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Studies on the mechanisms of barley seed deterioration
Author(s) -
HARRISON J. G.,
PERKT D. A.
Publication year - 1976
Publication title -
annals of applied biology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.677
H-Index - 80
eISSN - 1744-7348
pISSN - 0003-4746
DOI - 10.1111/j.1744-7348.1976.tb01729.x
Subject(s) - biology , germination , fusarium culmorum , seedling , fusarium , penicillium , respiration , water content , agronomy , horticulture , botany , geotechnical engineering , engineering
SUMMARY Decline in vigour and viability of barley seeds during storage at room temperature depended on elapsed time and on seed moisture content and was associated with an increase in fungal contamination. Aspergillus repens, Penicillium cyclopium and Fusarium culmorum each became dominant within certain moisture ranges but other evidence indicated that they were not the primary causes of deterioration. Respiration rate, dehydrogenase and diastase activities of germinating deteriorated seeds were less than those of non‐deteriorated controls, and the integrity of cell membranes was affected. The principal site of deterioration which affected seedling growth lay in the embryo.