Agriculture Reference
In-Depth Information
8
Seed and
Seedling
Vigor Testing
Seed vigor assessment provides important seed quality information regarding potential ield performance
(Powell, 1988; McDonald, 1994; 1998; Egli and TeKrony, 1995). A historical perspective of seed vigor has
been chronicled (McDonald, 1993), reviews written (Chin, 1988; Roberts and Black, 1989; Hampton and
Coolbear, 1990; TeKrony and Egli, 1993; McDonald, 1999), symposia convened (McDonald and Nelson,
1986, AOSA, 1993; van de Venter, 1995), and standardization issues confronted (McDonald, 1995). AOSA,
ISTA and their respective Vigor Testing Committees continue to move forward with the development of
new vigor testing methods and standardization of old vigor tests through the new AOSA Seed Vigor Testing
Handbook (2009) and the publication of new editions of the ISTA Handbook of Vigour Test Methods
(Hampton and TeKrony, 1995) and continue to make progress in harmonizing vigor test protocols between
AOSA and ISTA. The products of these efforts have resulted in more laboratories using vigor tests, from
51% in 1976 to 85% in 1990 (TeKrony, 1983; Ferguson- Spears, 1995; Table 8.1). Although the latest survey
of US and Canadian seed testing laboratories shows a decrease in use of vigor tests compared to 1992
(Baalbaki and Fiedler, 2008), more than two thirds of all surveyed laboratories still use one or more vigor
tests to evaluate seed quality.
Table 8.1. Number and percentages of U.S. laboratories (state and commercial) conducting vigor tests
from 1976 to 2008.
Year Number of labs Percent of labs
participating in survey conducting vigor tests
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1976
N/A
51
1980
98
61
1992
90
85
1998
N/A
65
2008 65 68
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HISTory of SEEd VIGor TESTInG
The history of seed vigor testing begins with the development of the standard germination test. In 1816,
seed legislation was irst passed in Berne, Switzerland. It was necessary because some vendors of clover
seed were adulterating the product with small stones. By 1869, Frederick Nobbe established the irst seed
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