Ecology, Environment and Conservation Paper

STANDARDIZATION OF SEED VIABILITY TESTING PROTOCOLS IN DINANATH GRASS (PENNISETUM PEDICELLATUM) AND BERSEEM (TRIFOLIUM ALEXANDRINUM)

V. Vijayalakshmi, S. Sathish and K. Sivasubramaniam

Abstract

Experiments conducted to standardize the suitable preconditioning period, seed preparation method, Triphenyl Tetrazolium Chloride salt solution concentrations and Incubation period for the seed viability studies in Dinanath grass and Berseem seeds at AC and RI, Kudumiyanmalai, between 2018 and 2020. For standardization of seed viability testing Dinanath grass seed was exposed to five different preconditioning durations viz., 2h, 4h, 6h, 8h and 12h; preparation methods (removal of glumes); four different concentrations of 2, 3,5 Triphenyl Tetrazolium Chloride (TZ) salt solutions (0.25, 0.5, 1.0 and 1.5%) and four different incubation durations in TZ (2h, 4h, 6h and 8h) @ 40 oC. Berseem seeds exposed to three different preconditioning durations (2h, 3h and 4h); preparation methods (splitting of cotyledons); followed by exposure to four different concentrations of 2, 3,5 Triphenyl Tetrazolium Chloride salt solutions (0.1, 0.2, 0.5 and 1.0 %) and three different incubation durations in TZ (1h, 2h and3h) @ 40 oC. The Tetrazolium test results were correlated with regular germination test. From the studies it could be concluded that Dinanath grass seeds preconditioned for 4h followed by removal of glumes and soaked in 0.5 % TZ solution for 6h @ 40 oC stained perfectly. In Berseem, seeds preconditioned for 2h followed by splitting of cotyledons, and soaking in TZ @ 0.1 % for 1h at 40 oC was the best possible combination leading to proper staining, and the same combinations were positively correlated with the normal germination test.