SEED TECHNOLOGY PAPER:

Seed Viability

Arranged By:

Wednes Prillya Rolanita (H0715128)

AGRICULTURE FACULTY
UNIVERSITAS NEGERI SEBELAS MARET
SURAKARTA
 I. INTRODUCTION

A seed is the embryo of a new plant and as such is a living thing ,but in a
dormant state, which requires being buried in soil or other suitable matter to trigger
off the renewal process. Actually, the trigger is a combination of temperature, light
and humidity. The matter around the seed is not important.Seeds are living because
seeds need water, light and soil if you don't take care of it. It will die. Plants grow
from seeds.
A viable seed is one which is capable of germination under suitable
conditions. The definition includes dormant but viable seeds, in which case the
dormancy must be broken before viability can be measured by germination. A non-
viable seed, therefore, is one which fails to germinate even under optimal
conditions, including treatments for the removal of dormancy. The practical
definition of viability depends upon the context in which it is used; for example, to
the ecologist, viability implies the ability of the seed to germinate and the ability of
the seedling to establish itself in the environment in which the seed finds itself.
However, when seeds are utilized, to produce a crop, for example, then viability is
a measure of the suitability of the seed batch to produce a satisfactory crop.
Seed viability refers to the capability of a seed to germinate and produce a
normal seedling. The viability of the seed accession is a measure of how many seeds
are alive and could develop into plants which will reproduce themselves,when
given the appropriate conditions (Copeland and Mc Donald, 1980). A seed which
is able to germinate given the right conditions of moisture, temperature, light etc is
called "viable". The seeds that are not viable are dead and of no use. Seeds should
be stored at proper moisture and temperature to maintain their viability. Normally
seeds stored in dry air at room temperature remain vable till the next growing
season. For prolonged storage low humidity and low temperatures (15 C) are
required. Seeds obtained from a parent crop and to be supplied to the farmers are to
be tested for their viability by seed testing laboratories. Different crops have
different acceptable viability standards.
 II. METHODS

