VIGOR TESTING IN SMALL-SEEDED HORTICULTURAL CROPS

Vigor is an important characteristic of seed lots and can be defined as the inherent ability of seeds within a seed lot to establish normal (or usable) seedlings under diverse growing environments. Vigor is a complex seed attribute determined by plant genetics, the seed production environment and post-harvest processing and handling. Seed vigor is routinely evaluated for commercial seed lots, but vigor testing can be more challenging in small-seeded horticultural crops compared to larger-seeded agronomic crops. This manuscript provides an overview of selected vigor testing methods suitable for small-seeded horticultural crops.