Using UAV and multispectral images has contributed to identifying field variability and improving crop management through different data modeling methods. However, knowledge on application of these tools to manage peanut maturity variability is still lacking. Therefore, the objective of this study was to compare and validate linear and multiple linear regression with models using artificial neural networks (ANN) for estimating peanut maturity under irrigated and rainfed conditions. The models were trained (80% dataset) and tested (20% dataset) using results from the 2018 and 2019 growing seasons from irrigated and rainfed fields. In each field, plant reflectance was collected weekly from 90 days after planting using a UAV-mounted multispectral camera. Images were used to develop vegetation indices (VIs). Peanut pods were collected on the same dates as the UAV flights for maturity assessment using the peanut maturity index (PMI). The precision and accuracy of the linear models to estimate PMI using VIs were, in general, greater in irrigated fields with R² > 0.40 than in rainfed areas, which had a maximum R² value of 0.21. Multiple linear regressions combining adjusted growing degree days (aGDD) and VIs resulted in decreased RMSE for both irrigated and rainfed conditions and increased R² in irrigated areas. However, these models did not perform successfully in the test process. On the other hand, ANN models that included VIs and aGDD showed accuracy of R² = 0.91 in irrigated areas, regardless of using Multilayer Perceptron (MLP; RMSE = 0.062) or Radial Basis Function (RBF; RMSE = 0.065), as well as low tendency (1:1 line). These results indicated that, regardless of the ANN architecture used to predict complex and non-linear variables, peanut maturity can be estimated accurately through models with multiple inputs using VIs and aGDD. Although the accuracy of the MLP or RBF models for irrigated and rainfed areas separately was high, the overall ANN models using both irrigated and rainfed areas can be used to predict peanut maturity with the same precision.

The rapid and uniform establishment of crop plants in the field underpins food security through uniform mechanical crop harvesting. In order to achieve this, seeds with greater vigor should be used. Vigor is a component of physiological quality related to seed resilience. Despite this importance, there is little knowledge of the association between events at the molecular level and seed vigor. In this study, we investigated the relationship between gene expression during germination and seed vigor in soybean. The expression level of twenty genes related to growth at the beginning of the germination process was correlated with vigor. In this paper, vigor was evaluated by different tests. Then we reported the identification of the genes Expansin-like A1, Xyloglucan endotransglucosylase/hydrolase 22, 65-kDa microtubule-associated protein, Xyloglucan endotransglucosylase/hydrolase 2, N-glycosylase/DNA lyase OGG1 and Cellulose synthase A catalytic subunit 2, which are expressed during germination, that correlated with several vigor tests commonly used in routine analysis of soybean seed quality. The identification of these transcripts provides tools to study vigor in soybean seeds at the molecular level.

What is the relation between seed quality and food security? Here we built a summary diagram that links the development stages of the seeds with their potential of providing grain yield. This idea was tested using cowpea as a model crop, grown in a tropical environment. Initially, seed quality attributes such as water content, dry weight, germination, vigor, and longevity were characterized during seed development. With this, we were able to elucidate at which point the late maturation phase and the acquisition of seed with superior physiological quality starts. From these data, the proposed summary diagram highlighted the seed quality as a technological basis for generating a more productive plant community. It also showed that only seeds with a high-quality profile have a better chance to establishment in an increasingly challenging agricultural environment. Overall, we bring the concept that cowpea seeds with superior quality besides being the essential input for tropical agriculture is also a strategy that can contribute food security.

Sunflower (Helianthus annuus L.) is a crop with ornamental and energetic potential, but its propagation is challenged by abiotic stresses such as salinity and water deficit. Ensuring high-quality propagation materials is crucial for healthy plant development. Nanotechnology offers innovative tools to enhance seed performance, stress tolerance, and production efficiency. Among these, carbon nanotubes, a strong, conductive, and thermally resistant material, have shown promise in improving seed quality. This study aimed to evaluate the effects of nanopriming with multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) on the physiological and biochemical performance of sunflower seeds under accelerated aging and stress conditions. Seeds were treated with 100, 200, or 400 mg·L⁻¹ MWCNTs, and parameters such as germination percentage, seedling growth, pigment profile, and oxidative stress indicators were analyzed. The 200 mg·L⁻¹ concentration enhanced germination, root and shoot development, and antioxidant enzyme modulation, while the 400 mg·L⁻¹ dose increased reactive oxygen species, indicating toxicity. Under saline and drought-like conditions, nanopriming with 100–200 mg·L⁻¹ mitigated oxidative damage more effectively than hydropriming. MWCNTs also influenced pigment synthesis, affecting chlorophyll and carotenoid levels. These findings support the potential of carbon nanotube-based nanopriming to improve seed vigor and stress tolerance in sunflower cultivation, though further environmental safety assessments are required.

Seed is one of the most expensive costs in peanut (Arachis hypogaea L.) production, and the use of high‐quality seed is important to provide the greatest yield potential. Physiological seed quality, represented by a combination of germination, vigor, desiccation tolerance, and longevity, is progressively acquired during seed formation. When all components reach their maximum, seeds achieve the highest physiological quality. The objectives of this study were to identify the acquisition pattern of the physiological components of seed quality, to determine the timing in which the maximum physiological quality is achieved during seed formation, and to define the timing in which seeds acquire and further break primary dormancy in peanut. A 3‐year field study was conducted using the cultivar Georgia‐06G. Plants were inverted when growing degree days reached 2500 for all fields, and a maturity board profile was used to classify the pods into the maturity classes. Seeds were split into two groups, treated and non‐treated, with ethephon to break potential primary dormancy. Water content, germination, vigor, desiccation tolerance, and longevity were tested in the seeds. Seed mass maturity was reached in the “orange” class. Maximum germination and vigor were achieved between “brown 1” and “brown 2”. Primary dormancy was acquired between “orange” and “brown 1” and broken after artificial drying. Maximum desiccation tolerance was observed in “brown 1”, whereas maximum longevity was achieved only in “black 2”. Considering all physiological quality components, peanut seeds achieved the maximum physiological quality between “brown 1” and “brown 2”.

Resumo Com o objetivo de avaliar a qualidade da batata-doce, cultivar Canandense, submetida ao armazenamento e épocas de colheita, instalou-se um experimento, no período de março a agosto de 2014, na Universidade Estadual Júlio de Mesquita Filho. O delineamento experimental utilizado foi o de blocos casualizados, em esquema fatorial 3 x 2, com três períodos de armazenamento (0; 7 e 14 dias), e duas épocas de colheita (100 e 150 dias após transplante das ramas) com cinco repetições. As características avaliadas foram: acidez titulável, sólidos solúveis, pH e proteína. O período de armazenamento influenciou em todas as características avaliadas nas raízes de reserva da cv. Canadense. Porém, a época de colheita influenciou apenas nos valores de acidez titulável das raízes tuberosas