Growth inhibitors in oat grains. I. Leakage of inhibiting factors from oat grains during imbibition and the effect of these on germination and growth

During imbibition, oat ( Avena sativa L. cv. Sol II) grains leak inhibiting substances originating mostly from the hulls. The inhibitors repress the growth of roots causing morphological changes in roots of Avena seedlings. Neither the activity of microorganisms nor the osmotic potential of the growth medium was responsible for these changes. The major inhibiting substances of the leachate appear to be triterpenoid glycosides.