Physiology and Biochemistry of Seeds in Relation to Germination Volume 2: Viability, Dormancy, and Environmental Control

Viability and longevity; The life-span of seeds; Viability of seeds in storage; Microflora and seed deterioration; The biochemical basis of deterioration; Respiration and the production of ATP; Protein and RNA synthesis; Chromosome aberrations and DNA synthesis; Metabolism of dry seeds; Changes in food reserves; Free fatty acids and interference with metabolism; Membrane changes and leakage; Dormancy; What is dormancy?; Dormancy mechanisms; Embryo dormancy; Coat-imposed dormancy; Two case histories; Coat-imposed dormancy - a retrospective view; Relationships coat-imposed and embryo dormancy; The onset of dormancy; Endogenous germination inhibitors; The release from dormancy; Light and phytochrome; The phytochrome system; Phytochrome - an overview; Blue light effects; Response types; Temperature and the action of light; Temperature and the release from dormancy; Termination of dormancy by temperature alternations and shifts; Termination of dormancy by low temperature; Termination of dormancy by high temperature; Loss of dormancy in dry seeds - after-ripening; Finale - replacements and interactions; Hard-coated seeds; Removal of dormancy by chemicals; The control of dormancy; Dormancy - events and causes; Primary events in the release of dormancy; Secondary events in the release from dormancy - physiological considerations; Secondary events in the release from dormancy - metabolic considerations; Perspective on dormancy; Environmental control of germination; Light; Spectral effects in photoinhibition; Light and seed burial; Shade and seed germination; Temperature; Oxygen and carbon dioxide; Secondary dormancy; Water stress.