Chemical Discovery Gets Reluctant Seeds to Sprout
Published:18 Oct.2021 Source:University of California – Riverside
Seeds that would otherwise lie dormant will spring to life with the aid of a new chemical discovered by a UC Riverside-led team.
Plants have the ability to perceive drought. When they do, they emit a hormone that helps them hold on to water. This same hormone, ABA, sends a message to seeds that it isn't a good time to germinate, leading to lower crop yields and less food in places where it's hot -- an increasingly long list as a result of climate change.