Drying SEEDs, will increase storage time. Drying SEEDs of crops, the process is very critical because it damages embryos in the process of drying the SEEDs, their germination is lost. The results showed that damage to the embryo inside the SEED, immediately after drying operation itself does not appear. In this research factors affecting drying corn SEEDs (the Single Cross 704) to maintain VIABILITY, in a fluidized bed dryer were studied. For experiment was dried with three drying air temperature (33, 37 and 43oC), three drying air velocity (0.5, 1 and 1.5m/s) and 20% humidity at two different times (immediately after the drying process and after 6 months). After drying the SEEDs (reaching 13% moisture) and after 6 months of storage, germination tests were performed. The results showed that all of the tests, the effect of drying temperature on germination rate is significant at 1%, but the impact of air velocity dryer, even not significant at the 5% level. The highest percentage of germination is at 33oC and 0.5m/s drying air velocity.

Manure application is one of the most important sources of weed SEED for infestation farms and orchards. Temperature and moisture are two important factors influencing weed SEED VIABILITY within manure. Therefore in order to study the effect of temperature, and duration of weed SEED in manure on weed SEED VIABILITY, a series of experiments were conducted at the laboratory of weed sciences, Ferdowsi University of Mashhad; by using a Completely Randomized Design (CRD) with factorial arrangement and 3 replications. Treatments included different temperatures (25, 40, 50, 60, and 70°C); and duration of weed SEED in manure (0.25, 0.5, 2, 3, 5, and 7 days); weed species (redroot pigweed, canarygrass, common lambsquarters, and Flix weed); and manure (cattle manure or no manure).The results showed that SEEDs of all weed species were killed by keeping at 50°C after 5 days, but SEEDs of common lambsquarters could survive at 60°C for 12 hours. Also high temperature shortened the mean germination time (MGT) of all species. There were significant differences among weed SEED species with regard to temperature tolerance and duration of weed SEEDs in manure, which may be related to SEED structural and physiological properties. In conclusion, SEEDs of common lambsquarters and flixweed species showed the highest and least tolerance to temperature and durability in manure, respectively.

The main goal of SEED storage is to maintain its quality from harvesting to sowing time. Among all factors, storage temperature and SEED moisture content are the most important factors affecting SEED longevity. This experiment was conducted at University of Tehran, Department of Agronomy and Plant Breeding during 1394 to determine the Ellis and Roberts deterioration model of Chenopodium quinoa SEEDs and introduce constants of VIABILITY equation. SEED VIABILITY and initial moisture content was measured and after that SEEDs were adjusted to 5, 9, 13 and 17% moisture content and sealed hermetically in Nano packets. Storage temperatures were 5, 15, 25 and 35˚ C. The interval of sampling depended on the storage conditions. SEED VIABILITY constants were estimated to predict SEED longevity in this species and relationship between sigma and moisture content and temperatures was determined. After probit analysis, survival curves were depicted in each condition. Results showed that SEEDs with 5% moisture content stored at 5° C had the highest germination percentage, and after 8 months SEED VIABILITY decreased from 98% to 94%. But, SEEDs which were stored at 17% moisture content and 25 and 35° C had the highest deterioration rate. Estimates of KE, CW, CH and CQ were 2. 93, 0. 51, 0. 019 and 0. 00031, respectively. Also, the results showed that SEED longevity decrease with increased SEED moisture and temperature.

Oriental beech (Fagus orientalis Lipsky) SEED storing is unavoidable, due to long-time cycle of mass SEED production (sometimes up to 8 years) and demand for restoration of its non-regenerated gaps in northern forests of Iran. In this research, F. orientalis SEEDs with moisture content (MC) of 30% and 7% were stored during 11 months in refrigerator (4ºC). By terazolium test, it was revealed that VIABILITY of both SEED types started to decline after month 3. At the end of the month 11, the VIABILITY of SEEDs with 30% and 7% MC was 51% and 76%, respectively. It is concluded that, the fresh and dry SEEDs of F. orientalis can be stored near to 1 year in mountain forests of north of Iran and then sown in nursery or sown/broadcasted (with soil scarification) in forest. In order to inhibit the decay, fresh SEED is better to be soaked with fungicide at once collection.

SEED availability is essential for biological reclamation projects. Proper SEED harvesting time is an important factor to ensure maximum SEED VIABILITY and to avoid collecting immature or dehiscent SEEDs. This study aimed to investigate the optimal SEED harvesting time of three range plants including Cymbopogon olivieri, Stipa parviflora and Stipa barbata in Yazd province during growing season of 2007. SEEDs were collected periodically from physiological maturation time to SEED shatter stage. At each collected time 400 SEEDs were dried and were used in 4 replications for VIABILITY test. The experiment lasted for 21 days in completely randomized design. Treatments included species and different harvesting times (four times for S. parviflora, six times for C. olivieri and three times for S. barbata). Duncan mean separation test was performed by SAS program to analysis the data. According to the results, different harvesting times in all three species had significant differences (p≤0.01). SEEDs of S. parviflora collected on May 24 had highest germination percentage (93%) and the least occurred on June 7 (63%). Seventy percent of C. olivieri SEEDs collected on May 11 were germinate seven percent SEED of collected S. barbata on June 13 were germinated showing highest germination percentage for treatments. Collected SEEDs of C. olivieri and S. barbata had minimum germination percentage on June 8 (28%) and June 6 (25%), respectively.

