The Viability of Cereal Seed in Relation to Temperature and Moisture: With eight Figures in the Text

Critical examination of previous work on the viability of cerealseeds shows that there is a simple mathematical relationshipbetween temperature, moisture content, and period of viability.There is evidence that this relationship is similar for wheat,barley, and oats. If the moisture content and temperature ofthe seed is known it is possible to predict the expected lifeof the seed; or alternatively, it is possible to predict variouscombinations of storage conditions necessary to achieve a requiredperiod of viability. These results are discussed in relationto current theories concerned with factors which cause lossof viability in seeds.