How Do Seeds Evolve? The Natural Way
A seed is a tiny embryo enclosed in an outer shell. The development of the seed itself is part of this process of fertilization in seed plants, such as the gymnosperm and the angiosperm plants. While it may sound contradictory that a seed could be self-inducing, many of our modern day crops such as the alfalfa and the canola are seed induced. Modern day farmers have developed hybrid seeds to increase productivity and profit within the industry.
Seed dormancy is where the time between the time of germination and the time of harvest greatly reduces. This happens for many reasons. First of all, the greater amount of care and attention given to the developing seedlings during production, the higher the probability of these seeds developing into more robust plants. Secondly, seed dormancy can also be caused by environmental conditions. Seed dormancy is often a problem in warmer climates where the environment constantly has moisture and high temperatures.
Seeds too small to germinate can be dispersed by birds, squirrels, rabbits, rodents and insects. Seeds too big to disperse can be trapped by animals such as rats and snakes, making them hard to germinate and grow. In warmer climates seeds also need to be dispersed efficiently in order to keep the surrounding environment from becoming too dry.
When plants reproduce themselves at a faster rate than they can use up their existing supply of food and energy, they reach a point of exhaustion. At this point they either die or become too compacted to move. This means that when plants in a garden are over grown, they take up more space and consume more resources than their natural reproduction capacity would allow. Gardens then must be forced to resort to replanting plants that are of a smaller seed count than what was used before, or else the garden will soon resemble a desert.
On the other hand, there are times when seed production is faster than nature can provide. It may be that Mother Nature provides an abundance of fruits and vegetables. In such instances, it is necessary to produce more seeds to counterbalance the quantity of fruits and vegetables that have been produced. Some examples of food crops that can help to boost seed production are: melons, potatoes, cabbage, peppers, cucumbers, squash, peas, onions, strawberries, blueberries, guavas, honey and leafy greens such as spinach. There are certain fruits and vegetables that are more seed producing than others: apricots, peaches, prunes, nectarines, avocados, pineapples, cherries, oranges and grapes.
Seed coat is a thin layer that protects seeds from the harsh environment. Seed coat differs between different kinds of plants, though it is generally referred to as “spore coat”, “caterpillars” or “leaves”. These are usually referred to as hard outer coats which protect seed from damaging UV rays. These coats also serve to stop weeds from growing around seedlings.
Dormancy – is the period in seedling growth after hatching or seedling planting. Seed dormancy is known to differ from one species to another depending on their respective environments and lifecycle. Generally, dormancy is defined as two main things: wet and dry. Wet dormancy happens when seedlings are kept in moist conditions for long periods of time; dry dormancy only occurs when seedlings are placed in dry conditions for short periods.
One major factor why plants have evolved many ways to distribute and attract natural pollinators and predators is because of their physical appearance. Most seedlings appear as if they are dormant or inactive. However, if you look closely, you would see that some of them are very active. Seed coating, or the seed coat, is one way through which seedlings can signal their readiness to reproduce. Seed coating is present on some fruit and vegetable plants’ outer surface. If this coating is found on the undersides of some fruits or vegetables, it is a sure sign that these seeds are ready to reproduce.
