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Germinating trail with H₂O₂ :

Many grape breeders soak their seeds in hydrogen peroxide (H₂O₂) before germinating. There has been some discussion on the best optimum for the concentration of the hydrogen peroxide.

This trail is made to find the optimum % of hydrogen peroxide for grape seed preparation.

4 different concentrations are tested on 6 lots of grape seeds, and then off cause a control with water.

• Each seed lot is soaked in water for app. 12 hours.

• Then stored in the hydrogen peroxide for 24 hours at room temperature.

• Planted in peat moose right away, and post stratified in the glasshouse.

• Showered with water when dryness is observed.

Concentration is discussed to be 1 % or 3 %. So the test is added with 0.3% and 10% meaning a total of 5 lots include the control lot.

Seed preparation: Arrived in November from LON, cleaned and then stored in –18 °C until February. Then 6-8 weeks stratifying at 3-8 °C.

Clear solution is 10 % H₂O₂ so there is clear difference in the process.

Grape variety in the test is what I could get from LON. Thanks to LON for the donation. All females so the test should have good chance for ideal seeds. (No inbreeding)

• ES 5-14
• ES 2-3-17
• Pinard
• ES 56
• MN 78
• ES 417

The Pinard seed was also soaked for 10 hours in water after treatment. (Lack of time)

Water uptake in the Seed

I have tried to measure the water uptake in the Seed during the soaking. 25 seeds was weighed on a 0,1 g weight.

Notice that I have a starting Mo on 8 % (this is a guess) meaning only 32 % uptake of water. Problem is:

It was only the “skin” around the seed that took water. When this was stripped of, the seed got the same weight again …

But lets see if we can break the concentration of ABA with H2O2?

Germination % is investigated against Hydrogen Peroxide %, to se if there is an optimum.

Note: Due to the problems with zero and a log scale, 0,1 % is the control with pure water.

Pinard: ES 5-14

Hydrogen Peroxide %	Germination %	Hydrogen Peroxide %	Germination %
0	75	0	66
0,3	66	0,3	25
1,0	75	1,0	66
3,0	75	3,0	66
10	83	10	8
A super seed-lot with a total of 75% germinated seeds !		A good seed-lot with a total of 46% germinated seeds

ES 2-3-17: ES 56:

Hydrogen Peroxide %	Germination %	Hydrogen Peroxide %	Germination %
0	25	0	0
0,3	0	0,3	8
1,0	17	1,0	16
3,0	25	3,0	16
10	8	10	0
An average seed-lot with a total of 18 % germinated seeds		A bad seed-lot with only 8 % germinated seeds

MN 78: ES 417:

Hydrogen Peroxide %	Germination %	Hydrogen Peroxide %	Germination %
0	25	0	25
0,3	33	0,3	25
1,0	25	1,0	33
3,0	17	3,0	25
10	17	10	33
An OK seed-lot with a total of 23% germinated seeds		A better seed-lot with a total of 30 % germinated seeds

Conclusion:

Since the seed lot is limited to 12 seeds/lot, a single seed germination can change the hole picture. But anyway, a viable seed-lot like Pinar do not show any improvement with H₂O_2. It started to germinate very early, on all seeds.

ES 5-14 got a nice average germination %, but I just wonder about the low germination % at 0,3 % H₂O_2. and at10 % H₂O_2. They are both very low! (Statistic reliable) This and the rest of the seed-lot germinated ALL very late.

ES 56 was not a viable lot, only a total of 7 % germination.

I can’t see any help from H₂O_2. maybe with a good imagination you can see improvement in ES 56, but I think I will try this lot again. (still got some seeds)

Now I have to admit that there can be some mistreatment in my seed handling.

2 weeks in room temperature after receiving the seeds?

Stratifying period to long?

On the other hand, it does not hurt the seeds if the H₂O_2.are kept between 1 and 3 %.