Date: Sun, 26 Jan 1997 15:22:48 +0300 From: dmjoel@netvision.net.il (Daniel M. Joel) To: cp@opus.hpl.hp.com Message-Id: <aabcdefg376$foo@default> Subject: Re: seed viability
Loyd wrote: > There are I believe chemicals available to check the
> viability of seed which only stain live tissue
Mark added that
>One of these chemicals is tetrazolium (2,3,5 triphenyl-tetrazoliumchloride).
Well, we use Tetrazolium test rutinely for seed viability in my lab: dark
seeds are cleared with sodium hypochloride (1% for 5-20 min), and incubated
(after wash in water) in 1% solution of 2,3,5-triphenyltetazolium chloride
for 1-2 days at 37 C or room temp. The seeds that developed red or pink
color are considered viable (=tetrazolium positive), those that do not, are
considered dead (=tetrazolium negative). The "International Seed Testing
Association 1985 (you can find it in libraries esp. of agric. institutes)
gives criteria to distinguish degrees of viability, based on the staining
pattern, but in principle you would wish to have the embryo stained.
> perhaps this is one way to determine seed quality before planting.
-unfortunately tetrazolium staining in most cases is destructive, giving
an indication of the percentage of viability in seed population. Other
seeds will then germinate to about that degree provided that proper
conditions are available.
Danny from Israel
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