12 hours and rub them, then air dry them for later use. Step (2) Disinfection: Disinfect with 2wt% sodium hypochlorite for 4 minutes, then rinse with water 5 times, and air dry in a well-ventilated indoor place to obtain disinfected seeds; Step (3) Soaking: Mechanically abrade the seed coat 7 hours before soaking, then soak in 50℃ warm water for 24 hours, changing the water every day during the soaking process to obtain swollen seeds; Step (4) Preparation: Sterilize distilled water at 122℃ for 25 minutes to obtain sterilized distilled water; then rinse river sand with running water for 6 hours, sterilize it at 180℃ for 6 hours, and then let it dry to room temperature to obtain clean river sand; adjust the humidity of the clean river sand to 55% by sterilizing distilled water to obtain moistened river sand; Step (5) Sand storage: Mix the absorbent seeds and moist river sand in a volume ratio of 1:3 and pour them into a container. The sand storage mixture should occupy 2 / 3 of the container's capacity. After covering the container, make holes for ventilation. Step (6) Temperature change: Place the container in an indoor hot storage at 25℃ for 1 month; move it to a 15℃ environment for 3 days; store it in a low-temperature cold storage room at 5℃ for 2 months, and then move the container back to 10℃ for 7 days. Randomly take out 10 seeds every 3 days to check the whitening status. If 50% of the seeds show whitening, they are sown. Example 3

[0021] This embodiment discloses a variable-temperature sand storage process for breaking deep seed dormancy, including the following steps: Step (1) Pretreatment: Remove impurities from Schisandra seeds, select mature, plump seeds with uniform shape and size, soak them in 30℃ water for 10 hours and rub them, then air dry them for later use. Step (2) Disinfection: Disinfect with 2wt% sodium hypochlorite for 6 minutes, then rinse with water 3 times, and air dry in a well-ventilated indoor place to obtain disinfected seeds; Step (3) Soaking: Mechanically abrade the seed coat 8 hours before soaking, then soak in warm water at 40℃ for 72 hours, changing the water every day during the soaking process to obtain swollen seeds; Step (4) Preparation: Sterilize distilled water at 120℃ for 35 minutes to obtain sterilized distilled water; then rinse river sand with running water for 5 hours, sterilize it at 190℃ for 4 hours, and then let it dry to room temperature to obtain clean river sand; adjust the humidity of the clean river sand to 65% by sterilizing distilled water to obtain moistened river sand. Step (5) Sand storage: Mix the absorbent seeds and moist river sand in a volume ratio of 1:3 and pour them into a container. The sand storage mixture should occupy 2 / 3 of the container's capacity. After covering the container, make holes for ventilation. Step (6) Temperature change: Place the container in an indoor hot storage at 20℃ for 2 months; move it to a 10℃ environment for 5 days; store it in a low-temperature cold storage room at 0℃ for 4 months, and then move the container back to 5℃ for 10 days. Randomly take out 20 seeds every 2 days to check the whitening status. If 30% of the seeds show whitening, they are sown.

[0022] Comparative Example 1 Compared with Example 1, Comparative Example 1 did not perform temperature-changing treatment in the process of breaking deep seed dormancy during sand storage; that is, step (6) was changed to constant temperature treatment at 18°C, while other conditions remained unchanged. Comparative Example 2 Compared with Example 1, Comparative Example 2 did not perform temperature change treatment in the process of breaking the deep dormancy of seeds in the variable temperature sand storage process. That is, step (6) was changed to constant temperature treatment at 3°C, while other conditions remained unchanged.

[0023] Comparative Example 3 Compared with Example 1, Comparative Example 3 did not have mechanical abrasion treatment in the process of breaking the deep dormancy of seeds in the variable temperature sand storage process. That is, in step (3), the seeds were directly soaked in warm water at 50°C for 24 hours. The water was changed every day during the soaking process to obtain swollen seeds. All other conditions remained unchanged.

[0024] Comparative Example 4 Compared with Example 1, Comparative Example 4 changed the temperature change sequence in the process of breaking the deep dormancy of seeds in the variable temperature sand storage process. Specifically, it was stored in a low temperature cold storage room at 2.5°C for 3 months, then the container was moved back to 7°C for 9 days to warm up, and then placed in an indoor hot storage at 23°C for 1.5 months; and then moved to a 12°C environment for 4 days for transition.

[0025] Experimental Example Seeds treated with the variable-temperature sand stratification process that broke deep dormancy in Examples 1-3 and Comparative Examples 1-4 were monitored for morphological development. The indicator was embryo ratio (embryo length / endosperm length × 100%), and sampling was performed every 30 days. Procedure: After hydration and OCT gel embedding, thin sections (0.12 mm thick) were prepared using a cryostat. Observation: The morphology and structure of the embryo were observed under a microscope, and its length was measured to calculate the embryo ratio.

[0026] Germination effect verification, index: germination rate, method: germination was defined as radicle elongation greater than 2cm. Design: Each treatment was repeated in triplicate to ensure data reliability. Average germination time: calculated as: Average germination time = Σ(number of seeds germinating on day n × n) / total number of germinating seeds.

