Fire-adapted seed traits in Cerrado species

塞拉多物种的耐火种子性状

• 批准号: NE/T004851/1
• 负责人: Gerhard Leubner
• 金额: $ 10.07万
• 依托单位: Royal Holloway University of London
• 依托单位国家: 英国
• 项目类别: Research Grant
• 财政年份: 2019
• 资助国家: 英国
• 起止时间: 2019 至 无数据
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://gtr.ukri.org/projects?ref=NE%2FT004851%2F1
• 关键词: Fire; adapted; seed; traits; Cerrado

NERC-FAPESP Seedcorn Fund Collaboration Project "Fire-adapted seed traits in Cerrado species" between RHUL (UK) and UNESP (Brazil)Fire is a global phenomenon which together with climate shapes the vegetation of natural and agricultural land. Our interaction with fire is characterised by both positive and negative aspects for mankind. Humans have long used fire including for landscape and weed management, and as tool to improve crop growth on arable land. Controlled fire is necessary to preserve the health and stimulate rejuvenation of wildland ecosystems such as the Brazilian Cerrado, the Mediterranean, as well as UK peatland and moorland. In these fire-prone regions plant regeneration is achieved to a large extent from soil-stored plant seeds. Depending on the species, environment, season and seed properties, the germination of the soil-stored seeds may be stimulated by compounds derived from the smoke or by the fire-generated heat-shock. The aim of the project is to comparatively investigate seeds from species adapted to fire-prone regions to identify novel mechanisms underpinning fire-generated heat-shock and smoke as germination cues. The derived mechanisms will be tested as tools for weed management and crop seed enhancement. Treatment with smoke and various smoke-derived compounds can stimulate the germination of certain weed seeds. This can be used as a weed management tool to deprive the soil from weeds prior to crop seed sowing. We however do not know why this does not work with all weed species, at all ambient conditions (temperature, seasons), and what seed structures and seed coat properties determine the effectiveness of the treatment. Smoke, various smoke-derived compounds, as well as heat-shock treatment can also improve the seed quality and performance of seedling establishment of certain vegetable crops. Again, we do not know what seed structures, seed coat properties and genes are responsible for these effects and why it only works with certain crop species. To advance our knowledge in this topic the leading seed science lab of Royal Holloway University of London (RHUK, United Kingdom) will collaborate with experts for fire vegetation management and Brazilian Cerrado species properties of Sao Paulo State University (UNESP, Brazil). The FAPESP-NERC programme is especially suited to support this collaboration based on the agreement of the two funding agencies.In the project we will investigate seeds of different fire-adapted species to identify novel mechanisms controlling how fire-derived smoke and heat-shock affect their germination, storability, and seedling establishment. This work will be conducted using methods from different science and engineering fields (including molecular biology, microscopy/imaging, biomechanical engineering, physiology) through interdisciplinary collaboration in a comparative approach with many fire-adapted species. This approach will for example identify certain seed coat properties or certain genes associated with the adaptation to fire-derived cues. Seeds of weed and crop species with similar properties/genes will then be used to test if the identified novel mechanism has potential for weed control or improving crop seed quality. The consortium has solid fire vegetation management and agri-technological expertise in these applications to provide solutions for this global challenge in climate change, healthy environment and food security.

NERC-FAPESP SEEDCORN基金合作项目“ Cerrado物种中的火灾适应种子特征”（英国）和联合国局（巴西）大火之间是一种全球现象，与气候相同，可以塑造自然和农业土地的植被。我们与火的互动的特征是人类的正面和负面方面。人类长期以来一直使用火灾，包括景观和杂草管理，并用作改善耕地上农作物生长的工具。必须进行控制的火灾，以维护健康和刺激野生世界生态系统的复兴，例如巴西塞拉多，地中海以及英国的泥炭地和摩尔兰。在这些容易发生的区域中，植物的再生在很大程度上是由土壤储存的植物种子实现的。根据物种，环境，季节和种子特性，土壤储存的种子的发芽可能是由烟雾衍生而来的化合物或消防热冲击刺激的。该项目的目的是相对研究适合火灾区域的种子，以鉴定出基于火灾产生的热震和烟雾作为发芽提示的新型机制。衍生机制将作为杂草管理和作物种子增强的工具进行测试。用烟雾和各种烟雾衍生的化合物处理可以刺激某些杂草种子的发芽。这可以用作杂草管理工具，在作物种子播种之前剥夺土壤的杂草。但是，我们不知道为什么在所有环境条件下（温度，季节）以及种子结构和种子涂层的特性决定了治疗的有效性。烟雾，各种烟雾衍生的化合物以及热震治疗也可以改善某些蔬菜作物的幼苗质量和性能。同样，我们不知道什么种子结构，种子涂层特性和基因是这些作用的原因，以及为什么它仅与某些作物物种一起使用。为了促进我们在这个话题中的知识，伦敦皇家霍洛威大学（英国Rhuk）领先的种子科学实验室将与Sao Paulo州立大学（巴西联合国教堂）的火植被管理专家和巴西塞拉多物种物业合作。 FAPESP-NERC计划特别适合基于两个资金机构的一致性支持这一合作。在该项目中，我们将调查不同火灾适应的物种的种子，以识别控制火灾烟雾和热浪费如何影响他们的发芽，保持能力，存储性和幼苗建立的新机制。这项工作将使用来自不同科学和工程领域的方法（包括分子生物学，显微镜/成像，生物力学工程，生理学），通过跨学科的合作，与许多火源物种进行了比较方法。例如，这种方法将确定某些种子外套的特性或与火灾提示适应相关的某些基因。然后将使用具有相似性质/基因的杂草和作物种子的种子来测试确定的新型机制是否具有杂草控制或改善作物种子质量的潜力。该财团在这些应用中具有扎实的消防植被管理和农业技术专业知识，可在气候变化，健康环境和粮食安全方面为这一全球挑战提供解决方案。