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Question
Can seeds germinate without air?
No, but seeds are able to survive for a long time under anoxia (total deprivation of oxygen). However, molecular oxygen (O2) is essential for eventual seed germination. The rate of germination of most seeds is optimum for oxygen partial pressure close to that in air (21 Kpa). Germination of course slows down when the oxygen pressure is lowered. Nevertheless, dramatic differences are observed depending on the kind of seed: starchy seeds can germinate at much lower oxygen pressures (< 2 Kpa) than fatty seeds. Although molecular oxygen is required for seed germination, various oxygenated molecules or oxy-radicals are increasingly implicated to explain the loss of viability in seeds during storage.
February 22, 2002
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