Seeds

The quality of seed can be determined by various characteristics that are difficult to recognize visually. These include the color of the fully ripened grains, the size - excluding broken and shrivelled grains - and their germination capacity.

The germination capacity test is subject to the ISTA (International Seed Testing Association) regulations as standard and is a random test of the seed in which the grains are to be made to germinate under certain conditions. This allows statistical conclusions to be drawn about the germination capacity of the entire seed of the respective batch.

The Development Center X-ray Technology at Fraunhofer IIS is working on further promising and future-oriented solutions for seed analysis. This enables non-destructive determination of seed quality using 2D and 3D X-ray analysis.

X-ray measurements of the seed detects optically inaccessible characteristics, such as embryo size, which can give an indication of the potential germination capacity in advance.

Furthermore, the germination test using X-ray CT provides added value compared to the current ISTA standard. Additionally, quantitative characteristics are determined, such as growth rate or length of the seedling.