Epsilon Archive for Student Projects

Abstract

The global population is continuously growing and with reports projecting both heavier droughts and precipitation there is a need for resilient seeds, to ensure food security. Today’s germination tests often focus on testing seed viability, which is shown under optimal conditions. Seed vigor is a measurement of seeds performance in field-conditions. Assays to evaluate seed vigor is becoming more relevant as the environment becomes more variable. Cereals is one of the most important calorie sources around the world. This study uses barley (hordeum vulgare) as a model
crop for cereals. The cultivars of barley used in this study is RGT Planet, Laurette and Lexy, all commercial cultivars. Reactive oxygen species in cells drive seed ageing, making seeds lose vigor faster. The aim of this study is to try to implement the FOX-1 assay as a method to measure seed
vigor. It has previously been tested on seeds by Griffo (2023). The FOX-1 assay measures reactive oxygen species using ferrous ion(II)sulphate to bind to peroxides that has leached into the solution from the seeds. It then forms a measurable complex with an indicator called Xylenol Orange. The results showed that the FOX-1 assay was useful to discriminate between seed lots with high and low amounts of reactive oxygen species, correlating to good and poor seed vigor through germination tests. Though, when comparing two seed lots with similar seed vigor it was difficult to predict germination performance through the results of the FOX-1 assay. More research needs to be done to optimize the FOX-1 assay. Future research should investigate possible applications of the assay on freshly harvested seeds and on a variation of seeds.