Hydration-dehydration treatment of stored sunflower seeds, with or without chemicals, has been found to be very effective in controlling the loss of vigour and viability under different ageing conditions. The beneficial effects of the treatments were associated with greater dehydrogenase activity and reduced lipid peroxidation in the seed. It is suggested that in the effective treatments the damage to lipoprotein membranes By lipid peroxidation was cosiderably reduced and thus the membrane permeability wss less affected than in the untreated seeds. The involvement of free radical reactions in thede terioration of sunflower seed and its control by physico-chemical treatments have been discussed.
