The release of dormancy, a wake-up call for seeds to germinate

•Dormancy induction is controlled by plant hormones and dormancy-specific proteins.•Environmental conditions during seed maturation and storage influence dormancy.•Non-enzymatic oxidative reactions control dormancy release during dry seed storage.•Dormancy is adjusted in the soil seed bank through temporal and spatial sensing.•The decision of the seed to germinate is made during early imbibition.

Seed dormancy determines the timing of germination, thereby contributing to successful seedling establishment and plant fitness. The induction and release of dormancy are controlled by various regulators like plant hormones and dormancy proteins. The relative strengths of these regulators are influenced by environmental factors during seed maturation and storage. In the last few years additional processes have been identified to be involved in the release of dormancy during seed storage with an important role for non-enzymatic oxidative reactions. However, the relations between the different dormancy regulators are not fully understood yet. Finally, all accumulated information will be processed in the seed during early seed imbibition and lead to the decision to germinate or not.