A. Seed Viability
The viability of the seed accession is a measure of how many seeds are alive
and could develop into plants which will reproduce themselves, given the
appropriate conditions. Seed viability refers to the capability of a seed to
germinate and produce a normal seedling. The viability of the seed accession
is a measure of how many seeds are alive and could develop into plants which
will reproduce themselves, when given the appropriate conditions
(Copeland and Mc Donald, 1980).
Seed loose viability due to adverse weather conditions during seed
development and maturation e.g. drought, excess water, extreme temperature
etc. Nutrient deficiencies and pesticides injury during seed development and
maturation. Environmental conditions after physiological maturity e.g. during
harvesting, drying, cleaning, storage and handling of seeds.
Seed viability testing is important to know that the seeds that are stored in a
genebank will grow to produce plants. Therefore they must have a high viability
at the start and during storage. The viability of seeds at the start of storage will
also determine, within the environmental conditions, the storage life of the
accession.
Viability will need to be determined at the start of storage and at regular
intervals during storage to predict the correct time for regeneration of the
accession. The viability test takes from a few days to weeks or even months to
give an accurate result. If possible the results should be available before the
seeds are packaged and placed in the genebank so that poor quality seeds can
be identified and regenerated before storage. Where the viability cannot be
determined before storage, the seeds should be placed into long-term storage to
ensure their safety whilst awaiting the results of the test.
The most accurate test of viability is the germination test and this will be
described here. The germination test is made under controlled conditions to find
out how many seeds will germinate and produce normal seedlings which could
 develop into normal reproductively mature plants. The IBPGR Advisory
Committee on Seed Storage recommends that for the initial germination test of
species where a reasonable germination technique is available, a minimum of
two replicates using 200 seeds (100 seeds per replicate) is acceptable, providing
that germination is above 90%. If not, a further 200 seeds should be tested as
before and the overall result for seed viability taken as the mean of the two tests.
Other biochemical tests are available to test viability. These have the advantage
of being quicker, but are not as accurate and require considerable skill and
practice in their implementation and interpretation. These are not recommended
by the IBPGR Advisory Committee on Seed Storage for general use as tests for
seed viability.
B. Seed Viability Testing
Most seeds last for several years, however others have a relatively short
life. How do you know if your seeds are still viable? When properly stored in
a cool, dry place, seed’s shelf life can be extended. Yet, even then, there is no
guarantee that they will still be productive for next season’s planting. There
are two easy tests you can take to check to see if there is life left in your old
seeds.
1. Water Test
The steps to do water testing is take your seeds and put them in a
container of water. Let them sit for about 15 minutes. Then if the seeds sink,
they are still viable; if they float, they most likely will not sprout. This
method, in my opinion, is not the best way to check your seeds. For surer
results, try performing a germination test.
2. Germination Test
There are many methods available which can be used to test
germination. Seeds of different species have different requirements for light,
substrate, temperature and water during germination. For an initial
germination test the IBPGR Advisory Committee on Seed Storage
recommends that a fixed sample size test should be used. There is no general
set of conditions which can be used to germinate seeds of all different
species. Each species is different and must be treated separately. Guidelines
for germination of seeds of the most common crop species and some of their
wild relatives which are likely to be stored in genebanks are given in Vol.
II of Ellis, Hong and Roberts (1985). Seeds of some species are more
tolerant and can germinate under a wide range of conditions but complete
germination will only be achieved under optimum conditions.
The methods is take some of your seeds, preferably 10, and place
them in a row on top of a damp paper towel. Fold over the paper towel and
place in a zip-up plastic bag and seal it; this helps to keep the towel moist
and protected. Then put in a warm location, like a high shelf or on top of the
refrigerator, and check the seeds often—around once a day—to see if they
have began to germinate and/or to check the moisture of the paper towel. If
it needs more water, carefully mist the towel to where it is damp, but be
careful not to apply too much water. Make sure the location you have
chosen is away from exposure to direct sunlight. This can overheat your
seeds.
Your seeds should begin to germinate in several days up to a couple
of weeks, depending on the seed-type. A good rule of thumb is to wait
roughly 10 days; however, if you want to give your seeds the best chance,
research the germination time of your specific seeds. Once the allotted time
has passed, check to see how many have germinated. If you placed 10 seeds
on the paper towel, this will be pretty easy to calculate. If less than 5 seeds
sprouted, your old packet may not have much success when it comes to
planting. If more then 5 sprouted, than your seeds still have a lot of vigor
left in them. Some people wait to perform this germination test around the
time of planting, so that the successfully sprouted seeds can be placed
directly in their garden—a good way to cut time and ensure the plants will
flourish beautifully outdoors. No matter what step you take to test the
viability of your seeds, always remember that every seed is different and
your results may vary. With success, you can help your little seedlings
sprout into the magnificent, thriving plants they were meant to be.
 Two main reasons for the failure of seeds to germinate in suitable
conditions are because they are either dead or dormant. Dead seeds can be
identified because they usually soften and rot during the test as a result of
attack by bacteria and fungi. Seeds which remain hard or absorb water, but
remain firm and in good condition during the germination test are probably
dormant. Seed dormancy is common in some crops straight after harvest
(post harvest dormancy) and in many wild species related to crop plants.
Special treatments are required to overcome seed dormancy. Treatments
vary among species and more detailed advice can be found in Vol. II of
Ellis, Hong and Roberts (1985). The most appropriate test conditions should
be selected for the test. A summary of suitable test conditions is given in
Vol. II of Ellis, Hong and Roberts (1985). A fixed sample size germination
test should be used as explained here.
 III. RESULT

The viability of the seed accession is a measure of how many seeds are alive
and could develop into plants which will reproduce themselves, given the
appropriate conditions. There are two easy tests you can take to check to see if there
is life left in your old seeds. The test are water test and germination test.
 REFERENCE

Fredrick. 2008. Seedlings of dicotyledons. Wageningen, Netherlands : Centre for

Agricultural Publishing and Documentation

Seasonal Wisdom. 2013. How Long Will Vegetable Seeds Stay Viable?.
http://www.seasonalwisdom.com/2013/01/how-long-will-vegetable-seeds-
stay-viable/
Siregar AZ. 2008. Comperative anatomy and morphologi of embryos and seedings
of maize, oats, and wheat. J Kultura 40 (2) : 77-83.