A Simple Technique for Seed Transfer in X-ray Analysis of Seed

Using X-radiography both for the follow-up study of germination and the correlation of tree seed germinability with embryo and endosperm (or megagametophyte) development often involve seed transfer by hand. Such a procedure is tedious and time-consuming and errors of seed displacement occur frequently. Conventional germination procedures also make counting germinants and evaluating seedling vigor difficult due to the shifting of positions of germinating seeds. A simple technique of using a combination of mechanized vacuum counting plate and perforated Plexiglas templates was devised to overcome these difficulties. It decreased by 40 times the time needed to transfer 400 seeds by hand. It also reduced errors of seed displacement.