Editorial

Olivier Leprince
Head of the Seed Pole of IRHS (Research Institute in Horticulture and Seeds)

 

 

« Germinative quality is a key factor for successful crop establishment. Defects in germination or seedling establishment have dramatic consequences on yield.

Europe remains highly dependent on importations of plant proteins essentially on South-American soybean. The adoptation of legumes by French and European farmers is still strongly constrained by yield instability. The challenge is thus to select varieties that guarantee a good crop establishment even in the current context of climate change and input reduction. This is one of the focuses of research of the Research Institute in Horticulture and Seeds (IRHS): experts of seed physiology and genetics investigate the molecular and environmental factors that determine seed storability , germination and seed(ling) vigour. »