11: The Rolde of Biochemical Measurements in Evaluating Vigor

Vigor is defined as the ability of a plant to survive and grow when planted in a standard environment. Plant growth regulators (hormones) are unlikely to prove effective indicators of vigor because they are difficult to measure and their role in physiological processes is poorly understood. Abscisic acid is the only plant growth regulator that currently shows promise for assessing vigor. Enzymes and proteins are also unlikely to prove effective. Starch holds some promise. although the details of its relationship to vigor remain unknown. Sugars are probably too complicated to be useful for vigor assessment. Biochemical "fingerprints" of a number of compounds within a seedling might be effective in the future, but this technique is not presently available. Functional tests such as measurement of photosynthesis or dark respiration might be incorporated into a series of tests. Future tests will probably be more complicated, more expensive, more accurate. and more useful than current ones.

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Author(s): Joe B. Zaerr

Publication: Evaluating Seedling Quality: Principles, Procedures, and Predictive Abilities of Major Tests