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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.

 

 

 

 

 

 

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)

 

 

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 H2O2. 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 % H2O2. and at10 % H2O2.  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 H2O2. 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 H2O2.are kept between 1 and 3 %.