Seeds get a wake-up call: A better understanding of seed dormancy will have important implications for agriculture and food processing, and could even help frustrated gardeners in their battle against weeds

Seeds provide valuable raw materials for industry and have formed a vital part of our diet since Neolithic times, yet the mechanisms that regulate their dormancy remain unclear. An understanding of the molecular basis of dormancy has important implications for agriculture and food processing, and could be used to improve crop sowing and harvesting strategies, as well as helping in the management of weed seed banks in agricultural soils.