Seed vigour in the 21st century

Abstract

There have been many developments in seed vigour research and vigour testing since 2001 when seed vigour was first introduced into the ISTA Rules. This article will describe the seed ageing / repair hypothesis which has formed the basis of new vigour tests, how the hypothesis can explain differences in vigour and its use in vigour tests. The development and modification of ISTA validated vigour tests, and the extensive research that has examined the application of these tests to other species are described. Other approaches to vigour testing, based on seed response to stress, respiratory indices of vigour and the cell cycle are described and evaluated. The current and potential use of advanced technologies, such as image analysis, in vigour testing, and molecular research based on proteome analysis and DNA repair in Arabidopsis thaliana are described. The radicle emergence test, possibly using image analysis, is highlighted as having great potential for future application to a wide range of species. New approaches to vigour testing may be based on new technologies and molecular markers, but the need for rigorous evaluation of these approaches using commercial seed lots of crop species is emphasised.