Dynamics of Water and Abscisic Acid During Embryogeny and Embryo Drying in the Recalcitrant Seeds of Vateria indica L

Vateria indica L. is a critically endangered tree species in South-Western Ghats of India, commercially exploited for its valuable resins. Seed recalcitrance is a major problem hindering the natural regeneration of this species and it poses a great challenge in seed storage and conservation. There was a continuous import of water from the maternal tissues to seed tissues till maturity and the seeds were released in a fully hydrated state. Differential accumulation of water has been noticed in the cotyledons and embryonal axis. There was a positive correlation between seed moisture content and rate of germination which is a character of recalcitrant seeds. The critical moisture content was found to be 40% in the axis and 23.5% in the cotyledons, below which the embryo will not germinate. Loss of germination ability as a result of desiccation was attributed to the cell membrane damage, expressed as the electrolyte leakage exceeding 0.79 μS/cm. ABA peaked in the mid embryogenesis, then dropped drastically and maintained a lower level till seed maturity. On desiccation, ABA started to increase but gradually dropped down. Both cotyledons and embryonal axis had differential ABA content but exhibited a general pattern of ABA level during embryogeny. Due to the thin seed coat/embryo ratio and low investment in the seed coat, this recalcitrant seed could not hold water as efficient as orthodox seeds. Thus, it germinated as soon as it was shed from the mother plant. On desiccation, ABA shot up and moisture content decreased along with electrolyte leakage and cell membrane damage. All these hindered germination of the seed. Thus, we can see a clear interplay between moisture content and ABA levels during embryogeny and desiccation. Since the seed biology of this species has not been well documented, the present work is mainly intended to study the dynamics of water and ABA during embryogeny and embryo drying. This study can surely contribute to the long-term storage and conservation of recalcitrant seeds which is a less explored area.