Methods to determine the viability of a sample of seeds.

• Germination Test: Place a specific number of seeds (e.g., 100) on a moist paper towel, fold it, and place it in a plastic bag. Keep it in a warm place and check after a few days to see how many seeds have sprouted.
• Water Test: Place seeds in a container of water. Viable seeds will sink, while non-viable seeds will float.
• Excised Embryo Test: This involves removing the embryo from the seed and placing it in a nutrient solution to see if it grows.
• Chemical Test: Some seeds can be tested using chemicals that react with living tissues, indicating viability.

Viable seeds soaked in 0.1% tetrazolium salt solution and left for 24 hours will have their embryo-stained red.

Viable seeds decolorize warm potassium permanganate solution

• The electrical conductivity test measures the leachate’s conductivity when seeds are soaked in water, providing an indirect assessment of seed viability.

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