Seed science is a broad term used to describe the study of seeds and includes a variety of fields related to understanding and working with seed. There are many terms and fields related to seed science. Here are some streams that fall under this broad term and an overview of what they entail.
- Seed Morphology and Anatomy: Seed morphology is the scientific study of the physical characteristics of a seed structure, including shape, size, surface features, and composition. Seed morphology uses the physical details of a seed unit which is an essential trait for seed identification, seed quality, genetic diversity, and plant breeding.
- Plant Taxonomy: Plant taxonomy is the science of classifying and naming plants. It is used to identify unknown species by comparing them to known species. It groups plants according to their characteristics by family, genus and species. Plants with similar characteristics are grouped together. The plants are given a Latin name (scientific name) as with all living organisms in the taxonomy world.
- Seed Physiology: Seed physiology is the study of plant and seed structures, functions, and interactions with the environment, such as seed reproduction, germination, dormancy and dispersal mechanism. It encompasses the study of plant morphology, physiology, ecology and taxonomy. Knowing how a plant grows, produces seed, how the seed is dispersed, and how the plant interacts with its environment gives scientists a full understanding of a particular species. This information is used in all fields of seed sciences and provides essential information on seed and plants.
- Seed Genetics: Seed genetics is a crucial field in plant science that focuses on the genetic makeup of seeds and how they influence plant traits. Varieties of the same species of seed have a variation in their genetic makeup which distinguishes them from each other. This is important to help species survive and thrive. It allows for plants to adapt to environmental stresses and preserve traits such as drought or disease resistance. Genetic resistance happens naturally within species to allow the species to continue to reproduce. It is also a common practice within plant breeding to target specific traits needed within a crop to withstand particular growing conditions based on the environmental and geographical locations the seed is to be grown in. This is how we get different varieties of the same crop type.
What does this mean? While the various streams of seed and plant science offer distinct and unique glimpses into the science behind a species or a seed lot, when reviewing all the information together they provide the full scientific picture of an individual species, a crop variety or a seed lot. These streams of scientific information are used in practical fields such as seed quality testing, variety development and field production. Each field contributes to and benefits from the information in each stream to provide scientific advances within the seed and plant sciences.
Seed identification is a very specialized science field, which microscopically analyzes the morphological characteristics of a seed and uses plant taxonomy and biological associations to determine a species identity. Seed identification is conducted by trained seed technologists. Accurate seed identification is essential to seed quality and trade. Recognizing and identifying a contaminant in a seed lot sample provides vital information regarding the quality, grade and regulation conformity of that lot. For example, if a noxious or other problematic species is found, the seed lot could be prohibited for import or export.
Want to Learn More?
The International Seed Morphology Association (ISMA) is focused on bringing this scientific information together in one place, as a virtual reference in seed and grain testing, to benefit the seed and plant sciences industry. Their public website hosts the Seed Identification Guide (SIG) and training resources for testing professionals. The SIG provides high-resolution images and fact sheets on seeds and species. The fact sheets contain data on seed morphological characteristics, species distribution, economic use, botany and identification tips. Fact sheets are produced by researchers and seed technologists, are peer-reviewed and approved by ISMA’s editorial board before publishing.
To learn more about ISMA or to view SIG fact sheets and training resources, visit the website at idseed.org. If you are interested in partnering with ISMA to develop fact sheets, training resources, or have a particular need of content you would like created, please reach out to me at contactus@idseed.org.
