Embryo excision versus longitudinal cut in tetrazolium viability determination of cereal seeds

Publication Type

Journal contribution

Authors

Kruse, M.

Year of publication

1996

Published in

Seed Science and Technology

Band/Volume

24/

Page (from - to)

171-183

Results of a comparative test on germination and viability of six samples of wheat and barley involving 13 participating stations are presented. These demonstrate the equivalence of the two preparation methods ¿longitudinal cut¿ and ¿embryo excision¿ in tetrazolium testing of cereal seeds for the practical purposes of seed testing. Furthermore, the results showed the well known higher viability by tetrazolium testing than germination in samples infected by pathogens or accelerated aged. Blind replicates within the stations showed that there was a higher precision in germination testing than in either of the two tetrazolium testing methods. Using a very detailed evaluation scheme with 13 different classes, advantages were found for the embryo excision method in assessing the viability of the root tip and the scutellum. The results obtained by the respective standard TZ preparation method of the stations showed a higher accuracy than the results obtained by the method that the stations had first to learn prior to conducting the test. However, the experience of the stations with tetrazolium testing, as indicated by the number of samples tested per year, showed no significant correlation to the accuracy of viability determinations. It must be assumed that rather the individual diligence and stringency in evaluation seems to determine the accuracy. The dependency of the coefficient of correlation on the range of the viability results and on the sample size is discussed, because this dependency can impair the appropriateness of correlation analysis for testing the equivalence of methods.