Muhammad A. Farooq ^1* Ewa M. Kalemba ^2* Alma Balestrazzi ^3*

• ¹ Department of Agricultural and Food Sciences, University of Bologna, Bologna, Emilia-Romagna, Italy
• ² Institute of Dendrology, Polish Academy of Sciences, Kórnik, Poland
• ³ Department of Biology and Biotechnology Lazzaro Spallanzani, University of Pavia, Pavia, Lombardy, Italy

Successful seed germination marks a critical phase in the plant life cycle where the dormant seed transitions into seedling capable of independent growth. The ability of the seed to transform into seedlings and eventually develop into a mature plant implicates reproductive and ecological success of the plant in the environment and economic profit from a human perspective. This transition is a highly coordinated process governed by an intricate interplay of omics networks that ensure the proper utilization of stored resources and the activation of developmental programs.Omics networks involving phytohormones, proteins, metabolites, specific transcription factors, epigenetic remodeling of chromatin, and small RNAs constitute the molecular control of seed germination process which is modulated by the mechanical forces between seed tissues and external factors such as light, hydration, and oxygen (Carrera-Castaño et al., 2020;Baud et al., 2023). Complete A complete understanding of the mechanisms transitioning seeds to seedlings is crucial to manage the genetic resources via in situ and ex situ conservation programs and sustainable agriculture because seedling emergence and establishment are assumed as the most vulnerable stages of plant growth and development in global warming scenarios (Badano and Oca Sánchez-Montes de Oca, 2022). In this special volume "Underlying mechanisms transitioning seeds to seedlings" eight articles have been published which cover major themes of the research topic: gene regulatory network, physiological processes regulating seed germination under stressful conditions, and interaction between internal and external environment driving the seed germination.Selection of specific genotypes and sustainable seed priming techniques in response to water deprivation stress leads to grow efficient, environmentally friendly crops. Dueñas et al. demonstrated that poly-gamma-glutamic acid (γ-PGA), denatured γ-PGA (dPGA) and iron pulsing are able to enhance the resilience to drought stress in four Italian rice varieties and indicated one rice variety as highly stress sensitive. The enhancement was manifested by altered expression of genes involved in DNA damage response, antioxidant defense mechanism, drought stress response and amino acid transport, and iron homeostasis. In another study, a novel seed treatment using 2-(N-methyl benzyl aminoethyl)-3-methyl butanoate (BMVE) was shown reported by Dharni et al. to consistently improve seed development subsequent seed germination, seedling vigor, and stress tolerance in rice and wheat in the case of rice and wheat. Transcriptomic analysis revealed that changes in reactive oxygen species (ROS) scavenging, hormone signaling and stress response pathways are the molecular mechanisms determining enhanced seedling growth and productivity of rice and wheat. Both articles suggested that priming methods could be practical seed treatment for mitigating the impact of climate change for crop growth enhancement. In the third study related to seed priming, the effect of melatonin (MT), pollen polysaccharide (SF), and 14-hydroxyed brassinosteroid (14-HBR) on the growth of kiwifruit seedlings was investigated by Zhang et al.MT, SF and 14-HBR were found to increase leaf chlorophyll content, photosynthetic capacity, activities of antioxidant enzymes, to enhance dry shoot biomass and to modify the soil parameters reflected in the activities of soil enzymes, the abundance of bacteria and the content of available K and organic matter. In conclusion, 14-HBR combined with MT were the most efficient in promoting rhizosphere bacterial distribution, nutrient absorption and plant growth.