Accelerated ageing as a vigour test for crambe (Crambe abyssinica) seeds

Abstract

Adequate seed vigour tests are fundamental in evaluating vigour level and consequent performance of seed lots in storage and in the field conditions. The accelerated ageing is one of the most important of these tests. To establish the best accelerated ageing procedure for evaluating the vigour of crambe seeds, we compared results from the traditional method (ageing periods of 24, 48, and 72 hours at temperatures of 41 and 45 °C) and the saturated salt accelerated ageing (SSAA) (NaCl) method. In addition to accelerated ageing, germination in a sand substrate, seedling emergence in laboratory, and seed moisture content before and after seed ageing were determined. Our first count was highly sensitive in detecting seed vigour level. Both the traditional and SSAA methods can be used to efficiently classify the vigour of crambe seed lots and could be promising techniques for crambe seed quality control programs. To evaluate vigour of crambe seed lots, the traditional accelerated ageing test should be executed for 48 hours at 41 °C and the SSAA method, for 24 hours at 41 or 45 °C. Seedling assessment should be carried out on the fourth day for both methodologies.

Accelerated ageing as a vigour test on chickpea seeds

“…Following the criterion of agility, the best option is the evaluation in the FC. These results agree with those obtained by Leão et al (2016) studying the AASS test for crambe seeds. The authors concluded that 24 h at 41 or 45 °C is best to determine vigour in this species.…”

“…For FC at 45 ºC for 48 h, the lots were classified into four vigour levels, similar to the classification found in the initial characterization. Similarly, Leão et al (2016) reported that crambe seeds should be exposed to 41 ºC for 48 h in the AA test. For Cícero cultivar, Lot 2 showed the best performance, except for FC at 41 ºC for 24 h. Lots 3 and 4 were generally classified as intermediary performances, with some differences in rank.…”

“…Among the tests that evaluate the physiological quality of the seeds, we have the accelerated ageing test, which is a commonly used test of vigour. It has been successfully used for soybean seeds (Marcos-Filho, 1999;Dutra and Vieira, 2004), corn (Fessel et al, 2006), and other species such as crambe (Leão et al, 2016). In this test, the seeds are subjected to high temperature and relative humidity for a relatively short period and then placed to germinate.…”

Crambe abyssinica a non-food crop with potential for the Mediterranean climate: Insights on productive performances and root growth

“…Standard germination tests are most widely applied to evaluate the physiological quality of seeds, but they do not provide full information about the health status of seeds and their responses to sub-optimal environmental conditions (Still, 1999). However, according to many authors, germination energy is a robust indicator of the physiological quality of crambe seeds because it describes germination rate, the first parameter that deteriorates with a decrease in seed quality (Leão et al, 2016;Taylor, 2003). In the current study, crambe seeds germinated rapidly, and germination energy was practically identical after 4 and 7 days of germination.…”

Use of radiographic images for rapid and non-destructive assessment of crambe seed quality

“…This technique allows investigation of morphological and structural abnormalities of the seed internal tissues and their causes (Arruda et al, 2016). The X-ray test is based on differential absorption of X-rays by the tissues; the denser and thicker the tissue, the lighter the image generated (Kotwaliwale et al, 2014). This test can be used for seeds of several species without causing damage to the seeds, as is used low doses of radiation, enabling evaluation of internal structures that otherwise would be difficult to evaluate (Xia et al, 2019).…”