Seed Desiccation Sensitivity Varies with Geographic Distribution in Two New Zealand Native <i>Pittosporum</i> Species
Ex situ conservation involves the maintenance and reproduction of species in areas outside their natural habitats. Seed banking is a well-established ex situ approach used for plant conservation. Seed banking consists of collecting, drying, and storing seeds to preserve genetic diversity. The main l...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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MDPI AG
2023-09-01
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| Series: | Seeds |
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2674-1024/2/3/28 |
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| author | Yu Kai Alejandra Alfaro Pinto Andrea Clavijo McCormick Jayanthi Nadarajan Xiong Zhao He Marion MacKay Craig McGill |
| author_facet | Yu Kai Alejandra Alfaro Pinto Andrea Clavijo McCormick Jayanthi Nadarajan Xiong Zhao He Marion MacKay Craig McGill |
| author_sort | Yu Kai |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Ex situ conservation involves the maintenance and reproduction of species in areas outside their natural habitats. Seed banking is a well-established ex situ approach used for plant conservation. Seed banking consists of collecting, drying, and storing seeds to preserve genetic diversity. The main limitation of this technique is that the seed must be desiccation tolerant. Seed storage behaviour can vary among species, and for some species, drying without loss of viability is not possible, meaning storage under conventional seed banking conditions (sub-zero temperatures and low relative humidity) is not possible. Understanding seed storage behaviour is an essential prerequisite for establishing whether conventional seed banking is an option for seed conservation. This study investigated the desiccation tolerance and sensitivity of mature seeds of two native New Zealand species of <i>Pittosporum</i> (<i>P. eugenioides</i> and <i>P. crassifolium</i>) from two geographic locations (Palmerston North and Wellington), with the aim of understanding their seed storage behaviour and thereby improving conservation outcomes. The variables measured were seed moisture content, viability, germination, and desiccation responses. We developed sorption isotherm for both species to support the future development of storage protocols. Our results show that both <i>P. eugenioides</i> and <i>P. crassifolium</i> display non-orthodox behaviour, i.e., are desiccation sensitive and cannot be stored under conventional seed banking conditions, but also suggest that seed desiccation responses vary with the geographical origin of the seeds. This study highlights the importance of exploring seed storage behaviour using different populations to optimize ex situ conservation strategies aimed at preserving the genetic diversity of New Zealand’s threatened and endangered species. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-10T22:03:38Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-bc04c8c8ddc44438b821b445210cd577 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2674-1024 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-10T22:03:38Z |
| publishDate | 2023-09-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Seeds |
| spelling | doaj.art-bc04c8c8ddc44438b821b445210cd5772023-11-19T12:52:26ZengMDPI AGSeeds2674-10242023-09-012337038110.3390/seeds2030028Seed Desiccation Sensitivity Varies with Geographic Distribution in Two New Zealand Native <i>Pittosporum</i> SpeciesYu Kai0Alejandra Alfaro Pinto1Andrea Clavijo McCormick2Jayanthi Nadarajan3Xiong Zhao He4Marion MacKay5Craig McGill6School of Agriculture & Environment, Massey University, Palmerston North 4474, New ZealandSchool of Agriculture & Environment, Massey University, Palmerston North 4474, New ZealandSchool of Agriculture & Environment, Massey University, Palmerston North 4474, New ZealandThe New Zealand Institute for Plant and Food Research Limited, Private Bag 11-600, Palmerston North 4442, New ZealandSchool of Agriculture & Environment, Massey University, Palmerston North 4474, New ZealandSchool of Agriculture & Environment, Massey University, Palmerston North 4474, New ZealandSchool of Agriculture & Environment, Massey University, Palmerston North 4474, New ZealandEx situ conservation involves the maintenance and reproduction of species in areas outside their natural habitats. Seed banking is a well-established ex situ approach used for plant conservation. Seed banking consists of collecting, drying, and storing seeds to preserve genetic diversity. The main limitation of this technique is that the seed must be desiccation tolerant. Seed storage behaviour can vary among species, and for some species, drying without loss of viability is not possible, meaning storage under conventional seed banking conditions (sub-zero temperatures and low relative humidity) is not possible. Understanding seed storage behaviour is an essential prerequisite for establishing whether conventional seed banking is an option for seed conservation. This study investigated the desiccation tolerance and sensitivity of mature seeds of two native New Zealand species of <i>Pittosporum</i> (<i>P. eugenioides</i> and <i>P. crassifolium</i>) from two geographic locations (Palmerston North and Wellington), with the aim of understanding their seed storage behaviour and thereby improving conservation outcomes. The variables measured were seed moisture content, viability, germination, and desiccation responses. We developed sorption isotherm for both species to support the future development of storage protocols. Our results show that both <i>P. eugenioides</i> and <i>P. crassifolium</i> display non-orthodox behaviour, i.e., are desiccation sensitive and cannot be stored under conventional seed banking conditions, but also suggest that seed desiccation responses vary with the geographical origin of the seeds. This study highlights the importance of exploring seed storage behaviour using different populations to optimize ex situ conservation strategies aimed at preserving the genetic diversity of New Zealand’s threatened and endangered species.https://www.mdpi.com/2674-1024/2/3/28seed bankingseed storage behaviourseed desiccation toleranceconservation |
| spellingShingle | Yu Kai Alejandra Alfaro Pinto Andrea Clavijo McCormick Jayanthi Nadarajan Xiong Zhao He Marion MacKay Craig McGill Seed Desiccation Sensitivity Varies with Geographic Distribution in Two New Zealand Native <i>Pittosporum</i> Species Seeds seed banking seed storage behaviour seed desiccation tolerance conservation |
| title | Seed Desiccation Sensitivity Varies with Geographic Distribution in Two New Zealand Native <i>Pittosporum</i> Species |
| title_full | Seed Desiccation Sensitivity Varies with Geographic Distribution in Two New Zealand Native <i>Pittosporum</i> Species |
| title_fullStr | Seed Desiccation Sensitivity Varies with Geographic Distribution in Two New Zealand Native <i>Pittosporum</i> Species |
| title_full_unstemmed | Seed Desiccation Sensitivity Varies with Geographic Distribution in Two New Zealand Native <i>Pittosporum</i> Species |
| title_short | Seed Desiccation Sensitivity Varies with Geographic Distribution in Two New Zealand Native <i>Pittosporum</i> Species |
| title_sort | seed desiccation sensitivity varies with geographic distribution in two new zealand native i pittosporum i species |
| topic | seed banking seed storage behaviour seed desiccation tolerance conservation |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2674-1024/2/3/28 |
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