Non-Invasive Techniques for Seed Quality Analysis

The most common way to test seed quality is to use a simple and reliable but time- and space consuming germination test, it is also destructiveso there is need to find the way for fast and non-invasive techniques in seed quality testing. Recently many new technologies have been developed in the science field viz., Near Infrared Reflectance spectroscopy (NIR), Xray analysis, Computerized seed image analysis, Magnetic Resonance Analysis (MRA), Q₂ oxygen sensing technology; Chlorophyll fluorescence (CF) analyser, Ethanol detection by modified breath analyser and many more technologies have been exploited for seed analysis. By using a modified breath analyser ethanol was measured and the seed deterioration was analysed in cabbage seeds. This method was fast and noninvasive as compared to the gas chromatographic or enzymatic procedures for the estimation of ethanol. The analysis showed an inverse correlation between ethanol production and seed quality. Premature seeds produced more ethanol upon imbibition than mature seeds. The different commercial tomato seed samples were analysed by using the “Single Seed Oxygen Consumption Measurement” (Q₂) and this in comparison with other classical quality determination methods. The Q₂ technology was able to give repeatable data in a relative short timeframe. Using the chlorophyll fluorescence sorting technique was possible to remove green seeds from the seed lot thus it improves the quality of Soybean seeds. These technologies are able to bring a multidimensional view onto the seed quality of these samples to the attention of the seed analyst. So these all are going to change seed quality testing methods in near future.