Near-Infrared Spectroscopy Used to Predict Soybean Seed Germination and Vigour

Rapid, non-destructive methods for measuring seed germination and vigour are valuable. Standard germination and seed vigour were determined using 81 soybean seed lots. From these data, seed lots were separated into high and low germinating seed lots as well as high, medium and low vigour seed lots. Near-infrared spectra (950–1650 nm) were collected for training and validation samples for each seed category and used to create partial least squares (PLS) prediction models. For both germination and vigour, qualitative models provided better discrimination of high and low performing seed lots compared with quantitative models. The qualitative germination prediction models correctly identified low and high germination seed lots with an accuracy between 85.7 and 89.7%. For seed vigour, qualitative predictions for the 3-category (low, medium and high vigour) models could not adequately separate high and medium vigour seeds. However, the 2-category (low, medium plus high vigour) prediction models could correctly identify low vigour seed lots between 80 and 100% and the medium plus high vigour seed lots between 96.3 and 96.6%. To our knowledge, the current study is the first to provide near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS)-based predictive models using agronomically meaningful cut-offs for standard germination and vigour on a commercial scale using over 80 seed lots

Optimización de la prueba de tetrazolio para evaluar la viabilidad en semillas de Solanum lycopersicum L.

Tomato (Solanum lycopersicum) is one of the most consumed vegetables worldwide with increasing demand. Therefore, knowing its seeds viability is of utmost importance since these are the basis of their production success. Accordingly, the study aimed at optimizing the tetrazolium test by determining the appropriate pretreatment to enhance it. Plant material was collected from crops established in the municipality of Cáchira, department of Norte de Santander, Colombia. The seeds were extracted from ripe fruits and subsequently exposed to preconditioning with sodium hypochlorite and distilled water for 10 minutes, with three concentrations of 2,3,5-triphenyl tetrazolium chloride (0.25 %, 0.15 %, and 0.10 %) and different exposure times (6 h, 12 h, and 24 h). The viability data obtained were corroborated by the germination test on wet paper towels. The viability results with the highest correlation with the germination test were obtained using the 0.25 % and 0.15 % concentrations, and utilizing the pre-conditioning treatment with sodium hypochlorite as well as immersion in distilled water.El tomate (Solanum lycopersicum) es una de las hortalizas más consumidas en el mundo con un aumento en su demanda, por lo que conocer la viabilidad de sus semillas es de suma importancia, ya que estas son la base del éxito de su producción. Debido a esto, el presente estudio tuvo como objetivo optimizar la prueba de tetrazolio determinando el pretratamiento adecuado para potenciar la prueba. El material vegetal se recolectó de cultivos establecidos en el municipio del Cáchira, departamento de Norte de Santander, Colombia. Las semillas se extrajeron de los frutos maduros y, posteriormente, se expusieron a pretratramientos con hipoclorito de sodio y agua destilada durante 10 minutos, con tres concentraciones de 2, 3, 5- cloruro trifenil tetrazolio (0,25 %, 0,15 % y 0,10 %) y distintos tiempos de exposición (6 h, 12 h y 24 h). Los datos de viabilidad obtenidos se corroboraron mediante la prueba de germinación en toallas de papel húmedas. Los resultados de viabilidad más relacionados con la prueba de germinación se obtuvieron al emplear las concentraciones de 0,25 % y 0,15 %, utilizando tanto el pretratamiento con hipoclorito de sodio como la inmersión en agua destilada. &nbsp