In the standard germination test, what happens to viable seeds?

In the standard germination test, viable seeds are those that are capable of sprouting and growing into seedlings when provided with the appropriate conditions, such as moisture, temperature, and oxygen. During the test, these seeds will undergo the germination process, which involves breaking dormancy and starting to grow.

When viable seeds germinate, they first absorb water, swell, and then break through their outer coat. This begins the growth of the embryo within the seed, leading to the development of roots and shoots. The primary goal of the germination test is to assess the proportion of seeds in a sample that are capable of germinating under laboratory conditions, which indicates their viability.

In contrast, seeds that remain dormant, decay, or partially develop roots do not demonstrate the successful completion of the germination process as viable seeds do. Understanding this distinction is crucial for evaluating seed quality and potential crop performance.