Adjustments in the tetrazolium test methodology for assessing the physiological quality of chickpea seeds

Abstract: Quick tests are essential tools to evaluate seed quality. The objective of this study was to adapt the methodology of tetrazolium test, by identifying the most suitable pre-conditioning parameters of imbibition temperature and duration, and tetrazolium solution concentrations, in order to assess the physiological quality of chickpea seeds. Also, this work proposed the separation of lots in classes, according to the viability and vigor of the seeds. Three lots of chickpeas (lot 1 - BRS Aleppo C1, lot 2 - BRS Aleppo basic, and lot 3 - Cicero) were evaluated. They were analyzed according to three combinations of imbibition temperature and duration (41 °C for 4 hours, 41 ºC for 6 hours, and 30 ºC for 18 hours) and two tetrazolium concentrations (0.1% and 0.5%). The imbibition at 41 °C for 4 or 6 hours, and at 30 ºC for 18 hours allowed clear visualization of injuries in the seeds after immersion in 0.1% tetrazolium solution. The intense coloration formed by the 0.5% solution of this salt prevented the differentiation of the types of damage. In addition, it was possible to separate the seeds into four classes: class I (viable and vigorous, without damages), class II (viable and vigorous, with superficial injuries), class III (viable and non-vigorous), and class IV (non-viable).

摘要：快速检测法是评估种子质量的关键手段。本研究旨在优化四唑试验（tetrazolium test）方法，通过筛选最适配的预处理参数——吸胀温度、吸胀时长以及四唑溶液浓度，以评估鹰嘴豆种子的生理质量。此外，本研究还提出了依据种子活力与生活力对种子批次进行分级的方案。本研究对3批鹰嘴豆种子进行了检测：批次1为BRS Aleppo C1，批次2为BRS Aleppo basic，批次3为Cicero。试验设置了3组吸胀温度与时长的组合（41℃浸种4小时、41℃浸种6小时、30℃浸种18小时），以及2种四唑溶液浓度（0.1%与0.5%），对上述批次种子进行分组检测。当使用0.1%四唑溶液染色时，采用41℃浸种4或6小时、30℃浸种18小时的预处理方式，可清晰显现种子的损伤部位。而0.5%浓度的四唑盐溶液会形成过深的染色效果，无法区分损伤类型。此外，本研究可将检测后的种子分为4个等级：等级I（无损伤、具有生活力与活力）、等级II（存在表层损伤、具有生活力与活力）、等级III（具有生活力但无活力）以及等级IV（无生活力）。