Revolutionary tech reveals secrets of alfalfa seeds.

Scientists at China Agricultural University have used multispectral imaging technology to identify the characteristics of alfalfa hard seeds, which have low value and pose major challenges from an economic standpoint. The team found that alfalfa dormancy is structured by the PY+PD pattern, rather than the PY pattern alone, and that abscisic acid (ABA) responses played a key role in hard alfalfa seeds. The study provides a theoretical and technical framework for exploring alfalfa hard seed dormancy, which could guide the optimal processing of these seeds in the agriculture industry.