Peanut seed maturity disuniformity: physiological, chemical and transcriptomic approach

• Grant number: 20/14050-3
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Doctorate
• Effective date (Start): October 01, 2021
• Status: Discontinued
• Field of knowledge: Agronomical Sciences - Agronomy - Crop Science
• Principal Investigator: Edvaldo Aparecido Amaral da Silva
• Grantee: Gustavo Roberto Fonseca de Oliveira
• Host Institution: Faculdade de Ciências Agronômicas (FCA). Universidade Estadual Paulista (UNESP). Campus de Botucatu. Botucatu , SP, Brazil
• Associated scholarship(s): 23/00435-9 - Anthocyanin: a new biomarker for physiological quality of peanut seeds?, BE.EP.DR

Abstract

Why do peanut seeds have reduced physiological quality? The hypothesis is that maturity disuniformity reduces the physiological quality of peanut seeds at harvest due to three main reasons: (I) part of the peanut seeds are immature at harvest, do not exhibit the complete acquisition of physiological quality and make up the seed lot, which reduces their performance; (II) the peanut seeds immature at harvest do not exhibit the complete constitution of their chemical composition and are deficient in reserves necessary for adequate expression of vigor; (III) the peanut seeds immature at harvest do not exhibit the transcripts that govern longevity and thus maximum physiological quality, the primary cause of the low ability to remain viable during storage and do not preserve vigor until commercialization. Therefore, the aim of the research is to investigate whether maturity disuniformity at harvest affects peanut seed quality physiologically, chemically, and molecularly. Field experiments will be set up in two consecutive years using the IAC OL3 cultivar. Pods will be collected during seed development to determine maturity stage based on mesocarp color. A control group (without pod classification) will be collected at the end of the crop cycle, as performed by peanut seed producers. Seeds from each stage and the control will be evaluated for water content, dry matter mass, germination, vigor and longevity. Total oil, tocopherol and mineral (K, Mg, Ca and P) content will be determined. To elucidate which transcripts are involved with seed longevity, RNA sequencing will be performed (RNAseq). Subsequently, the expressed genes will be analyzed to profile these transcripts during peanut seed maturation and late maturation. (AU)