Influence of Temperature and Moisture on Seed Viability Period in Sunflower seeds

Abstract

A study to determine the optimum seed moisture content and storage temperature for sunflower seeds under cold storage at two different moisture content (6 and 8%) with three different temperature(+5,-5 and -20ºC) and seeds with same moisture content were stored in cloth bags for ambient conditions for ten months. Cold storage conditions in comparison to ambient conditions revealed that, the seeds stored at -20ºC with 6 per cent moisture content maintained the seed physiological qualities like germination and vigour index at higher level with minimum loss in biochemical parameters like protein and oil content and less reduction in the activities of dehydrogenase, catalase, peroxidase and lipoxygenase enzymes than the seeds under ambient storage. The supremacy of cold storage was also supported by structural study of seed coat changes through scanning electron microscope and seed health study.