Adverse environmental storage conditions including high temperature and relative humidity could affect SEED quality. The objective of this investigation was to quantify relationship between temperatures and SEED moisture on SEED deterioration and determination VIABILITY constants in sorghum. Four storage temperatures (5, 15, 25 and 35oC) and three moisture content levels (6, 10 and 14%) were used. We carry out VIABILITY coefficients using Ellis and Roberts equation and were compared by Probit analysis. Process of germination of sorghum SEEDs indicated that germination percentage decreased as the storage period progressed. Increasing moisture and temperature of storage decreased germination percentage. Germination percentage of SEEDs with 14% moisture content stored at 35oC after 90 days of storage was 11%. According to the results, SEEDs with 6% moisture content stored at 5oC had the highest germination percentage and the least deteriorated state even after 200 days. Estimated value of KE, CW, CH and CQ were 2.49, -0.30019, 0.00725 and -0.00057, respectively. Moreover, our results provide convincing evidence that storage in various storage conditions can reduced SEED VIABILITY. Also the results showed that increasing moisture content and temperature reduced SEED longevity especially under high temperature and SEED moisture content.

Predicting SEED VIABILITY would be extremely beneficial to SEED producers and the prediction of SEED VIABILITY depends on understanding the quantitative relationships between SEED longevity, SEED moisture content and storage temperature. The aim of this study was to evaluate the SEED quality of plantago ovata SEED under various SEED moisture content, temperature and storage time and quantify this effect and determine the coefficients of life. SEEDs with various moisture contents (5, 9, 13, 17%) were kept under four temperatures (5, 15, 25, 35, and 45° C) for six months. Analysis of variance indicated significant difference for all main and interaction effects. High temperature along with higher moisture content resulted in more deterioration in SEEDs. Coefficients of life after six months of storage using the equation VIABILITY was Calculated. Estimates of KE = 6, CW = 3, CH = 0. 06, CQ = 0. 000023 were derived for prediction of storage length.

In reforestation programs knowledge of SEED morphological and germination characteristics of tree species is necessary. This paper aims to investigate the effects of SEED source altitude of Fraxinus rotundifoliasubsp. Rotundifolia on morphological properties, VIABILITY and germination traits of it SEEDs.Thus, the SEEDs of three natural habitats in Boyer-Ahmad were collected and then, cultivated in a completely randomized design with three replications. Results indicated that the effects of altitude of SEED source on the morphological traits, VIABILITY and germination traits were meaningful. In Sepidar, Vezg and Mahparviz habitats, the one thousand grain weight of ash SEEDs were given as 66.9, 59.4 and 59.1 g respectively. VIABILITY of ash SEEDs in three mentioned habitats was estimated as 95, 90 and 82.3%. The most and least SEED germination amounts given as 50.8 and 31.6% were related to Sepidar and Mahparviz SEED origins, respectively. Correlation results have demonstrated that the altitude of SEED source has a negative relationship with more morphological traits, VIABILITY, and emergence percent, whereas it is of a positive and meaningful relationship with mean of time emergence. Generally, research findings put emphasis on the necessity of considering the altitude of SEED source and some traits including one thousand grain weight and VIABILITY in the forestation programs.

Adding fresh manure to cropland results in an increased weed population ensued from SEEDs present in the manure. Composting process can reduce weed SEED VIABILITY. In an experiment SEED VIABILITY of sixteen important weed species in forage fields were studied during composting process. SEEDs enclosed within nylon mesh bags were buried into the two compost piles, at 0.5, 1 and 1.5 meters depths for 4 months in early summer in 2004. Two compost piles made from cow manure and one of them was covered by plastic sheets. SEED packets were removed monthly for 4 months to test SEED VIABILITY.The results showed a dependence between weed SEED VIABILITY lost in compost and composting high temperature. Compost piles tended to have higher temperatures at 0.5 meter (60-70oC) than 1 and 1.5m at first and second months, then the temperature decreased. This is probably because the pile was better aerated at the depth of 0.5m. SEED VIABILITY loss was different for each species. Some of species showed about 100% VIABILITY loss after one month. Weed SEEDs lost their VIABILITY at the 0.5m depth having higher temperature compared to deeper layers. In the covered compost pile, SEED VIABILITY loss and temperature were lower than in uncovered compost pile. Almost all weed species were killed after being placed for 2 months at 0.5m depth of uncovered compost piles in summer. However, only VIABILITY of Cuscuta monogyna, Goldbachia laevigata, Chenopodium album and Amaranthus retroflexus were decreased after 3 months. Chemical test showed that water content reduced after one month composting at three different depths. pH values varied between 7 to 8. Carbon to nitrogen ratio was between 15-20 after three months of composting at three above-mentioned depths.