The objective of the study was to asses the storability of onion seeds at reduced seed moisture levels in ambient condition so as to know how well it compared with that under medium term conditions of the genebank. Seed moisture levels chosen ranged from 7.5 to 1.66 per cent. Germination and radical lengths were taken as criteria to asses the seed storability. Seeds stored at 4.0–4.5 per cent moisture (over silica gel) at ambient temperature retained viability comparable to those at 7.5 per cent moisture at +100 C upto 12 months of storage. In an another experiment, laminated aluminium foil (LAF) packets and metal cans with rubber lined caps werre used as containers for seeds at moisture levels of 2.8 and 1.6 per cent. Seeds stored in LAF pouches showed higher vigour (as measured by radical lengths) than those stored in metal cans. Vigour was higher in seeds at lower moisture level. Seed lots of different vigour did not retain same relative vigour rating when exposed to stress condition of accelerated ageing.
Onion, seeds, moisture, storability
