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Nature is one of the best medicines for relieving stress. However, due to the Covid-19 restrictions, it has been difficult to go outside. Because of this, we would like to make you feel one with nature by showcasing the seeds in Bulacan. Hope this makes your day better.

For better experience, feel free to set the mood by listening to the background music attached below. Enjoy and God bless!

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A seed bank is a facility that is used to store and preserve seeds and genetic diversity from extreme weather and animals and for future use. Usually, seed banks are usually owned by curators or collectors, who are responsible and have control over the seeds in the seed bank. The use of seed banks can date back to 8,000 B.C, with the realization of farmers of the importance of storing seeds for the next harvest season (Philip, 2017). The importance of seed banks is to save the plant genetic diversity and for food security. These seeds banks usually store their seeds at a cold temperature of around -20oC and at a low humidity (Gosling, 2020).

About 1,000 seed banks are located around the world. The biggest known seed bank in the world is the Svalbard Global Seed Vault found beyond the Arctic Circle holds around 825,000 seed varieties. It is also known as the Doomsday Vault as it can survive earthquakes, bombings, and other disasters (Triolet, 2019).

With the industrialization of agriculture, there are more crops that are not genetically diverse, which in term make such seeds less adapted to its environmental conditions. As such, seed banks are used as a preventive measure in case something bad happens that may lead to extinction. With an estimation of about 40% of the world's plant species are on the verge of extinction. With the constant threat of habitat loss, pollution, climate change, pests, disasters, and other diseases, seed banks are important to reduce the potential to lose plants faster than the rate at which it is being discovered (Gosling, 2020).

Though, hypothetically, seeds stored in seed banks can remain dormant for hundreds to thousand of years, though this is yet to be proven as datas regarding seed longevity is few. Hence, the most practical prediction is that the seeds depending on its species, can survive to at least 150 years in the seed banks (Gosling, 2020).

Figure 1. The Doomsday Vaults. Courtesy of xinhuanet.com.

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You can read more information about seed banks through the news article below.

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Through war, wildfire and pandemic, the world's seed vaults hold strong

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By the time the war broke out in Syria, researchers from the International Center for Agricultural Research in the Dry Areas (ICARDA) had already duplicated and safely transported most of their genetic treasure trove to the Svalbard Global Seed Vault on the remote Arctic island of Spitsbergen, Norway.

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There are numerous seed banks in the Philippines, however, the facility of such seed banks cannot be compared to seed banks from other countries. As some seed banks in the country such as the one located in Los Banos, Laguna, was destroyed due to a typhoon. Which is something a seed bank should supposedly be prepared to withstand. Furthermore, despite news of creation of seed banks in the country back in 2011, wherein a 192 million pesos was allotted for the Community Seed Bank (Philstar, 2011). There is no seed banks in the Philippines that are officially recognized, prioritized, and established.

Based on Philippine Plant Statistics, there is a total of 13,286 native and endemic plant species with 32.83% of which are endemic to the country (Pelser et al., 2019). However, with the effort to preserve the plant genetic diversity in the country, 13,271 unique samples originating from the Philippines was sent to the largest seed bank, svalbard, of which 2,254 were deposited by the country (Crop Trust, n.d.)

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Bombox ceiba

Common Name: Malabulak / Buboi-gubat
Family: Bombacaceae
Uses: Laxative, Medicine, Cloth, and Food
Reason: The term "Bulacan" was said to have come from the Mabulaklak trees which used to be abundant in the whole of Bulacan.

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Dillenia philippinensis
Common Name: Katmon
Family: Dilleniaceae
Uses: Sauces, Jams, Food, Medicine, and Ornamental
Reason: Katmon trees are native to Catmon, Sta. Maria, Bulacan, which it was named after. Its fruit, young shoot, and flowers are used as additives in dishes and in jams.

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Lepisanthes tetraphylla
Common Name: Bayag-daga
Family: Sapindaceae
Uses: Food, Furniture, and Medicine
Reason: The Bayag-daga despite used for its medicinal properties, and is said to be used as one of the ingredients for dart poison.

