Abstract: Accumulation of sugars in plant seeds varies with developmental stages and seed categories and relates to seed desiccation-tolerance. Some certain sugars accumulate following with deveiop-ment of many plant seeds, which is considered to play an import role in acquisition of desiccation-tolerance. But effects of sugars on seed desiccation-tolerance are not independent but interact-with those of ABA, proteins et al. The desiccation-tolerance is correlated to not only categories and content of sugars, but also to physiological status and developmental courses. The research advances on relationship between seed desiccation-tolerance and sugar is reviewed in this paper.

Key words: sugar, desiccation-tolerance, seed, seed category, developmental stages