EPIGENETIC REGULATION AND STRESS MEMORY MECHANISMS IN SEEDS: IMPLICATIONS FOR GERMINATION BEHAVIOR, SEEDLING VIGOR, AND CROP ADAPTATION

Abstract

Plants are continuously exposed to fluctuating environmental stresses that severely constrain growth and productivity. This study investigated the role of epigenetically mediated stress memory in seeds and its contribution to plant performance and transgenerational stress resilience. Using a mixed experimental approach, parental plants were subjected to controlled abiotic stress treatments, and the resulting progeny were evaluated through integrated epigenetic, transcriptomic, metabolic, and physiological analyses. The results revealed that stress priming induced stable epigenetic modifications, including altered DNA methylation patterns, histone modifications, and non-coding RNA activity, which were partially retained in seeds. Progeny derived from primed plants exhibited faster and stronger stress-responsive gene activation, reduced transcriptional variability, enhanced metabolic efficiency, and significantly improved germination, growth, and yield stability under repeated stress conditions. Quantitative performance indices demonstrated strong correlations between epigenetic memory strength and phenotypic resilience. Furthermore, transgenerational analyses confirmed the persistence of stress-adaptive traits across multiple generations, despite gradual attenuation of epigenetic signals. These findings provide compelling evidence that epigenetic stress memory represents a heritable and exploitable mechanism for improving plant adaptability. The study highlights the potential of epigenetic priming and epibreeding as innovative strategies to enhance crop resilience and sustain agricultural productivity in the face of climate change.