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Accumulation of sugars during the onset and development of desiccation tolerance in immature seeds of Norway maple (Acer platanoides L.) stored moist
Published online by Cambridge University Press: 22 February 2007
Abstract
The viability of Norway maple seeds collected 21 d before mass maturity (68%moisture content, wet basis) and at mass maturity (56% moisture content) was reduced from 52–85% to 0–7% if dried rapidly (at 10–12% r.h. and 15–17°C for 3 d, then 3 d over silica gel) to 4–5% moisture content. Moist storage of the fruits at 15°C improved the ability of the seeds to tolerate rapid desiccation considerably: 10 and 21 d of moist storage enabled seeds collected at mass maturity or 21 d earlier, respectively, to attain maximum desiccation tolerance to 4–5% moisture content. Moist storage and/or subsequent desiccation affected stachyose, sucrose, and to a lesser extent raffinose, concentrations. The oligosaccharide:total sugar ratio showed a similar pattern in relation to ability to germinate after desiccation to 4–5% moisture content among seeds collected on both dates: desiccation tolerance developed from nil to maximal in these seed populations between threshold oligosaccharide:total sugar values of just less than 0.3 and about 0.4.
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