FACTORS AFFECTING THE GERMINATION AND ESTABLISHMENT OF MONOGERM SUGAR BEET
2.3.2 Seed storage
Sugar beet storage is not a problem in the U.K. The cool ambient conditions allow commercial seed to remain usable for several years. Longden & Johnson (1974b) studied the effects of storage temperature and water content with time on seed performance with pelleted and unpelleted Amono and Monobeet. Both higher water content and temperature lead to quicker loss of viability over the range 5 - 18% H20 and 2 - 22°C; in the extreme case of storage under conditions of 18% and 22°C, seeds were completely dead after 13 months storage. Seed stored in open containers @ 10°C produced about 9% fewer seedlings per annum relative to the initial value (= 100) over five years, while both pelleted and unpelleted stored in sealed thick polythene bags showed almost no decline with a water content of 5 - 10%.
Sometimes an increase in germination over the first year of storage was observed. This was most probably due to a combination of saprophytic fungi on the seed surface dying and loss of post harvest dormancy. Storing at lower temperature (2°C) gave seedlings of lower dry weight when tested. Storage of beet seed at about 10°C is considered appropriate and this temperature is relatively cheap and easy to maintain.
In warm humid climates seed viability does decline and methods of minimising losses are required. Basu & Dhar (1979) found that soaking in 5 x the volume of water followed by re-drying before storage reduced the loss of viability over three months of storage. No chemical solution had a better effect than water but the exact mode of action of the hydration/dehydration process is not known. There may be an effect on inhibitors in the seed or on free radicals.
Another problem is that seed vigour deterioration occurs before loss of viability can be determined by standard germination tests. Seed vigour is a measurement of the ability of seeds to germinate or emerge under non-optimal conditions. Low vigour is associated with slow emergence which is extremely undesirable for high sugar yield.
FACTORS AFFECTING THE GERMINATION AND ESTABLISHMENT OF MONOGERM SUGAR BEET
[Introduction & Contents] [Chapter One] [Chapter Two] [Chapter Three] [Chapter Four] [Chapter Five] [Chapter Six] [Chapter Seven]
[2.3] [2.3.1] [2.3.2] [2.3.3] [2.3.4] [2.3.5]
