Soybean seeds treated with zinc evaluated by X-ray micro-fluorescence spectroscopy

Abstract

Zinc (Zn) is a micronutrient considered essential to plants which can be supplied through seed treatment. The treatment of soybean [Glycine max (L.) Merr.] seeds with Zn, however, is still not well known as regards the uptake and mobilization dynamics of the nutrient during the germination process. This study aimed to evaluate the uptake and distribution dynamics of Zn applied to soybean seeds at two levels of vigor during germination using X-ray micro-fluorescence spectroscopy (µ-XRF). Zinc treatments corresponded to 0, 2, 4 and 8 g of Zn per kg of seeds. High and low vigor seeds that had been treated were located appropriately so as to promote germination. Zn intensity measurements with µ-XRF were taken in different parts ("regions") of the seeds (seed coat, cotyledon, and embryonic axis) after 8, 16 and 24 h of imbibition and seedlings (primary root, hypocotyl, plumule, cotyledon, and seed coat) after 48, 72 and 96 h of germination. High vigor seeds showed higher Zn intensity in the embryonic axis in the first 16 h, while low vigor seeds showed higher intensity after 24 h. After 48, 72 and 96 h of germination low vigor seedlings showed higher Zn intensity than high vigor seedlings in the primary root. It was concluded that µ-XRF is an efficient technique for identifying variances in the dynamics of Zn uptake and mobilization during the germination of soybean seeds with different vigor levels.

Evaluation of the Effect of the Vigor of Soybean Seeds Treated with Micronutrients Using X-ray Fluorescence Spectroscopy and Hyperspectral Imaging

“…The absorption of micronutrients applied individually or in combination through seed treatment still raises uncertainty in the scientific community. The results obtained show that regardless of seed vigor, the highest concentration of micronutrients (Cu, Zn and Mn) is found in the hilum and seed coat region, which is in agreement with previous findings for soybean seeds using the µ-XRF technique to analyze zinc absorption [9,34], copper, molybdenum, zinc [8] and nickel [35]. However, these same authors mention that micronutrients applied via seed treatment will later be transferred to the rhizosphere soil and ultimately absorbed by the roots.…”

“…The X-ray fluorescence spectroscopy (XRF) technique stands out in the study of the elemental composition of plant tissues as it allows for in vivo analyses, due to its non-destructive characteristics and minimal sample preparation, in addition to its ability to simultaneously evaluate more than one chemical element in the same sample [7]. The efficiency of the XRF technique has already been confirmed in the evaluation of soybean seed treatment with Cu, Mo and Zn [8], and it has been shown to be a promising technique for the evaluation of soybean seed treatment for improving vigor, being able to clarify the process of the absorption and translocation of micronutrients during the germination process [9].…”

Stimulating effect of biogenic nanoparticles on the germination of basil (Ocimum basilicum L.) seeds

“…Because after entering the water-soluble Zn micropyle and hilum, it is distributed from the embryonic axis to the cotyledons, where the rst root exit organized. Since Zn uptake and distribution from cotyledons during seed germination was not associated with seed viability [22], the similarity of this result with control application (26%) showed that ZnO-NPs concentrations were not effective on GVI. According to the GVI results, de ned as the coordinated and sequential sustained activity of the metabolic activity of the plant embryo, ZnO-NPs did not show discernible effects in this process.…”

Facilitating Seed Iron Uptake through Amine-Epoxide Microgels: A Novel Approach to Enhance Cucumber (Cucumis sativus) Germination

“…Hence, to assess whether the effects observed on germination are related to seed Fe-based priming, both benchtop and synchrotron-based micro and nanoprobe X-ray fluorescence spectroscopy (XRF) were employed to assess the Fe localization throughout the cucumber seed tissues. XRF is a powerful analytical tool that has been widely explored in a myriad of seeds, such as maize, , soybeans, ,, kidney beans, , cowpea, , and tomato …”