engleski

Germination and germination energy of wheat seeds aged under different storage conditions

Natural, time-dependent process of ageing takes place during seed storage. Free radical generation/oxidation and non-enzymatic glycosylation within seeds occur, causing molecular damage, seed deterioration, loss of viability and finally seed death. Velocity of occurring chemical reactions is influenced by two main factors: relative humidity and temperature during seed storage, and as they are higher, deteriorative changes within seeds increase, consequently leading to the loss of germination. In order to determine the effect of relative humidity and temperatures during storage on seed deterioration, we have examined changes of germination and germination energy of three wheat varieties aged under different storage conditions. Wheat seeds of the cultivars Divana, Žitarka and Srpanjka, were aged during one year under four different storage conditions: (1) 4 ± ; 0.5 °C ; 45 ± ; 4 % RH ; (2) 25 ± ; 0.7 °C ; 45 ± ; 7 % ; (3) 40 ± ; 0.6 °C ; 45 ± ; 2 % RH ; and (4) warehouse conditions fluctuating from 2-25 °C and 60-74 % RH due to environmental climate changes. Germination and germination energy of wheat seeds were determined monthly. Decrease of germination and germination energy were observed for seeds aged at 40 ± ; 0, 6 °C ; 45 ± ; 2% RH, followed by seeds aged at 25 ± ; 0, 7 °C ; 45 ± ; 7% RH, while for seeds kept at 4 ± ; 0, 5 °C ; 45 ± ; 4% RH or at warehouse conditions observed changes were minimal or statistically insignificant. Germination energy decrease always preceded decrease in germination ability. Dependent on variety, 35 – 85% of seeds aged at 40 ± ; 0.6 °C ; 45 ± ; 2% RH and 10 - 20% of seeds aged at 25 ± ; 0, 7 °C ; 45 ± ; 7% RH lost germination ability after one-year storage, while loss of germination energy was even higher. Due to an earlier decrease, it seems that germination energy could be used as an indicator of deteriorative changes within seeds during storage.

ageing; wheat; germination; germination energy

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