O - IJPB

Germination after 7 days (%)
100
SEED VIABILITY AND SEED MOISTURE CONTENT
75
50
25
0
Sunflower
0 2 4 6 8 10 12 14 16
Duration of controlled deterioration (days)
P 50 (days)
10
8
6
4
2
0
Embryonic
axis
Whole
seeds
0 0,1 0,2 0,3 0,4 0,5 0,6
Water content (g H 2 O g -1 DM)
Effects of duration of treatment at 35°C of seeds previously equilibrated at water contents of
0.043 (), 0.084 (), 0.146 (), 0.213 (∆), 0.299 (), 0.375 () and 0.488 () on seed viability
and the half-viability period (P 50 ).
- The higher the MC, the faster was seed deterioration.
- There existed a negative linear relationship between the time taken for
germination to drop to 50% (P 50 ) and the embryonic axis MC.