Method for improving seed germination and/or plant tolerance to environmental stress

A method for:

• (i) producing a seed having an increased internal concentration of glycine-betaine, comprising the steps of:
• (a) contacting an aerial part of a plant, a flower part of a plant or a flower of a plant with glycine-betaine;
• (b) collecting a plurality of seeds of the plant treated with glycine-betaine obtained after step (i) (a);
• and
• (c) assessing/measuring the concentration of the glycine betaine in one of the plurality of seeds collected in step (b);
• and
• (d) growing said plurality of seeds to produce seedlings or plants derived from said seeds, wherein the internal concentration of glycine-betaine assessed/measured in step (c) as compared to a seed from an untreated control plant is increased by at least 2%;
• or
• (ii) enhancing seed germination potential and/or increasing the tolerance of a seed, or a seedling or a plant derived from said seed, to environmental stress, comprising the steps of:
• (a) contacting an aerial part of a plant, a flower part of a plant or a flower of a plant with glycine-betaine;
• (b) collecting a plurality of seeds produced by the plant treated with glycine-betaine obtained after step (ii) (a);
• (c) assessing/measuring the concentration of the glycine betaine in one of the plurality of seeds collected in step (b);
• and
• (d) growing said plurality of seeds to produce seedlings or plants derived from said seeds, wherein the internal concentration of glycine-betaine assessed/measured in step (c) as compared to a seed from an untreated control plant is increased by at least 2%, and wherein said seed has an enhanced germination potential and/or an increased tolerance against environmental stress compared to a seed from an untreated control plant or wherein the seedling or the plant derived from said seed has an increased tolerance against environmental stress compared to a seedling or plant derived from an untreated control seed.