Enhancement of seed germination and plant growth under conditions of stress with pterostilbene, ellagic acid, nicotinamide riboside, and their combinations.
Improvement in seed germination and seed aging represents a major unmet need in the field of agriculture. In this specification it was hypothesized that the use of natural compounds to enhance mitochondrial functions in seed cells can enable germination under unfavorable conditions, specifically water deprivation and temperature excursions. It was demonstrated that three compounds, nicotinamide riboside (NR), ellagic acid (EA), and pterostilbene (PS) have independent effects on improving seed germination and plant growth at low concentrations. Additionally, their combinations were shown to have synergistic effects. This utility patent covers the usage of these compounds as single agents and in combinations to enhance seed health to facilitate germinations and plant growth and prevent seed aging.