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Palaquium philippense
Common Name: Palak-palak / Malakmalak
Family: Sapotaceae
Uses: Food
Reason: The Palak-palak tree is known for its edible fruit and found all over the country and found in Bulacan is threatened by deforestation and industrialization pushing it to a IUCN status of vulnerable (VU). Hence, it is important that we take care of such trees from going extinct.

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Parashorea malaanonan
Common Name: Bagtikan
Family: Sapotaceae
Uses: Construction, Furniture, and Plywood
Reason: Bagtikan trees are one of the light red mahogany in the tree and can be found in some parts of Bulacan and widely used for crafting as it's wood is a type of light hardwood that can be used easily. Despite being well-known, Bagtikan trees are critically endangered based on IUCN.

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Peltophorum pterocarpum
Common Name: Siar Tree
Family: Leguminosae
Uses: Medicine, Ornamental, and Msaterials
Reason: Siar Trees are know for its beautiful yellow flowers which symbolized freedom in the Philippines. The most popular Siar tree was planted in Malolos, Bulacan by the late President Aguinaldo and this tree later on was named as the "Kalayaan Tree".

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Pterocarpus indicus
Common Name: Narra
Family: Fabaceae
Uses: Furniture, Boat, Plywood, Trinkets, and Medicine (Leaves)
Reason: Narra Trees are the symbol of Filipino for our unwavering strength when faced problems. This tree became our national tree in the 20th century, known as one of the most precious and strongest wood in the country. The tree that I have always looked upon for 15 years and continued to stand for more than half a century in a place I call home in Bulacan. This tree during February to May shower the street and houses with its beautiful yellow flowers that seemed like snow.

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Pterospermum obliquum

Common Name: Kulatingan / Kulukatingan / Bayoi
Family: Dombeyaceae
Uses: Construction, Firewood, and Source of Extractive Products
Reason: The Bayoi trees are endemic to the Philippines and can be found in Bulacan. The bark of the tree can be used to dye clothes worn by fishermen. As fish ponds are numerous in Bulacan.

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Shorea contorta
Common Name: White Lauan
Family: Sapotaceae
Uses: Construction
Reason: White Lauan trees are endemic to the country, despite this it is a critically endangered species. With the help of people in San Miguel, a Luntian Farm is being built in order to grow more white lauan which is also native in bulacan.

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History: The name "Bulacan" was derived from the word "Bulak" which means cotton that was the most abundant product made before. Bulacan was also one of the first eight provinces that rose against the Spanish rule with historical events occurring in different parts of the province.
Established: August 15, 1578
Land Area: 262,500 hectares
Census: >3,000,000 people
Cities: Malolos (Capital), Meycauayan, and San Jose Del Monte
Municipalities: Angat, Balagtas, Baliuag, Bocaue, Bulakan, Bustos, Calumpit, Doña Remedios Trinidad (36%), Guiguinto, Hagonoy, Marilao, Norzagaray, Obando (0.56%), Pandi, Paombong, Plaridel, Pulilan, San Ildefonso, San Miguel, San Rafael, and Sta. Maria

Known For: Historical Landmarks, Food, Crafts, and Historical People
Language: Predominantly Tagalog, but some can speak Kapampangan. While in the Doña Remedios Trinidad, Norzagaray, San Jose del Monte City, and San Miguel, the endangered language "Alta Kabulowan" is spoken.

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Sterculia cordata
Common Name: Tapinag bundok
Family: Sterculiaceae
Uses: Construction, Furniture, Ornamental, and Products
Reason: Though tapinag bundok is not commonly seen around bulacan, its pinkish, bell shaped flowers are sight to see. Also, since the seed coat of this plant species is hard, the germination rate is slow.

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Figure 2. Different types of seeds. Courtesy of newswise.com

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A seed is embryonic plant that is encased in a protective seed coat (Radchuk & Borisjuk, 2014). These are fertilized ovules that will eventually grow into a plant (Sabelli & Larkins, 2015). Inside a seed, you can see the different parts of the embryo that will develop later on. Typically, seeds have three main parts, which are seed coat, endosperm, and embryo (Sabelli & Larkins, 2015).

