Understanding the effects of maternal environment in controlling seed dormancy

The maternal environment explored by the developing seed has decisive importance in shaping the seed dormancy phenotype. Although these effects have started to be recognized several decades ago, only in recent years we began to understand the underlying mechanisms through which the environmental signals perceived by the mother plant are translated into a particular dormancy phenotype. On the other hand, there is an increasing body of evidence suggesting the adaptive significance of maternal effects on dormancy which certainly have been shaped by natural selection to act as precise devices to maximize phenotypic fitness in response to environmental uncertainty or heterogeneity. These maternal effects on dormancy have obvious implications also for agricultural production. Taking into account these effects to design agricultural practices that minimize dormancy adverse effects on crop production, should be part of a bulk of strategies towards a more sustainable agriculture.