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Abstract Detail



Conservation Biology

Pradhan, Namrata [1], Xuli, Fan [2], Martini, Francesco [3], Chen, Huayang [4], Liu, Hong [5], Gao, Jiangyun [2], Manage Goodale, Uromi [6].

A methodological guide to seed viability testing in epiphytic and terrestrial orchids.

Seed viability testing is essential in conservation and research of plants. Initial seed quality and the success of ex-situ conservation efforts, such as seed banking, are determined through seed viability tests, but often assessing viability can be challenging due to the use of unreliable seed viability test. The Tetrazolium test (TTC) is the most commonly used seed viability test in orchids but stated to produce unreliable results by majority of the studies. Therefore, in this study we aim to determine a reliable seed viability test that can be used by orchids of different lifeforms. To achieve this aim, we evaluated the suitability of three seed viability tests, Evans blue test (EB), Fluorescein diacetate test (FDA) and TTC test, with and without sterilization, on seeds of 20 orchid species, which included five epiphytes and fifteen terrestrials, using fresh seeds and long-term stored seeds; seeds stored at -18 ºC for six to eight years. We found that sterilization of seeds and lifeform of the species are the most influential factors for seed viability across all tests and the storage time was not an influential factor. When seeds were subjected to sterilization, the terrestrial species showed greater variation in seed viability results as compared to the epiphytic species. Sterilization negatively affected the seed viability under EB and FDA test conditions but increased the detection of viable seeds in the TTC test in both epiphytic and terrestrial species. The EB test, which evaluates the membrane integrity providing staining inside damaged cells but not in cells with intact membranes, when conducted without sterilization provided the highest viability results. The EB test results were also the most consistent within epiphytic and terrestrial species as well as when the two lifeforms were compared with each other. Therefore, we recommend the EB test for comparative seed viability assessment in orchids as well as in individual studies for species of both lifeforms; terrestrial and epiphyte, rather than the less reliable but commonly used TTC test, or the FDA test, which require more expensive and sophisticated instrumentation. This is the first study to compare the seed viability using three biochemical seed viability tests for orchids of two lifeforms; terrestrial and epiphyte. The results from this study will provide a necessary foundation for orchid seed viability testing that can be used for research and effective seed conservation of terrestrial and epiphytic orchid species.


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1 - Guangxi University, Plant Ecophysiology And Evolution Group, State Key Laboratory Of Conservation And Utilization Of Subtropical Agro-bioresources ,College Of Forestry, Daxuedonglu 100, Nanning , 45, 530005, China
2 - Yunnan University, Lab of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Chenggong Campus, University Town, Chenggong New District, Kunming, Yunnan, 650504, P.R. China
3 - National Dong Hwa University, Department Of Environmental Studies, No. 1, Sec. 2, Da Hsueh Rd., Shoufeng, Hualien, HUA, 97401, Taiwan
4 - Institute Of Botany, The Chinese Academy Of Sciences, State Key Laboratory Of Vegetation And Environmental Change, No.20 Nanxincun, Xiangshan, Beijing, 100093, P.R. China, Beijing, 11, 100093, China
5 - Biology Department, Florida International Univ, Miami, FL, 33199, United States
6 - Guangxi University, Plant Ecophysiology And Evolution Group, State Key Laboratory Of Conservation And Utilization Of Subtropical Agro-bioresources, College Of Forestry,, Daxuedonglu 100, Nanning, 530005, China

Keywords:
seed viability test
seed banking
Tetrazolium test
Fluorescein diacetate test
Evans blue test
sterilization
epiphytic orchids
terrestrial orchids  .

Presentation Type: Oral Paper
Session: CB04, Conservation Biology 4
Location: /
Date: Friday, July 23rd, 2021
Time: 1:15 PM(EDT)
Number: CB04003
Abstract ID:335
Candidate for Awards:Phytochemical Best Oral Presentation Award


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