A Water Relations Model for the Regulation of Seed          Germination
{'Code': '08090300', 'Directorate': {'Abbreviation': 'BIO', 'LongName': 'Direct For Biological Sciences'}, 'Division': {'Abbreviation': 'IOS', 'LongName': 'Division Of Integrative Organismal Systems'}}
{'SignBlockName': 'Vincent P. Gutschick', 'PO_EMAI': None, 'PO_PHON': None}
Seed germination is a critical phase in the establishment of crop               plants in the field, or in the life cycles of wild annual plants.  The          overall quality of seed is closely related to the time taken for the            seed to germinate after it is supplied with water, or the germination           rate.  The rate of germination slows as the temperature is lowered, as          the water supply is restricted, or as the seeds deteriorate during              storage.  Species and varieties can also differ in their inherent rates         of seed germination.  The purpose of this project is to study the               physiological basis for the differences in germination rates among              species or seed lots in response to various environmental or                    physiological factors.  We have modified a general model for the growth         of plant tissues to adapt it to the description of seed germination             rates.  It is based upon water uptake in relation to plant cell growth,         since the embryonic tissues must grow in order for germination to               occur.  By verifying this model and then applying it to seeds both the          embryo inside the seed and the surrounding tissues such as the                  endosperm and seedcoat interact to determine when, or whether,                  germination occurs.  This model should allow us to identify the                 mechanism(s) by which external (environmental) factors influence                internal (physiological) parameters in specific tissues to either               accelerate or delay germination.  This model will serve as a framework          or guide to lead to a better understanding of how the complex process           of seed germination is regulated.                                                                                                                               From the practical viewpoint, the results will have utility in the              production and marketing of higher quality seed for agricultural                purposes.  In many crops, particularly in the vegetables, the                   uniformity and timing of germination and seedling emergence through the         soil are critical factors in the overall profitability of the crop.             Through a quantitative understanding of how seed germination is                 regulated, techniques can be developed to enhance the performance of            seeds under specific environmental conditions.  Such enhanced seed are          already being marketed in some crops, but the procedures used thus far          have been developed by trial and error, rather than by application of a         fundamental understanding  of how seed germination is regulated.  In            addition, species and varieties differ in their seed quality                    characteristics.  Knowledge of the physiological basis of such                  differences could identify specific selectable traits to use in                 breeding programs, or even specific genes to be transferred by                  biotechnical approaches, in order to improve seed quality.  The                 fundamental information generated by this project will be readily               absorbed by the seed industry and incorporated into their programs to           improve the quality of seed available to farmers.
{'FirstName': 'Shang Fa', 'LastName': 'Yang', 'PI_MID_INIT': None, 'PI_SUFX_NAME': None, 'PI_FULL_NAME': 'Shang Fa Yang', 'EmailAddress': None, 'NSF_ID': '000424131', 'StartDate': '02/15/1989', 'EndDate': None, 'RoleCode': 'Principal Investigator'}
{'Name': 'University of California-Davis', 'CityName': 'DAVIS', 'ZipCode': '956186153', 'PhoneNumber': '5307547700', 'StreetAddress': '1850 RESEARCH PARK DR STE 300', 'StreetAddress2': None, 'CountryName': 'United States', 'StateName': 'California', 'StateCode': 'CA', 'CONGRESSDISTRICT': '04', 'CONGRESS_DISTRICT_ORG': 'CA04', 'ORG_UEI_NUM': 'TX2DAGQPENZ5', 'ORG_LGL_BUS_NAME': 'UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA, DAVIS', 'ORG_PRNT_UEI_NUM': 'NUDGYLBB4S99'}
{'Name': None, 'CityName': None, 'StateCode': None, 'ZipCode': None, 'StreetAddress': None, 'CountryCode': None, 'CountryName': None, 'StateName': None, 'CountryFlag': None, 'CONGRESSDISTRICT': None, 'CONGRESS_DISTRICT_PERF': '""'}
{'Code': '1141', 'Text': 'PHYSIOLOG & STRUCTURAL SYS'}
{'url': 'https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/download?DownloadFileName=1988&All=true', 'xml': '8817758.xml'}