Difference Between Seed Viability and Seed Vigor

Difference Between Seed Viability and Seed Vigor

April 29, 2022 .

A viable seed is one that germinates. However, not all viable seeds have the vigor to germinate and grow into nice, healthy plants. Seeds are nature’s way of conserving life for future generations, yet some seeds last longer than others. Read this blog to find out what seed viability and vigor means and how you can differentiate between the both.

Viability

By definition, a viable seed is one which is capable of germination under suitable conditions. It is defined as the capacity of plant structure (seed, cuttings, etc.) to demonstrate living traits such as germination and growth.

It is critical to understand that seeds deposited in a gene bank will develop into plants. As a result, they must be highly viable at the outset and during storage. The viability of seeds at the commencement of storage will also define the accession’s storage life, given the environmental circumstances.

Vigor

A generally recognized definition of vigor is “the sum total of those qualities of the seed that determine the potential degree of activity and performance of the seed during germination and seedling emergence.”

Seed from various sources may produce comparable high levels of germination when grown under ideal conditions. Due to variances in vigor, these identical seeds may have radically different ability to grow plants under the harsher circumstances encountered in the field.

Difference Between Seed Viability and Vigor

Seed Viability Seed Vigor
Seed viability refers to a seed’s capacity to germinate and produce a healthy seedling. Seed vigor refers to how quickly seeds germinate.
The viability test is used to determine if a seed sample contains alive or dead seeds. The seed vigor test distinguishes between high and low vigor seeds.
Seed viability tests include ‘The Germination Test’, Quick Viability Test or TZ test, etc. Seed vigor tests include Accelerated Aging Test, Cold Test, etc.
The viability of a seed decreases when it reaches physiological maturity. Various seeds have different levels of vigor.
Viability test can be conducted using a single variety of seeds. A minimum of two different species of seeds are required for seed vigor testing.
Seed viability can be measured in percentages. Seed vigor is merely a comparison of the resilience of one seed species over the other.

Conclusion

As compared to seed viability, seed vigor is a complicated characteristic that is determined at several phases of the mother plant and seed’s development, as well as by the surrounding environment. Furthermore, its actions are dependent on the environment and act from seed imbibition until seedling emergence.

Seed vigor and seed viability testing are critical to agriculture and the seed industry, but they are still poorly understood and understudied in academic research. With an ever-increasing human population and fast climate change, seed vigor and viability testing is becoming increasingly important. We hope that this blog has highlighted what is known about seed vigor, viability and their influence on crop yield. More study into these perplexing and complicated traits, as well as creative techniques to understanding it, are needed to assure a more stable food supply in the future.

For any questions, feel free to talk to the experts at Gubba. Contact us –

About the author

Gubba Group: