Effect of treatment of soybean seeds with micronutrients in association with ultrasound on the initial development of seedlings evaluated by multispectral images

• Grant number: 21/01329-2
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Master
• Start date: September 01, 2021
• End date: June 30, 2022
• Field of knowledge: Agronomical Sciences - Agronomy - Crop Science
• Principal Investigator: Clíssia Barboza Mastrangelo
• Grantee: Érica Souza Gomes
• Host Institution: Centro de Energia Nuclear na Agricultura (CENA). Universidade de São Paulo (USP). Piracicaba , SP, Brazil
• Associated research grant: 17/15220-7 - Non-destructive image analysis methods for seed quality evaluation, AP.JP

Abstract

The optical technology of multispectral imaging integrated with artificial intelligence has enabled the detection of physical, physiological and chemical changes of seeds in an objective and non-invasive way. The treatment of seeds with micronutrients such as zinc, manganese, cobalt and molybdenum has revealed promising effects, improving the physiological potential of seeds and initial establishment of seedlings from different crops. When associated with the ultrasound technique, the absorption of these elements by seeds can be influenced by the phenomenon of acoustic cavitation, which favors the fluidity of the cell wall promoting acceleration in the kinetics of intercellular transport. The main objective of this proposal is to study the effects of treatments with zinc, manganese, cobalt and molybdenum in association with the ultrasound technique on the physiological potential of soybean seeds using multispectral imaging technologies, allowing to detect early signs that are not perceptible to the human eye. The optical images will be compared to the germination and vigor tests (first count in the germination test, traditional accelerated aging and saturated-salt accelerated aging - SSAA, seedling emergence and emergence speed index - ISE). Furthermore, micronutrients applied to the seeds with or without ultrasound will be mapped using X-ray fluorescence microscopy for a better understanding of the absorption kinetics. It is expected to find optical imaging patterns for non-invasive assessment of soybean seeds treated with micronutrients integrating ultrasound, opening new perspectives for the development of strategies related to biofortification, and offering alternatives that can contribute to better establishment of seedlings in the field. (AU)