The Deleterious Effect of Water and Low Temperature on Germination of Pea Seed

Some pea seeds were killed or damaged by soaking in water, and the damage was aggravated by low temperatures. Low-vigour seed lots were more sensitive to injury than high-vigour lots. Reduced water uptake in osmotic solutions resulted in less damage and most injury occurred during the initial phase of imbibition. More electrolytes exuded from dead and low-vigour seeds than from high-vigour seeds and increased exudation at low temperature was associated with a higher incidence of dead seeds. Death is thought to be caused by a sudden inrush of water which disrupts the sub-cellular organization and membranes of a proportion of seeds predisposed to injury.