Development of research on seed technologies is common goal for Brazil, the Netherlands and England
From August 18th to 31th, 2014, professor Silvio Moure Cicero and technician Francisco Guilhien Gomes Junior visited the Plant Research International, in Wageningen, the Netherlands, and the Sir Peter Mansfield Magnetic Resonance Centre, in Nottingham, England. They are both from the Crop Science Department (LPV), from Luiz de Queiroz College of Agriculture (USP/ESALQ) and travelled in order to establish with the European institutions new partnerships in the development of research concerning the image analysis of seeds and seedlings.
At ESALQ, research concerning image analysis focused on seed technology started in 1995, when professor Silvio Moure Cicero held a postdoctorate program at Plant Research International. Since then, several undergraduate and graduate students from ESALQ developed part of their research at the Dutch center.
On the other hand, the Sir Peter Mansfield Magnetic Resonance Centre, considered the world center for the development of magnetic resonance techniques, was the pioneer in conducting research involving magnetic resonance images in the mid-1970s. “The centre has magnetic resonance equipments of the latest generation, yet nonexistent in Brazil, and the studies are focused primarily on images applied to human health", says Cicero.
According to the professor, currently students Nayara Roberto Goncalves and Denis Santiago da Costa, from the Crop Science graduate program, are developing part of their doctoral dissertations at the Plant Research International. “The research initiated by Nayara involves the use of image analysis techniques to evaluate the internal morphology of onion seeds and its relationship with the physiological potential”, he explains.
The professor says that this technique is able to define the photosynthetic efficiency of plants and seedlings. “For the first time it is intended to relate seed germination with seedling performance, based on their photosynthetic efficiency. This goal can only be achieved today because of the use of CropReporter in the research, equipment developed by Dutchman Henk Jalink, from the Plant Research International", he says. “In the same way, with the supervision of Steven Groot, professor from the Plant Research International, Santiago da Costa is completing his research to evaluate the potential use of chlorophyll fluorescence and X-rays to determine the quality of rice seeds”.
In Brazil
Since March 2013, studies in the area of image analysis of seeds with the use of X-ray computed microtomography and magnetic resonance tomography are being conducted through a partnership between ESALQ, Embrapa Instrumentation and São Carlos Institute of Physics from USP. According to Cicero, the project, which is coordinated by Francisco Guilhien Gomes Junior, has the financial support from Fapesp (São Paulo Research Foundation) and aims to adjust the procedures for assessing the occurrence of mechanical damage in soybean and corn seeds, using such techniques.
At the Institute of Physics from USP, research related to the magnetic resonance studies is developed at the Center for In Vivo Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopic Imaging (CIERMag), headed by professor Alberto Tannús. “Tannús has also developed projects in partnership with researchers from the Sir Peter Mansfield Magnetic Resonance Centre and the School of Physics and Astronomy from the University of Nottingham, through the Transatlantic agreement, also funded by Fapesp”, he explains.
Next steps
Cicero says that at the meeting in which they discussed the new scientific exchange programs, another doctoral student and two postdoctoral students under his supervision were scheduled to return to the Plant Research International. “The selected students are those who will develop research topics also related to techniques of image analysis of seeds and seedlings of corn, broccoli and carrots”.
Written by: Lucas Jacinto
Translated by: Tobias de Paula Lima Souza
Proofread by: Marisa Aparecida B. Regitano d'Arce
Photo by: Gerhard Waller
Acom (ESALQ’s Office of Communications)
August 11th, 2014
