Understanding Molecular Mechanisms of Seed Dormancy for Improved Germination in Traditional Leafy Vegetables: An Overview

Loss of seed viability, poor and delayed germination, and inaccessibility to high-quality seeds are key bottlenecks limiting all-year-round production of African traditional leafy vegetables (TLVs). Poor quality seeds are the result of several factors including harvest time, storage, and conservation conditions, and seed dormancy. While other factors can be easily controlled, breaking seed dormancy requires thorough knowledge of the seed intrinsic nature and physiology. Here, we synthesized the scattered knowledge on seed dormancy constraints in TLVs, highlighted seed dormancy regulation factors, and developed a conceptual approach for molecular genetic analysis of seed dormancy in TLVs. Several hormones, proteins, changes in chromatin structures, ribosomes, and quantitative trait loci (QTL) are involved in seed dormancy regulation. However, the bulk of knowledge was based on cereals and Arabidopsis and there is little awareness about seed dormancy facts and mechanisms in TLVs. To successfully decipher seed dormancy in TLVs, we used Gynandropsis gynandra to illustrate possible research avenues and highlighted the potential of this species as a model plant for seed dormancy analysis. This will serve as a guideline to provide prospective producers with high-quality seeds

Ten years of Gynandropsis gynandra research for improvement of nutrient-rich leaf consumption : Lessons learnt and way forwards

This article reveals progress and gaps in spider plant (Gynandropsis gynandra Syn. Cleome gynandra) research to date. It synthesises the current knowledge in systematics and botany, geographical distribution, nutrient content, and health values as well as the agronomic practices related to the species. This article further presents the germplasm availability, status, and places of conservation around the world to exploit the extant genetic diversity for genomics-assisted breeding and seed systems development. It describes how various parts of the plant have been used and the potential for economical revamping and further industrial valorisation. Nutrient content and phytochemical diversity across cultivation systems and geographical ranges and known health attributes were analysed to identify gaps and bottlenecks for fostering further investigations for industrial food and drug production