Photo-induced delayed luminescence

Photo-induced delayed luminescence (DL) following a visible light excitation in air-dry seeds of various plants has been observed. This delayed emission constitutes the room temperature phosphorescence of biopolimers. The seed DL level is shown to decrease with the increase of their moisture content. The method permits us to characterize the membrane state and quality of individual seeds, thus differing from all other methods. As logarithm of DL value is correlated (98%) with water content in the seeds, the DL distribution of seeds is attributed to distribution these seeds according to water content. The shape of DL distribution curve depends on homogeneity of seed population. The high-vigor seeds with 98-100% germination are characterized by unimodal distribution with low average and variance. Reduction in germination percentage results in bimodal distribution. The appearance of second fraction can be attributed to vigor reduction. Thus the DL level can be used as a tool to separate the population of air-dry seeds to the fractions different in vigor.

The aim of the work now is to obtain which structural and functional modification on the molecular and membrane levels are occurred in alive cells during aging in anabiosis.

Some of the published articles:

  • Veselova, T.V., Veselovskii, V.A., Rubin, A.B., Bochvarov, P.Z. Delayed luminescence of air-dry soybean seeds as a measure of their viability. Physiol.Plant. Vol. 65. 1985, pp. 493-497.
  • Veselova, T.V., Veselovsky, V.A., Kozar, V.I., Rubin, A.B. Delayed luminescence of soybean seeds during swelling and accelerated aging. Seed Sci. Technol. 1988. V.16. P. 105-113.
  • Veselovskii, V.A. and Veselova, T.V. Plant Luminescence: Theoretical and Applied Aspects. Moscow. Nauka (in Russian) 1990. 200 p.
  • Veselova, T.V., Veselovskii, V.A., Kartasheva, E.R., Tereshkina, S.D. Quantifying the Loss of Seed Viability under Various Storage Conditions. Ibid. Vol. 42. No. 4. 1995, pp. 616-621.
  • Veselova, T.V., Veselovskii, V.A., Schoberlein, W. Determination of Viability and Longevity of Seeds by Luminescence Method. In: Yield and Quality in Herbage Seed Production. Martin-Luther-University. Halle-Wittenberg (Ed.: Werner Schoberlein and Karin Forster) 1996, P. 398-402.
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