[0027] Table 1. Dynamic changes in embryo percentage (%)

[0028] Table 2 Germination Effect

[0029] Based on Tables 1-2 and the results from Examples 1-3 and Comparative Examples 1-4, the seeds treated by the variable-temperature sand stratification process in Example 3 of this invention, which breaks deep seed dormancy, exhibit higher germination rates and germination potential, and shorter germination times, significantly superior to those in Comparative Examples 1-4. Therefore, this process can efficiently and synchronously break deep seed dormancy, promote complete embryo development, and achieve uniform, high-quality germination.

[0030] The above description is only a preferred embodiment of the present invention, but the scope of protection of the present invention is not limited thereto. Any equivalent substitutions or modifications made by those skilled in the art within the scope of the technology disclosed in the present invention, based on the technical solution and inventive concept of the present invention, should be covered within the scope of protection of the present invention.

[0031] The preferred embodiments of the present invention disclosed above are merely illustrative of the invention. These preferred embodiments do not exhaustively describe all details, nor do they limit the invention to specific implementations. Clearly, many modifications and variations can be made based on the content of this specification. This specification selects and specifically describes these embodiments to better explain the principles and practical applications of the invention, thereby enabling those skilled in the art to better understand and utilize the invention. The invention is limited only by the claims and their full scope and equivalents.

Claims

1. A variable-temperature sand storage treatment process to break deep seed dormancy, characterized in that, Includes the following steps: Step (1) Pretreatment: Remove impurities from the seeds, select mature and plump seeds with uniform shape and size, soak and wash them with clean water, and air dry them for later use; Step (2) Disinfection: Disinfect with sodium hypochlorite, wash, and air dry in a well-ventilated indoor area to obtain disinfected seeds; Step (3) Soaking seeds: After mechanically scratching the seed coat, soak the seeds in warm water, changing the water daily during the soaking process to obtain swollen seeds; Step (4) Preparation: Adjust the humidity of clean river sand by sterile distillation to obtain moistened river sand; Step (5) Sand storage: Mix the absorbent seeds with moist river sand evenly to obtain a sand storage mixture, pour it into a container, cover it with a lid and punch holes for ventilation; Step (6) Temperature change: Indoor heating, transition, refrigeration, warming up, and checking for whitening.

2. The variable-temperature sand storage treatment process for breaking deep seed dormancy according to claim 1, characterized in that, In step (1), the conditions for soaking in clean water are: the soaking temperature is 25-30℃ and the soaking time is 10-12h.

3. The variable-temperature sand storage treatment process for breaking deep seed dormancy according to claim 1, characterized in that, In step (2), the sodium hypochlorite mass fraction is 2wt%; the disinfection time is 4-6 min; the washing method is to rinse with water 3-5 times.

4. The variable-temperature sand storage treatment process for breaking deep seed dormancy according to claim 1, characterized in that, In step (3), the mechanical abrasion of the seed coat is performed 7-8 hours before soaking; the soaking conditions are: soaking temperature of 40-50℃ and soaking time of 24-72 hours.

5. The variable-temperature sand storage treatment process for breaking deep seed dormancy according to claim 1, characterized in that, In step (4), the method for treating sterilized distilled water is as follows: sterilize the distilled water at 120-122℃ for 25-35 minutes to obtain sterilized distilled water.

6. The variable-temperature sand storage treatment process for breaking deep seed dormancy according to claim 1, characterized in that, In step (4), the method for treating clean river sand is as follows: rinse the river sand with running water for 5-6 hours, then sterilize it at 180-190℃ for 4-6 hours, and then air-dry it to room temperature to obtain clean river sand.

7. The variable-temperature sand storage treatment process for breaking deep seed dormancy according to claim 1, characterized in that, In step (4), the particle size of the river sand is 0.25-0.5mm; the moisture content of the moistened river sand is 55-65%; the moistened river sand is in a state where it can be formed into a ball when squeezed in the hand and crumbles when released.

8. The variable-temperature sand storage treatment process for breaking deep seed dormancy according to claim 1, characterized in that, In step (5), the volume ratio of the imbibition seeds to the moist river sand is 1:3; the sand-stored mixture occupies 2 / 3 of the container capacity.

9. The variable-temperature sand storage treatment process for breaking deep seed dormancy according to claim 1, characterized in that, In step (6), the hot storage conditions are: the hot storage temperature is 20-25℃ and the hot storage time is 1-2 months; the transition conditions are: the transition temperature is 10-15℃ and the transition time is 3-5 days; the cold storage conditions are: the cold storage temperature is 0-5℃ and the cold storage time is 2-4 months.

10. The variable-temperature sand storage treatment process for breaking deep seed dormancy according to claim 1, characterized in that, In step (6), refrigeration is carried out in a low-temperature cold storage room; the warming conditions are: the warming temperature is 5-10℃ and the warming time is 7-10 days; the method for checking the whitening condition is: every 2-3 days, 10-20 seeds are randomly taken out to check the whitening condition.

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