Seed Vigor
RIAD BAALBAKI
California Department of Food & Agriculture
LAURA CARLSON
SoDak Labs
Committee Projects & Presentations
The Seed Vigor Committee’s activities include updating the Seed Vigor Testing Handbook, sponsoring referees involving improving existing tests and developing new ones, presenting webinars to further knowledge of the principles of seed vigor and deterioration, and of the testing methods to quantify these, and providing methodologies.
The 2009 edition of the Seed Vigor Testing Handbook is a comprehensive revision of the 1983 and 2002 editions that set the standard for vigor testing. As a methodical and detailed resource, the handbook is of value to seed technologists, other scientists, students, and industry personnel interested in the subjects of seed vigor and seed quality. The Seed Vigor Testing Handbook has been internationally recognized as an important tool for all aspects of vigor testing, and the newest edition represents the definitive authority on the theory, standardization, applications, and methods of seed vigor testing.
The handbook is divided into four parts, each covering a different aspect of vigor testing. Parts Three and Four take a new approach to classifying seed vigor tests by dividing them into categories according to aging, cold, conductivity, seedling performance, and Tetrazolium tests. Part Three focuses on the principles of each vigor test, while Part Four presents detailed descriptions of test procedures. Considerable research in vigor testing has been reported since 1983 for specific crops. This information is compiled in an Appendix that lists more than 50 major crops and the vigor tests that have been successfully used to test them.
BRIEF OVERVIEW OF CONTENTS:
- PART ONE: THE IMPORTANCE OF SEED VIGOR TESTING. History of Seed Vigor Testing; Standardization of Seed Vigor Tests; and Seed Vigor Concepts
- PART TWO: VARIABLES AND GENERAL PROCEDURES IN VIGOR TESTING. Variables in Vigor Testing; Use of Control Samples; Tolerances; Proper Sampling Techniques; Determinations of Soil Moisture Content and Water Holding Capacity; Adjusting Seed Moisture Content; Assessing Seed Size (Weight) Variation; and Proper Placement of Replicates in Germination Chambers
- PART THREE: SEED VIGOR TESTS – PRINCIPLES. Aging tests; Cold Stress Tests; Conductivity Tests; Seedling Performance Tests; and Tetrazolium Tests For Seed Vigor Determination
- PART FOUR: SEED VIGOR TESTS – PROCEDURES. Accelerated Aging Test; Saturated Salt Accelerated Aging Test; Controlled Deterioration Test; Cold Test; Saturated Cold Test; Cool Germination Test; Electrical Conductivity Test; Single Seed Conductivity Test; Potassium Leakage Test; Speed of Germination Test; Seedling Growth Rate Test; Computer Imaging Tests; Tetrazolium Vigor Test For Corn; Tetrazolium Vigor Test For Peanut; Tetrazolium Vigor Test For Cottonseed; Tetrazolium Vigor Test For Dry Beans; and Tetrazolium Vigor Test For Soybeans.
- APPENDIX
- INDEX
AOSA acknowledges the significant contributions of all authors and especially the editors who reviewed the final draft: Drs. Riad Baalbaki, Sabry Elias, Julio Marcos-Filho, and Miller B. McDonald. The Seed Vigor Testing Handbook is an important demonstration of AOSA’s (and SCST’s) commitment to the refinement and modification of the Rules and procedures for seed testing, and ensures that testing procedures are standardized between analysts and among laboratories.
Contents of Chapter 11:
- The Concept of Seed Vigor
- How Do We Define Seed Vigor?
- Seed Vigor Tests
- Precision is an Essential Component of Vigor Testing
- Control Samples in Vigor Testing
- Limitations of Seed Vigor Tests
- Usefulness of Seed Vigor Tests
SUGGESTED RESOURCES: ISTA Handbook of Vigor Test Methods
info available at https://www.seedtest.org/en/product—1–1082–203–36.html
Contents:
- Introduction
- Limitations of Germination Tests
- Definition and Concept of Seed Vigour
- Measuring Seed Vigour
- Why required? What is required?
- Current Vigour Tests. An ISTA perspective.
- Recommended Seed Vigour Tests
- Conductivity, AA
- Suggested Procedures …
- Cold
- Cool Germination
- Controlled Deterioration
- Complex Stressing
- Hiltner
- Seedling Growth Tests
- Tetrazolium Test
- Control Samples in Vigour Testing