Adjustment of initial moisture content and accelerated aging test for supersweet corn (sh2) seeds

Abstract

The accelerated aging test is an important method for assessing vigor in a seed quality program. However, the results are influenced by several factors (such as initial moisture content of the seeds) that are used as indicators of the uniformity of the performed tests. In this study, we compared the efficiency of the standardization of the initial moisture content of supersweet corn seeds in the accelerated aging test. Five lots of the hybrid Tropical Plus® supersweet corn (sh2) were used to evaluate germination, precocity of primary root emission, first count of germination, field seedling emergence, electrical conductivity, seed moisture content, cold test, and accelerated aging test without standardization (traditional) and with standardization of the initial moisture content to 14%, 12%, and 10% for 3 aging periods (48, 72, and 96 h). The results showed that the standardization improved the sensitivity of the accelerated aging test, allowing the seed lots to be classified into different vigor levels. Among the different combinations of initial moisture contents and aging periods, standardization of the initial moisture content to 14% or 12% and exposure period to 96 or 72 h allowed the best vigor classification of the supersweet corn (sh2) seeds.

Keywords

• vigor, germination, seed quality.