Study of the relationship of wheat seed electrophysical properties and laboratory germination

Abstract

A method to evaluate the laboratory germination of wheat seeds of the Buran variety is proposed. When analyzing resting potential phase in the variable potential of different wheat varieties it was found that the resting potential cannot serve as a general character by which the laboratory germination of seeds may be evaluated. For laboratory germination studies, the standard method given in the GOST (Russian National Standard) 12038-84 and the electrophysical method based on soaking seeds in distilled water and measuring the variable potential of each seed were used. There were 50 seeds under study. The seeds were soaked in distilled water for 20 hours. Next, the variable potential was recorded and these seeds were again placed in a germination chamber (heating cabinet) for germination for 6 days. The graphs of variance of the variable potential obtained using the LA50-USB data acquisition board with subsequent processing by applied mathematical software packages are presented. At the end of the experimental study, the germination indices of seeds determined in accordance with the GOST 12038-84 were compared with the characteristics of the variable potential of seeds according to individual indices. It was found that the level of the maximum value of the variable potential in normally germinated seeds exceeded 48 mV; in abnormally germinated seeds, it was in the range from 15 to 30 mV; in ungerminated seeds, the maximum value was less than 15 mV. In addition, two groups of high-frequency components in the variable potential were recorded in abnormally germinated and ungerminated seeds. The first group was characterized by fluctuations in the frequency range of 10-40 Hz with doubled amplitude of 1.5–3.5 mV, and the second group had frequencies of 1.2–1.8 Hz with doubled amplitude of 3-5 mV. Thus, the laboratory germination may be evaluated based on the determined characteristics in the variable potential. The proposed method may be useful for farmers for rapid test of seed laboratory germination during the pre-sowing preparation.