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ULTRA‐RAPID METHOD FOR MEASUREMENT OF THE GERMINATIVE CAPACITY OF BARLEY GRAIN
Author(s) -
Bishop L. R.
Publication year - 1957
Publication title -
journal of the institute of brewing
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.523
H-Index - 51
eISSN - 2050-0416
pISSN - 0046-9750
DOI - 10.1002/j.2050-0416.1957.tb06294.x
Subject(s) - formazan , staining , germination , moisture , sample (material) , mathematics , biology , environmental science , chemistry , materials science , agronomy , chromatography , composite material , biochemistry , genetics
In the marketing conditions under which many barleys are purchased, only a short time is available to assess the value of a sample. This makes it desirable to have a simple and rapid method of measuring the germinative capacity, and, such a method, using a substituted tetrazolium salt—iodo‐nttro‐tetrazolium—has been compared with the peeling method. The comparison indicates that (as with similar staining methods) this one is reasonably accurate in the important region near 100% germination. With samples germinating less completely the agreement becomes progressively less exact; but, as such barleys are eliminated from the malting class by either test, the discrepancies are of lesser practical importance. The method gives a correct assessment of damage to germinative capacity from damp storage or from ageing. As with other staining methods which rely on reduction, iodo‐nitro‐tetrazolium can give seriously erroneous results in a narrow region (which varies with moisture content) where the temperature has been just sufficient to kill the grain but not to destroy the staining reaction. However it is considered that when heat damage occurs in practice, e.g ., in a farm drier, the changing conditions, particularly of moisture content, ensure that only a fairly small proportion of the grains show the erroneous result. Consequently it is considered that, as well as being rapid, the method is sufficiently reliable to be used as a help In the purchase of barleys.