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Title: Water properties in seeds from wild species native to Spain

Author
item GONZÁLEZ-BENITO, MIRA - Complutense University Of Madrid (UCM)
item Walters, Christina

Submitted to: Meeting Abstract
Publication Type: Abstract Only
Publication Acceptance Date: 4/10/2011
Publication Date: 4/10/2011
Citation: González-Benito, M.S., Walters, C.T. 2011. Water properties in seeds from wild species native to Spain. Meeting Abstract. International Society for Seed Science, Bahia Brazil, April 10-15-2011. pp. 280.

Interpretive Summary:

Technical Abstract: Temperature, water content and relative humidity are critical factors contributing to seed longevity during storage. Water sorption isotherms describe the interrelationships between these critical factors. Understanding these relationships can lead to predictions about how best to process seeds for storage as well as provide insight on the physical state and properties of water. Isotherms for seeds are usually constructed by controlling RH and temperature and measuring the water content. We introduce a new way to construct isotherms in which water content is adjusted, temperature is manipulated, and RH is measured using a data logger hermetically sealed within foil laminate containers filled with seeds. Isotherms were constructed for seeds of Malcolmia littorea, Hyssopus officinales and Onopordum nervosum, Pancratium maritimum and Thapsia villosa for RH ranging between 0 and 90% and temperatures ranging between 5 and 45C. Isotherm data were analyzed for strength of water associations within seeds using typical van’t Hoff analyses and BET estimates of surface coverage. Changes of these parameters with temperature are used to indicate the proximity of glass transitions and make predictions on seed longevity. Moreover, isotherms constructed at a range of temperatures are used to predict drying protocols that will result in the desired storage RH within the seed storage container as temperatures fluctuate. The method of monitoring the RH of seeds in sealed containers using wireless data-loggers also provides information about the quality of the container inters of water vapor transmission rate.