Effect of Moisture Content on Melilotus suaveolens Seed Quality During Ultra-drying Storage

In order to enhance the seed storability and supply high-quality seeds for vegetation restoration in the arid and semiarid regions in Northwest China, the effects of ultra-drying and accelerated aging on the physiological characterstics of Melilotus suaveolens seeds were studied. Melilotus suaveolens seeds were dried in a desiccator containing silica gel to 80, 53, 42, 33, 23 and 16 g • kg−1 of moisture contents (MC), respectively. The parameters of the seed quality including germination energy (GE), germination percentage (GP), relative conductivity (RC), dehydrogenase activity (DA) and α-amylase activity (AA) were determined after ultra-drying and accelerated aging. The results showed that ultra-dried seeds with 42 g · kg−1 of MC showed the minimum changes of GE and GP before and after seed aging. Moreover, ultra-dry seeds with 42 g · kg−1 of MC showed higher DA and AA, and lower RC than non-ultra-drying seeds. Therefore, ultra-drying to 42 g · kg−1 of MC was helpful for M. suaveolens seed storage.