Changes in the Growth Capacity of the Developing Wheat Embryo

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Abstract
Grains stimulated to germinate by removal of the outer pericarp show three types of embryo growth according to their physiological age. The first type gives rise only to callus tissue, the second predominantly to growth of the coleoptile, which fails to penetrate the testa, and the third, to normal germinative growth. The second type of growth (coleoptile only) corresponds to a condition referred to as ‘non-visible’ sprouting, occasionally found in prematurely sprouted grains in the field. The phases of germination capacity are related to total grain moisture and not to the chronological age of the grain, i.e. days post-anthesis. The effects of drying upon grain germinability are also discussed and it is shown that drying can cause both qualitative and quantitative changes in germination capacity.