REVERSAL OF THE EFFECTS OF DETERIORATION IN AGED SOYBEAN SEEDS (GLYCINE MAX (L.) MERR. CV. VICOJA)

Deterioration of seed performance accumulates during storage. The seeds of most agronomic crops are significantly affected by this occurrence. Reversal or rejuvenation of aged seeds is therefore of primary interest.;Information concerning both seed deterioration and its reversal resulted from the study. Seed tissue was shown by tetrazolium staining to age most rapidly at symmetrical locations on the cotyledons. Aged tissue was in turn predisposed to imbibition injury which accounted for most of the loss of performance in aged seeds. When this injury was avoided by slow hydration, reversal of the sensitivity to imbibition injury was demonstrated. This reversal was a temperature dependent process. Slow hydration followed by dehydration improved the survival of seeds during accelerated aging demonstrating that loss of seed vigor was also reversible.;These results were consistent with the hypothesis that age related deterioration was reversed by pregermination metabolism. Alternative explanations may account for these results but the hypothesis tested could not be rejected on the basis of the observations.;The significance of these findings applies to agronomy and to seed physiology. New information was learned regarding seed performance improvement through priming. This information may have applications for increasing the performance of seeds after long term storage. The processes under study may relate to natural survival mechanisms in dry seeds.;The objective of this study was to test a contemporary hypothesis regarding rejuvenation of aged seeds. Experiments relying heavily on accelerated aging and priming were designed to test this hypothesis.