Seeds are protected by an external covering, called the seed coat  (Friedman, 1998) . This consists of the testa, which is the thick outer layer, and the inner layer called tegmen  (Friedman, 1998). Additionally, the endosperm tissue can serve as a mechanical barrier to protect the seed, while providing nutrition to the plant (Lafon-Placette & Köhler, 2014). Both are essential for protecting the embryo, wherein it encompasses the structures consisting of epicotyl, hypocotyl, radicle, and cotyledon (Lafon-Placette & Köhler, 2014).

Figure 3.  Differences between monocot and dicot seed parts. Courtesy of sciencefacts.net

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The differences between the dicot and monocot embryogenesis are that monocots has only one cotyledon, basal cell produces a single-celled suspensor, and forms the whole of the embryo, whereas in eudicots, it has two cotyledons, the basal cells form six to ten suspensors, and that the terminal cell give rise to the embryo excluding the radicle (Gilbert, 2000; Mondal, n.d).

To learn more about embryogenesis,  feel free to watch the youtube video attached below.

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Once the fertilization in eudicots occur, the zygote divides to form the upper apical cell and the lower basal cell. The apical cell divides and produces the proembryo, which continues to divide into the globular stage or the first stage of the embryo proper. From the embryo proper, the cotyledons arise and form the heart stage. As the cotyledons elongate, the base of the embryo thickens an becomes a torpedo, this is called the torpedo stage.

Both the shoot apical meristem at the shoot tip of the cotyledons and the root apical meristem located at the basal portion of the embryo undergoes cell division. Lastly, the last stage, cotyledonary stage, results to the mature embryo that remains dormant until the seed is ready for germination.

Simultaneously, the lower basal cell divides to become the suspensor. The suspensor is attached to the micropyle of the embryo and becomes the passageway that transfers the nutrition from the mother plant to the growing embryo. Later on during the torpedo stage, majority of the suspensor will deteriorate (Ha et al., 2021).

Figure 5. Gumamela (Eudicot). Courtesy of homguides.sfgate.com

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In monocots, the structure of the embryo in the mature seed is more complex than in eudicots. However, the embryogenesis of monocots are similar to that of the eudicots, except instead there is no heart stage and also has three stages. These three are the globular stage, scutellar stage, and coleoptilar stage. In the globular stage, the proembryo is similar to the eudicot, except that the suspensor has a different number and less differentiated. Furthermore, the proembryo givve rise to the embryo axis. While the single cotyledon or scutellum acts as the conductive tissue between the embryo axis and endosperm during the scutellar stage. In absence of the heart stage, the embryo proper becomes cylindrical in shape. During the coleoptilar stage, the embryo axis becomes the plumule and radicle. However, the specialized tissue of the the embryo axis may aid in the start of the germination as it surrounds the shoot and root tissue that give rise to the coleoptile and coleorhiza, respectively (Geneve et al., 2020; Ha et al., 2021).

Figure 4. Orchids (Monocot). Courtesy of orchidrepublic.com

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ESTABLISHMENT OF THE APICAL-BASAL AND RADIAL AXIS

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ESTABLISHMENT OF THE APICAL-BASAL AND RADIAL AXIS

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In the apical-basal and radial axis, the growth and development in higher plant species through cell division, differentiation, and expansion occurs. The establishment of the apical-basal is an important process in plant embryogenesis. The  apical-basal axis is established by thee axial patterning, specifically through the entry of the sperm with (Capron et al., 2009; Gilbert, 2000). While, the radial axis emerges when the cells of the eight-cell pro-embryo is divided to enable the growth of the protoderm and ground tissue lineages. The establishment of both axis is through the help of the plant hormone, auxin (Moller & Weijers, 2009).

Furthermore, the WUSCHEL RELATED HOMEOBOX (WOX) gene family, plays a role in the expression of patterns in the plant  (Smet et al., 2010) . The WOX2 and WOX8 are  seen to be exhibited in zygotes  (Smet et al., 2010). When  the zygotes undergo division, the WOX2 is expressed in the apical cell, while the WOX8 in the basal cell  (Haecker et al., 2004).

