QUALITY OF ALFALFA SEEDS FROM DIFFERENT REGIONS OF SERBIA DURING STORAGE UP TO 42 MONTHS

Abstract

This study presents the findings from assessing the quality of alfalfa seeds collected from three Serbian regions: in each region, batches of seeds from six places were analyzed. The following criteria were investigated: the proportion of dormant seeds, the germinated seed content, the proportion of dead seeds, and the percentage of aberrant seedlings. Seed quality was assessed after six, eighteen, thirty, and forty-two months of storage. The highest seed quality was obtained after thirty and eighteen months of seed storage (91% and 89% of germination, respectively). During the 42-month storage period, the percentage of dead seeds (8%) and abnormal seedlings (7%) increased, while germination declined to 84%. In a storage period of six months, the participation of dormant seeds of 21% affected the germination rate, which was 77%, regardless of the low proportion of dead seeds (1%) and abnormal seedlings (2%).