Plant Seed Growth
History tells us that human beings switched from hunter-gatherers to farmers when they learned to collect seeds and cultivate them. The earliest place known to have relied on the cultivation of seeds is also the first-known town, Jericho. Citizens of this city are known to have grown wheat and barley around 8,000 B.C. Does this Spark an idea?
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Features
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A seed is a self-contained package that includes the embryo for a baby plant and all the nutrients that it needs to jump-start its life cycle. If you cut a seed in half, top to bottom, you would see the seed embryo or immature plant as well as its nutrients, which are called endosperm. The endosperm is typically made up of oil, starch and protein. All of this is covered by a tough outer seed coating.
Growth Spurt
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Seeds germinate when they absorb water. As they absorb the water, it causes them to swell and burst the seed coat. The opening of the seed coat and the absorption of water starts a chemical reaction that results in the development of the embryo into a seedling. During this chemical reaction, the starchy endosperm is converted to sugar for the use of the baby plant. Heat and light are also essential to germination.
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Seedlings
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During germination, the infant roots of the seed emerge first. These baby roots allow the seeds to absorb nutrients from the soil. Next, the plant shoot emerges. Usually this shoot will have two leaves. These leaves were present on the plant in its embryonic stage.
Failure to Germinate
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Unfortunately, when some seeds are planted, they fail to germinate. The major factor in this is that the seeds may not get the warmth or light they need to germinate. This can be because they were planted too deeply or at the wrong time of year.
Seed Viability
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Over time, a seed can lose its ability to germinate. Often a seed's viability is dependent on storage conditions. Seeds should be kept in a cool, dry and dark location to preserve viability longer. A seed that is round and plump is more viable than one that has shriveled with age and poor storage.
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References
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- Photo Credit Photo by mrmac04
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Comments
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all you needs is seeds.
