Relationship of Seed Quality Tests to Field Emergence of Artificial Aged Barley Seeds in the Semiarid Mediterranean Region

Standard germination and vigor tests can be used to predict field emergence of aged barley seeds. The objective of this experiment was to study the effect of aging on seed quality of barley and to identify the best seed quality test to predict field performance of aged barley seeds in the semiarid Mediterranean region in Jordan. Seeds of two barley cultivars, “Rum” and “ACSAD176”, were subjected to artificial aging by incubating the seeds at 42oC and 100% RH for 0, 2, 4, 6, 8 and 10 days. Seeds subjected to 0 day of aging were considered as “control”. Seed germination test, cold test, Accelerated Aging test (AA) and electrical conductivity test of seed leachates were conducted to evaluate the quality of aged seeds. Seedling emergence percentage, Emergence Rate Index (ERI) and Seedling Dry Weight (SDW) were measured at two locations in Northern Jordan. Aging treatments reduced seed germination and vigor. Aging treatments reduced field emergence percentage, ERI and SDW at both locations. All seed quality tests were well correlated with field emergence percentage. However, cold test predicted field emergence of aged barley better than other tests, suggesting that this test was a useful test to evaluate barley stand in the semiarid Mediterranean region