Assessment the relationship between seed vigor tests and seed field performance of some forage crops of Iran

ABSTRACT: In this experiment, in order to study the effect of seed staleness on seed biological traits and relationship between seed vigour tests and seed performance in farm of some forage crops in Iran region, seeds of forage crops included alfalfa, Iranian clover and sorghum selected and after conducted standard germination test on they, total seeds stored for one year at the unfavorable condition, and after this time, total seeds were carried at the seed vigour tests and simultaneously, they were sowing in farm and seed performance in farm was determinate. Base on our results, there are different between crop about suitable vigour test that to describe relationship between seed vigor and seed performance, so that hiltner and cool tests was the best test for sorghum, whereas standard germination test and osmotic stress test (-0.2 and -0.4) were the best for alfalfa and clover respectively. Results show that however according to results of simple regression and correlation coefficient the highest relationships were between seed emergence in farm and tetrazolium, seed germination speed, osmotic stress (-0.4) tests, but variance analysis didnʹt show any significant relationship between them except for osmotic stress -0.4 test.