Moreover, the genes such as PDF2 and ZLL are essential when it comes to the protoderm formation from the octant to dermatogen stage of apical cell  (Smet et al., 2010). Additionally, the hypophysis specification is dependent on the BDL/MP-dependent signal to elicit an auxin and cytokinin response in the hypophysis (Smet et al., 2010). The As for the downward auxin flow, it is a result of the basal localization of PIN and PIN7 (Smet et al., 2010). Shoot meristems are established with the expression of STM, WUS and ZLL (Smet et al., 2010). The directional auxin transport in protoderms to incipient cotyledons, on the other hand, is able to induce cotyledon formation (Smet et al., 2010).

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Seed dormancy is an evolutionary adaptation that allows for the seeds to overcome unfavorable situations. The mechanism is advantageous for preventing pre-harvested germination, wherein abscisic acid is responsible for maintaining the seeds dormancy (Bentsink & Koornneef, 2008). The dormant state can last for weeks or years, depending on the chemical and environmental factors (Gilbert, 2000). Thus, enhances the survival rate of the seeds.

To learn more about seed dormancy,  feel free to watch the youtube video attached below.

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Several types of dormancy mechanisms can be present in seeds: physical dormancy, physiological dormancy, morphological dormancy, morphophysiological dormancy, and combinational dormancy. There are differences between each type:

For one, physical dormancy has an impermeable layer that prevents water or gas from inducing germination of seeds (Offord & Meagher, 2009). An example of species with physical dormancy is Abrus precatorious (Sharma, 2021).

Physiological dormancy, on the other hand, is dependent on the chemical changes  (Hoyle et al., 2007). This type of dormancy is evident in the Actinobole uliginosum (Hoyle et al., 2007).

Meanwhile, morphological dormancy occurs when seeds are underdeveloped or not yet fully differentiated. This can be observed in Lonicera caerulea var. emphyllocalyx  (Phartyal et al., 2009) .

Morphophysiological dormancy refers to the combination of morphological and physiological dormancy, wherein both factors affect the dormancy of the seed  (Jaganathan, 2020). This has been reported in most Arecaceae species  (Jaganathan, 2020).

Lastly, combinational dormancy occurs when both exogenous and endogenous factors affect the dormancy of the seeds  (Turner et al., 2006). The species Diplopeltis huegelii is known to exhibit this type of dormancy  (Turner et al., 2006).

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There are different methods of breaking seed dormancy. Typically, seeds germinate when placed in a suitable environment, wherein proper conditions are met (Baskin & Baskin, 2020). This is a natural way of breaking dormancy. Otherwise, seed dormancy can be broken artificially by different methods, such as the following: manual scarification, freezing, dry heat, hot water, light exposure, leaching, acids, and other chemicals (Yildiz et al., 2017).

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Seed germination initiates the first developmental phase of plants (Wolny et al., 2018). When seeds are exposed to favorable conditions, such as water, proper temperature, light, and soil components, the germination process will be induced (Nonogaki, 2017). Generally, the seed germination starts with water uptake of seeds. This process is called imbibition, wherein it will cause the seed coats to swell and soften. As the seeds imbibe water, the food supplies and enzymes become hydrated  (Gomes et al., 2014) .

After the process of imbibition, the embryo will be activated and will initiate a high energetic demands for cell elongation and division  (Gomes et al., 2014) . The process involves the presence of auxins  (Gomes et al., 2014). The membrane protein synthesis and resumption of respiratory activities are initiated during this phase  (Tuan et al., 2018). This increases the respiratory activities of oxygen consumption and carbon dioxide release  (Sanan-Mishra & Kumari, 2020). Afterwards, the seed water uptake will slow down and eventually become stable. The seeds will then undergo phase II of seed germination to undergo synthesize of new mitochondria, protein, and gene transcripts  (Tuan et al., 2018).

When the radicle protrudes through the seed coat, it can be a sign of the end of phase II and the beginning of post germination stage (Phase III)  (Sanan-Mishra & Kumari, 2020) . This stage mainly consists if the processes involving the mobilization of storage reserves  (Tuan et al., 2018). Furthermore, DNA synthesis,  cell division, and radicle cell elongation occurs during this phase  (Sanan-Mishra & Kumari, 2020).

