Viability of Seeds
Viability of Seeds
the ability of seeds to germinate. Seeds just harvested or stored at a low temperature frequently do not germinate, although they have healthy embryos—that is, they are viable. Such seeds are in a period of dormancy, after which they can produce normal sprouts. The viability of seeds is determined by control seed analysis, the number of live seeds being expressed as a percent of the total number of seeds used in the analysis. The methods for determining the viability of seeds are specified by state standards.