Relationship between Seed Vigor Tests and Field Performance of ‘Regar’ Meadow Bromegrass

The standard seed germination test often overestimates actual field emergence. Several physiological and biochemical tests have been developed for evaluating seed vigor in various crops, but the relationship between vigor testing and field performance has not been studied extensively in grasses. The objective of this study was to evaluate several laboratory vigor tests to determine their relationship to field performance of ‘Regar’ meadow bromegrass (Bromus biebersteinii Roem & Schult.). Standard germination and accelerated aging tests were used to evaluate four seed lots during the 1985 studies. Field performance of these lots was evaluated by determining speed of emergence, total emergence, and forage yield. Only total emergence was correlated with standard germination, while both total emergence and forage yield were correlated significantly with accelerated aging. In 1986, standard germination, seedling growth rate, accelerated aging, electrical conductivity, respiration rate, and adenosine triphosphate (ATP) content were used to evaluate 10 seed lots that were field performance tested. Accelerated aging, respiration rate, and ATP content were correlated significantly with forage yield. Multiple stepwise regression selected accelerated aging and respiration rate as the best model for predicting first‐year forage yield. Field performance of Regar meadow bromegrass can be determined using accelerated‐aging test and seed respiration.