Department of Agronomy, University for Development Studies, P.O. Box 1350, Tamale, Ghana; Department of Crop Science, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, Kumasi, Ghana
Addai, I.K., Department of Agronomy, University for Development Studies, P.O. Box 1350, Tamale, Ghana; Safo-Kantanka, O., Department of Crop Science, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, Kumasi, Ghana
Various forms of accelerated ageing tests have been used to evaluate storability of seed lots but very little work has been done on how these tests correlate or relate well with ambient storage and their effectiveness in selecting for seed storability. In this study, hundred seeds each from three soybean genotypes were subjected to three accelerated ageing tests by soaking the seeds in 20% ethanol solution for two hours, in 20% methanol solution for two hours or in 75°C hot water for seventy seconds. The same quantity of seeds was stored on laboratory wooden shelves for a period of four months at a temperature range of 22-25°C and 30-35% relative humidity. Germination percentage of seeds from these four categories revealed that the ethanol solution predicted seed storability more than hot water and methanol treatments. In another experiment, seeds from individual M 2 plants were screened either by using the ethanol test or by storing threshed and unthreshed seeds at a temperature range of 22-25°C and relative humidity of 30-35% for a period of four months. Only the M 2 plants whose seeds produced germination percentage of 80% or above were selected. Compared to the two ambient storage methods, the ethanol solution was less effective a screening method for improved seed storability but could be used as an initial screening method to predict seed storability in soybeans. However, storability of such seeds should always be confirmed by storage under ambient conditions especially in later generations of selection. © 2006 Asian Network for Scientific Information.