One practical application for the onion industry was developed in a cooperative project with Chuck Eckenrode. An experimental insect growth regulator called Trigard was developed for direct application to seed. Coating is also a component in a process developed in Taylor's lab to enhance or improve seed germination in crucifers. This method includes first soaking seeds in controlled conditions in the laboratory, then coating, drying, and color sorting to separate the viable from the nonviable seeds. The process takes advantage of the natural occurrence of a fluorescent material called sinapine in seeds of the crucifer family.
Dead seeds leak the material, and fluoresce under ultraviolet light.
Another aspect of Taylor's research program is understanding how water affects seeds in storage and germination. As every gardener knows who stores seeds from one season to the next, seed moisture content has a major influence on shelf life. For good storage, it is important to keep seeds dry. In contrast to the low moisture preferred for storage conditions, higher moisture content helps avoid seed injuries associated with physical abuse and germination under stressful soil environments. I attribute a lot of the success of our program to our ability to attract and recruit good graduate students and visiting scientists to the program, and being able to focus their talents on a particular project where we all learn.