CHROMOSOME-ABERRATIONS INDUCED DURING STORAGE IN BARLEY AND PEA-SEEDS

Loss of seed viability during storage in both pea and barley is associated with an increase in chromosome aberrations. There is no threshold loss 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 1 or more chromosome breaks) or as the proportion of aberrant seeds (those containing 1 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 among the seeds is nonrandom (clumped). The majority of aberrations induced by aging were of the chromatid type. The proportion of these to chromosome-type abberrations remained more or less constant with loss of viability. The significance of the classification of aberrations into these 2 types is discussed and most of the aberrations are probably the result of lesions occurring during storage.