title: Genetic and environmental control of seed quality and seedling establishment
Abstract:
Seed quality and seedling establishment are critical stages in plant life history and sought as high value inputs for crop production. Seed quality is a complex trait as it encompasses multiple characteristics, such as germination rate and uniformity, among others. The acquisition of seed quality can be seen as the result of intertwined actions of several components. The expression of the parental inherited genotype undergoing variation under different environments (GxE) plays an important role in this process. It is known that the parental environment affects the offspring traits, however the genetic control of seed and seedling quality in this context is poorly understood. This project aims to unravel the genetic basis associated with seed quality towards the ultimate identification of underlying genes. This study is conducted with an emphasis on the effect of the maternal environment. Using quantitative genetics in a generalized genetical genomics design, this trait will be dissected with the help of multi-omics data (transcriptomics, metabolomics and extensive phenotyping) to highlight the underlying regulatory mechanisms and to study the integration of environmental cues into the seed acquisition process.