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Relationship of Sunflower Germination and Vigor Tests to Field Performance 1
Author(s) -
Anfinrud M. N.,
Schneiter A. A.
Publication year - 1984
Publication title -
crop science
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.76
H-Index - 147
eISSN - 1435-0653
pISSN - 0011-183X
DOI - 10.2135/cropsci1984.0011183x002400020031x
Subject(s) - seedling , germination , sunflower , helianthus annuus , biology , accelerated aging , seed testing , agronomy , horticulture , sunflower seed , chemistry
Currently, only the standard germination test is used to evaluate sunflower ( Helianthus annuus L.) seed quality. Accurate evaluation of seed quality and related field performance are difficult to obtain with this test since it determines germinability of seed under optimum conditions. Additional seed quality evaluations such as vigor tests, are often valuable in estimating seed quality. Common tests of seed vigor such as germination at cool temperatures, accelerated aging, cold soil, seedling vigor classification, seedling growth rates, seed leachate electrical conductivity, tetrazolium, and mitochondrial efficiency were evaluated to determine their applicability for evaluating sunflower seed quality. Percent seedling emergence in the field was compared with laboratory vigor test results to determine which laboratory method(s) most accurately evaluated seed‐seedling vigor of sunflower. Seed leachate electrical conductivity tests, seedling vigor classification, germination at 10°C, and accelerated aging tests resulted in significantly higher correlations with percent seedling emergence in the field than did the germination test at 21°C.