Effect of winter wheat (cv. Jana) seed ageing on its viability and vigour

Abstract

Viability and vigour of freshly collected 1, 2 and 3 years old seeds of the winter wheat cv. Jana were determined, on the base of the rate of germination, germinative capacity and the mean germination time, as well as the length of the shoot after 4, 7 and 10 days of the germination test. The intensity of respiration of whole caryopses, of isolated embryos and of the mitochondria was also measured. It was shown that the seed vigour and viability decreases with ageing. In seeds stored over longer periods the respiratory activity decreases as consequence of disturbance of the biogenesis of mitochondria, decline of oxidative phosphorylation and a decrease of the ability to oxidize the respiratory substrate.