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Phototropism is known as the directional response of plants in which it is responsible for the growth of plants toward or against a light source (Liscum et al., 2014). This has an essential role in the germination of plants. Positive tropism is exhibited when the shoot system of the plant grows towards the light stimulus (Christie & Murphy, 2013). This can help the developing plant undergo photosynthesis. On the other hand, some of the plant organs, such as the roots, grow away from the light. This is called negative phototropism, which enhances the growth of roots deeper into the soil for better nutrient absorption (Liscum et al., 2014).

Gravitropism, on the other hand, is the growth process that is gravity directed (Chen et al., 1999). The mechanism is able to dictate the upward shoot growth in order for leaves to properly position itself for gas exchange and photosynthesis (Chen et al., 1999). This is known as negative gravitropism, wherein  plant structures grow against gravity (Chen et al., 1999). Contrary to this, positive gravitropism is seen in roots, wherein they grow downwards (Chen et al., 1999). This helps ensure that the roots can grow in the soil for water and mineral uptake (Chen et al., 1999). Both positive and negative gravitropism have an essential role in the proper growth and development of plants.

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Baskin, C. C., & Baskin, J. M. (2020). Breaking Seed Dormancy during Dry Storage: A Useful Tool or Major Problem for Successful Restoration via Direct Seeding?. Plants (Basel, Switzerland), 9(5), 636. https://doi.org/10.3390/plants9050636

Bentsink, L., & Koornneef, M. (2008). Seed dormancy and germination. The Arabidopsis Book, 6, e0119. https://doi.org/10.1199/tab.0119

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Jaganathan, G. K. (2020). Defining correct dormancy class matters: morphological and morphophysiological dormancy in Arecaceae. Annals of Forest Science, 77(4). https://doi.org/10.1007/s13595-020-01010-7

Liscum, E., Askinosie, S. K., Leuchtman, D. L., Morrow, J., Willenburg, K. T., & Coats, D. R. (2014). Phototropism: growing towards an understanding of plant movement. The Plant cell, 26(1), 38–55. https://doi.org/10.1105/tpc.113.119727

Lafon-Placette, C., & Köhler, C. (2014). Embryo and endosperm, partners in seed development. Current opinion in plant biology, 17, 64–69. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pbi.2013.11.008

Möller, B., & Weijers, D. (2009). Auxin control of embryo patterning. Cold Spring Harbor Perspectives in Biology, 1(5), a001545. https://doi.org/10.1101/cshperspect.a001545

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Phartyal, S. S., Kondo, T., Hoshino, Y., Baskin, C. C., & Baskin, J. M. (2009, April 6). Morphological dormancy in seeds of the autumn‐germinating shrub Lonicera caerulea var. emphyllocalyx (Caprifoliaceae). The Ecological Society of Japan. https://esj-journals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1111/j.1442-1984.2009.00232.x.

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Sanan-Mishra, N., &amp; Kumari, A. (2020, February 21). Role of RNA interference in seed germination. Plant Small RNA. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/B9780128171127000055.

Sharma, R. (2021). Physical seed dormancy in Abrus precatorious (Ratti): A scientific validation of indigenous technique. Experimental Results, 2, E8. doi:10.1017/exp.2020.64

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Tuan, P. A., Sun, M., Nguyen, T.-N., Park, S., &amp; Ayele, B. T. (2018, October 19). Molecular mechanisms of seed germination. Sprouted Grains. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/B9780128115251000014.

Turner, S. R., Merritt, D. J., Baskin, J. M., Baskin, C. C., & Dixon, K. W. (2006). Combinational dormancy in seeds of the Western Australian endemic species Diplopeltis huegelii (Sapindaceae). Australian Journal of Botany, 54(6), 565. https://doi.org/10.1071/bt05156

Yildiz, M., Beyaz, R., Gursoy, M., Koc, Y., & Kayan, M. (2017). Seed Dormancy. Advances in Seed Biology. https://doi.org/10.5772/intechopen.70571