Control of seed germination in blotter test through the water restriction technique

The inhibition of seed germination in health testing is important because germinated seeds may cause contamination and make microscopic assessment difficult. To inhibit seed germination of some dicotyledons species the use of 2,4-D is commonly recommended and for monocotyledons the use of deep freezing is used. In both cases, there are serious inconveniences for several reasons. In the present study the use of the water restriction technique was investigated as mean to inhibit soybean seeds in substitution to 2,4-D in the blotter test. Manitol, NaCl and KCl were the osmotic compounds tested. The effects of the water restriction were also evaluated on the occurrence of the fungi associated with seeds. Water restriction in the range of -0,6 to -1,0 MPa was effective in the inhibition of the seed germination without affecting the occurrence of the fungi in the samples used.

Glycine max; seed health; water restriction; seed germination