Main conclusion: Storage at an elevated partial pressure of oxygen and classical artificial ageing cause a rapid loss of seed viability of short-lived vegetable seeds. Prolonging seed longevity during storage is of major importance for gene banks and the horticultural industry. Slowing down biochemical deterioration, including oxygen-dependent deterioration caused by oxidative processes can boost longevity. This can be affected by the seed structure and the oxygen permeability of seed coat layers. Classical artificial seed ageing assays are used to estimate seed 'shelf-life' by mimicking seed ageing via incubating seeds at elevated temperature and elevated relative humidity (causing elevated equilibrium seed moisture content). In this study, we show that seed lots of vegetable Allium species are short-lived both during dry storage for several months and in seed ageing assays at elevated seed moisture levels. Micromorphological analysis of the Allium cepa x Allium fistulosum salad onion seed identified intact seed coat and endosperm layers. Allium seeds equilibrated at 70% relative humidity were used to investigate seed ageing at tenfold elevated partial pressure of oxygen (high pO₂) at room temperature (22 ºC) in comparison to classical artificial ageing at elevated temperature (42 ºC). Our results reveal that 30 days high pO₂ treatment causes a rapid loss of seed viability which quantitatively corresponded to the seed viability loss observed by ~ 7 days classical artificial ageing. A similar number of normal seedlings develop from the germinating (viable) proportion of seeds in the population. Many long-lived seeds first exhibit a seed vigour loss, evident from a reduced germination speed, preceding the loss in seed viability. In contrast to this, seed ageing of our short-lived Allium vegetable seems to be characterised by a rapid loss in seed viability.

This paper presents an overview of the arts‐based methodology used in a research project that aimed to explore the impact of the lived experiences of racism on 10‐ and 11‐year‐old children in the United Kingdom. The research responds to the relative lack of literature concerning the racialised experiences of young children. We discuss how we developed the arts‐based method of body mapping as an ethical approach to foregrounding the children's voices. We consider that this approach contributes to knowledge and understanding about exploring the nuanced and complex relationship between the children's external worlds and their internal feelings, and supporting them to process and communicate this. We suggest that the method presented is transferable, and present our ethically engaged, arts‐based planning framework that can be used if others wish to adopt this way of working.

This article describes the use of dialogue, through the format of critical conversations, as a creative and reflective anti-racist tool to develop understanding of departmental values of anti-racism, equity and social justice with colleagues across academic, technical, and leadership roles. The project focused on the development and facilitation of spaces for dialogue between staff members employed in an education department in a university in a city in the Southwest of England. Making use of concepts from Smith and Lander’s critical pedagogy and critical race theory as well as philosophy for children (P4C), we developed a framework used by adult participants to encourage the development of racial literacy through reflexive practice. More than seventy staff members were invited to attend five sessions over a six-month period. During each session, staff members were given pre-prepared stimuli designed to encourage ‘epistemological shudders’ that stimulate dialogue in relation to professional roles and responsibilities of anti-racism, equity and social justice within our working context. Each session was facilitated by two colleagues, given the agency to make use of the stimuli within the sessions in any way they chose, together with their participants. Feedback from each session was non-mandatory and informal. In this article, we capture our reflections on the processes of developing and adapting P4C within a university education department. We believe that this evolving model acts as a valuable tool for dialogues, particularly when attempting to encourage discussion of topics perceived as providing professional risk due to their sensitive and controversial status within education and more broadly.