Chromosome Aberrations Induced during Storage in Barley and Pea Seeds

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Abstract
It is confirmed that loss of seed viability during storage in both pea and barley is associated with an increase in chromosome aberrations. There is no threshold loss of viability before the damage occurs: even small losses of viability are associated with some damage. This applies whether the damage is assessed as the proportion of aberrant cells (those containing evidence of one or more chromosome breaks) or as the proportion of aberrant seeds (those containing one or more aberrant cells). Increase in aberrant cells with loss of viability is most marked at very high and very low percentage viability values. At low viability levels there is evidence that the distribution of aberrant cells amongst the seeds is non-random (clumped). The majority of aberrations induced by ageing were of the chromatid type. The proportion of these to chromosome-type aberrations remained more or less constant with loss of viability. The significance of the classification of aberrations into these two types is discussed and it is argued that most of the aberrations are probably the result of lesions occurring during storage.