Seed Viability Testing

What is Seed
 Botanically, it is the fertilized, matured ovule of a flowering plant, containing an
embryo or rudimentary plant.
 From Agricultural perspective, any propagative part of a plant, including tubers,
bulbs, etc. used for growing a new crop.
Seed Viability
It is the state of seed being alive. It simply implies that a crop/plant seed will able to give rise
to further seedling /plant or not.
Need to test Seed viability
 Testing the viability of seed is important to adjust the seed rates and required
treatments accordingly so as to ensure the plant stand in the crop field.
 Seed viability testing can be done by various methods such as Germination test in
laboratory, Tetrazolium test also called as TTT (Topographical tetrazolium test),
Cut test, X-ray analysis, spectral imaging, Infrared thermography, Ferric chloride tests
& Indoxyl acetate test for mechanical and seed coat damage.
Germination test

Seed Germination, Dormancy and Quiescence

 Botanically it is the emergence of radicle.

 From seed technology point of view, germination is "the emergence and
development from the seed embryo of those essential structures which, for the kind
of seed in question, are indicative of the ability to produce a normal plant under
favourable conditions.
 Seed dormancy has been defined as the inability of an otherwise viableseed to
germinate underfavourable conditions
 Quiescence is a state of suspended growth of the embryo, or a resting condition of the
seedbecause of absence of conditions suitable for germination.
 Dormancy is the internal inhibition of germination of an otherwise normal seed,
even under conditions suitable for its germination. It may be due to immaturity
of embryo, presence of inhibitors, etc., whereas quiescence is the inability of
a normal, non-dormant seed to germinate because of absence of conditions
suitable for germination. It may be due to absence of adequate moisture,
temperature, etc.

Tetrazolium testfor Seed viability testing: in PPT

Pollen Viability test
What are Pollen Grains?
 Pollen grains represent the male portion of the reproductive process in plants and
trees. These tiny bodies are swirling in the air and on the body of insects/animals so
that they can join the female part of the plant (stigma) to create a new seed. The
transfer of pollen from anther (the male part of the flower) to the female part which
 receives pollen (i.estigma) is called pollination. The fusion of male and female
gamete is an important process known as fertilization.
 Another germination event during the life cycle of gymnosperms and flowering plants
is the germination of a pollen grain after pollination. Like seeds, pollen grains are
severely dehydrated before being released to facilitate their dispersal from one plant
to another. Pollen grains consist of a protective coat containing several cells. One of
these cells is a tube cell. Once the pollen grain lands on the stigma of a receptive
flower it takes up water and germinates. Pollen germination is facilitated by hydration
on the stigma.Pollen can also be induced to germinate in vitro (in a petri dish or
test tube).
 During germination, the tube cell elongates into a pollen tube. In the flower, the
pollen tube then grows towards the ovule where it discharges the sperm produced in
the pollen grain for fertilization. The germinated pollen grain with its two sperm cells
is the mature male microgametophyte of these plants.
 Pollen is produced and transported in slightly different ways depending on whether
the plant is an angiosperm or a gymnosperm. Angiosperms are flowering plants, and
gymnosperms are non-flowering. Let's first take a look at pollen in angiosperms.
 In angiosperms, pollen is produced by the anther, which sits on the filament in the
center of the flower. Look closely and you will most certainly see the fine yellow
powder on each anther.
 In order to complete fertilization, pollen must make its way to another plant. Since
pollen cannot move on its own, it must rely on other methods of transport.
 Based on carrier the pollination done through various agents are named differently.
Pollinating agents may be abiotic like wind (Anemophily), water
(Hydrophily)etc. or they may be transferred through animals (Zoophily), insects
(entomophily), birds(ornithophily), and bats (Chiropterophily) etc.
Pollen Viability

 Pollen viability refers to the ability of the pollen to perform its function of
delivering male gametes to the embryo sac. This functional property of the pollen
after their release from the anther varies greatly from species to species and its quality
is assessed on the basis of its viability.Pollen viability is an index of its quality and
vigour.

 Pollen viability varies between minutes and years, and which primarily depends on
the taxonomic status of the plant(Pollen cytology) and on the abiotic environmental
conditions mainly the relative humidity & temperature.

 Pollen Viability tests can be done through following ways.

 In vitro Germination Test

 Pollen Germination on Stigma

 Enzyme Assay Method

 Fruit and Seed Set method

 Tetrazolium Test

 Fluoro-chromatic Reaction Test (FCR) or Fluorescein Diacetate Test (FDA)