Alternative methodology for the tetrazolium test for soybean seeds

Alternative methodology for the tetrazolium test for soybean seeds

1994

A:PS

The possibility of reducing the preconditioning period before the staining process in the tetrazolium (TZ) test was studied using nine soyabean lots (3 lots of different physiological quality of each of 3 cultivars), imbibed for 4, 6, 8 or 10 h at 35 or 42³C. The standard procedure for soyabean seeds (25³, 16 h) was used as the control. It was determined that the preconditioning period could be reduced for determining viability (TZ 1-5) and vigour (TZ 1-3) potentials for soyabeans. Imbibition at 42³ for 8 and 10 h, and even for 6 h, resulted in adequate staining patterns of the seed structure. This allowed the rapid identification of typical patterns of seed deterioration (weathering damage), mechanical injury and stink bug damage. In general, seeds of the studied cultivars presented adequate TZ staining patterns when seed moisture content reached at least 32%. The results obtained were correlated with those of other other vigour tests and represented a simple improvement for TZ testing methodology.

v.22(1):9-17, SEED SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY

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