Response of Germination Rate to Variable Drying Conditions and Moisture Contents for Storage of Dehisced Korean Ginseng Seeds

We compared the germination rate of dehisced ginseng (Panax ginseng) seeds that were dried under two different conditions, slowly at 15∘C [relative humidity (RH) 10-12%] and rapidly under a laminar airflow cabinet at 25∘C (RH 22-25%). The measurements showed that drying rate and seed moisture content (SMC) play important roles in storage ability and vigor. The seeds that were dried rapidly at 25∘C showed high GR compared with the seeds that were dried at 15∘C after 6 and 12 months of storage at -80∘C irrespective of MC. Seeds dried slowly at 15∘C with MC higher than 7.0% showed high GR maintenance after storage at -18∘C and at 4∘C in comparison with rapidly dried seeds. However, the GR of the slowly desiccated seeds decreased as mean SMC was reduced to less than 5.0%, whereas the rapidly dried seeds were distinguished by significantly high GR irrespective of the storage conditions. The ginseng seeds desiccated under different conditions showed differences in storage performance. Seeds with 7-9% MC that were dried slowly at 15∘C for 5-7 days showed high GR after 4∘C and -18∘C storage; however, longer periods of desiccation decreased the germination level remarkably compared with that of rapidly dried seeds.