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Evaluation of seed quality: from physiology to international standardization

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  05 January 2012

S. Matthews ,
E. Noli ,
I. Demir ,
M. Khajeh-Hosseini  and
M.-H. Wagner
S. Matthews*
Affiliation:
School of Biological Science, University of Aberdeen, Cruickshank Building, AberdeenAB24 3UU, UK
E. Noli
Affiliation:
University of Bologna, Italy
I. Demir
Affiliation:
University of Ankara, Turkey
M. Khajeh-Hosseini
Affiliation:
Ferdowsi University of Mashhad, Iran
M.-H. Wagner
Affiliation:
GEVES, France
*
*Correspondence Email: a.a.powell@abdn.ac.uk
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Abstract

Seed quality standards enable seed users to achieve their objectives in the establishment of uniform seedlings to a high and reliable level for a range of agricultural and horticultural crops, growing systems and market outlets. Quality standards of commercial seed lots are determined by their positions on the seed survival curves and the shape of their germination progress curves. Although comparative descriptions of germination curves can be achieved by the calculation of the mean germination time (MGT; delay to radicle emergence), single early counts of radicle emergence provide a convenient means of predicting MGT and differences between seed lots. Evidence is presented for an ageing and metabolic repair hypothesis as the overall physiological basis to explain the principles behind the standard germination and vigour tests (ageing, electrolyte leakage, cold test, germination rate and seedling size). The work of the International Seed Testing Association (ISTA) in developing convenient, inexpensive and internationally repeatable tests is illustrated.

Keywords

metabolic repairseed ageingseed qualityvigour test
Type
Review Article
Information
Seed Science Research , Volume 22 , Supplement S1: Seed Science in the 21st Century , February 2012 , pp. S69 - S73
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 2012

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