Orchid seeds are not always short lived in a conventional seed bank!

Background And Aims: Orchid seeds are reputed to be short lived in dry, cold storage conditions, potentially limiting the use of conventional seed banks for long-term ex situ conservation. This work explores whether Cattleya seeds are long lived or not during conventional storage (predried to ~12 % relative humidity, then stored at -18 °C).

Methods: We explored the possible interaction of factors influencing seed lifespan in eight species of the genus Cattleya using physiological (germination and vigour), biochemical (gas chromatography), biophysical (differential scanning calorimetry) and morphometric methods.

Regulation of α-expansins genes in seeds during post-osmopriming germination.

Seed osmopriming is a pre-sowing treatment that involves limitation of the seed water imbibition, so that pre-germinative metabolic activities proceed without radicular protrusion. This technique is used for improving germination rate, uniformity of seedling growth and hastening the time to start germination. In , seed germination has been associated with the induction of enzymes involved in cell wall modifications, such as expansins.