Novel and emerging seed science research from early to middle career researchers at the Australasian Seed Science Conference, 2021
Susan E. Everingham
A B C * , Si-Chong Chen D E , Wolfgang Lewandrowski F G and Ella Plumanns-Pouton H *
A The Australian Institute of Botanical Science, The Australian PlantBank, Royal Botanic Gardens and Domain Trust, Australian Botanic Garden, Mount Annan, NSW 2567, Australia.
B Institute of Plant Sciences, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland.
C Oeschger Centre for Climate Change Research, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland.
D CAS Key Laboratory of Plant Germplasm Enhancement and Specialty Agriculture, Wuhan Botanic Garden, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan, China.
E Royal Botanic Gardens Kew, Welcome Trust Millennium Building, Wakehurst, West Sussex, UK.
F Kings Park Science, Department of Biodiversity Conservation and Attractions, Kings Park, WA 6005, Australia.
G School of Biological Sciences, The University of Western Australia, Crawley, WA 6009, Australia.
H School of Ecosystem and Forest Sciences, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, Vic. 3010, Australia.
Handling Editor: Lydia Guja
Australian Journal of Botany - https://doi.org/10.1071/BT22101
Submitted: 1 September 2022 Accepted: 15 May 2023 Published online: 16 June 2023
Abstract
Seed science is a vital field of research that contributes to many areas of knowledge in fundamental ecology and evolution, as well as in applied areas of food production, and the conservation and restoration of native plants. A large amount of novel information, technologies and processes in seed science research are being produced and developed by early to middle career researchers (EMCRs) in academic, government and private science sectors. This breadth and novelty of research by EMCRs was evident at the second Australasian Seed Science Conference held online in September 2021. EMCRs represented almost one-third of the presenting delegates at the conference and covered research in areas including functional seed trait relationships, responses of seed traits and germination to environmental change, managing seeds in ex-situ seed and germplasm collections and using seeds as food sources. As future environmental, social and economic challenges arise, EMCR seed scientists will be at the forefront of emerging fundamental ecological and evolutionary seed science knowledge, as well as the development of technologies and processes for the conservation of native species, the utilisation of seeds in agriculture and food production, and many new ideas yet to be discovered.
Keywords: climate change ecology, germination, germplasm conservation, global food security, plant conservation, plant restoration, plant functional traits, seed ecology, seed sources, seed storage.
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