4 February 2010

Kew Gardens and Graz University researchers develop non-invasive test for seed quality

Science|Business

Research lead

Scientists from the Millennium Seed Bank at Kew Gardens in London and Graz University, Austria, have developed a rapid, new method to diagnose seed quality non-invasively and in real time.

Using infrared temperature measurement, seed viability results can be completed in less than two hours. Until now time-consuming germination tests, taking up to three days, were used to assess seed quality. Conventional tests are also destructive, which is not ideal when assessing the seeds of rare and endangered plants.

Ilse Kranner, from the Seed Bank, and Gerald Kastberger of Graz University found that infrared cameras can be used to detect subtle changes in temperature when seeds take up water. These changes vary with viability.

The thermal...

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