Viability testing (2024)

Viability testing of germplasm

  • Viability testing (1)
Viability testing (2)

View section onseedviability testing by clicking on the icon above (0.7 MB)

Page compiled by: Bioversity International/ILRI, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia (Alexandra Jorge); ILRI, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia (Jean Hanson) including information extracted from: Rao NK, Hanson J, Dulloo ME, Ghosh K, Nowel D and Larinde M. 2006. Manual of seed handling in genebanks. Handbooks for Genebanks No. 8. Bioversity International, Rome, Italy. 147pp.

What is viability testing

Seed or plant viability is the measure of how many seeds or how much plant material in a lot are alive and could develop into plants that will reproduce under appropriate field conditions.

Why should viability be determined

It is very important that seeds or plant material stored in the genebank are capable of producing plants when sown in the field. They must have high viability at the start of storage and maintain it during storage. Seeds or plant material with a high initial viability will also survive longer in storage. Seed or plant viability declines slowly at first and then rapidly as the seeds or plant material age. It is important to know when this decline occurs in order to take action to regenerate the accession. Excessive deterioration will lead to loss of material.


When should viability be determined

Seed material

  • Before seeds are packaged and placed in the genebank.
  • At regular intervals during storage.

Viability testing is crucial for the monitoring of seed conservation. It can take from a few days to weeks, depending on the species. If possible, the results of viability tests should be made available before seeds or plant material are packaged and placed in the genebank so that poor quality seeds can be identified and regenerated.

While awaiting the results of viability tests, or if there is a delay in conducting the viability tests before storage, seeds should be placed in a cool environment to minimize their deterioration.

Tissue culture plant material

  • Viability tests should be carried out after long periods of storage.
  • When abnormalities are seen.

Cryo plant material

  • Short term after induction.

How should viability be determined

The determination of viability depends on the species and method of conservation.

Seed material

  • Many different methods are available to test seed viability.
  • The most accurate and reliable method is the germination test.
  • There are also biochemical tests, which have the advantage of being quicker, but are not as accurate as the germination test. They also require special skills to conduct and interpret. These tests are not usually recommended for general use to test for seed viability in genebanks.

Plant material (tissue culture and cryopreservation)

  • The viability test is used to test whether thematerial can berejuvenated intoa whole plant that can grow under natural conditions.

The germination test (applicable for seeds)

Viability testing (4)

Testing germination in sand (photo: ILRI)

Viability testing (5)

Testing germination on filter paper (in tray)(photo: ILRI)

What is a germination test

A germination test is performed to determine what proportion of seeds in an accession will germinate under favourable conditions and produce seedlings judged as normal according to specific criteria for each species [see Association of Seed Analysts (AOSA), 2005; ISTA, 2005]. This is because the aim of seed testing is to give an indication of how the seeds will perform as propagules in the field.

When are seedling defects classified as abnormal?

How is germination tested

Basic requirements for seed germination are: water, oxygen, light and suitable temperature. Seeds of different species have different requirements and no general set of conditions can be relied upon to germinate seeds of all species. Seeds of some species are more tolerant and germinate in a wide range of conditions but complete germination can only be achieved under optimum conditions. Seed dormancy is seen when seeds imbibe water under suitable temperature and light for germination but germination does not occur.

How many seeds should be tested

  • A fixed sample size germination test using 200 seeds in 4 replicates of 50 seeds is recommended as best practice to determine viability at the beginning of storage.
  • Four replicates of 100 seeds is recomended in the ISTA rules. However, best practices take into account the limited number of seeds available and the aim of not wasting seeds in unnecessary testing.
  • Overall seed viability shouldbe taken as the mean of the replicates.

References and further reading

AOSA (Association of Official Seed Analysts) 2005. Page 113 in: Rules for Testing Seeds (Capashew Ed.), 4-0, 4-11. Las Cruces, NM.

FAO. 2013. Genebank standards for plant genetic resources for food and agriculture. Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, Rome. Available in English, Spanish, French, Arabic, Russian and Chinese here.

ISTA. 2008. International Rules for Seed Testing. International Seed Testing Association. ISTA secretariat, CH-Switzerland. Available from: www.seedtest.org/.

Rao NK, Hanson J, Dulloo ME, Ghosh K, Nowel D, Larinde M. 2006. Manual of seed handling in genebanks. Handbooks for Genebanks No. 8. Bioversity International, Rome, Italy. Available inEnglish (1.5 MB),Spanish (1.4 MB) and French(1.9 MB).

Thormann I, Metz T, Engels JMM. 2004. The Species Compendium (release 1.0; December 2004). [online] Available from:http://www.bioversityinternational.org/databases/species_compendium_database/index.html. Date accessed09 April 2013.

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Viability testing (2024)

FAQs

Viability testing? ›

These tests typically characterize myocardial tissue into 3 distinct states: healthy myocardium contracting normally at rest, viable or hibernating myocardium that contracts abnormally at rest where improvement in function is expected, and nonviable scarred myocardium that contracts abnormally at rest but where ...

How is a viability study done? ›

There are two parts to the viability test. First, a scan is done to measure resting blood flow in the heart. A radioactive tracer (either rubidium-82 or ammonia-13) is injected into your bloodstream and is taken up by the heart. The PET camera detects radiation released by the tracer to produce the images.

How do you assess heart viability? ›

Contrast-Enhanced Cardiac Magnetic Resonance (CMR)

Dobutamine stress CMR can be used to assess viability. A dysfunctional but viable myocardium will exhibit an increased systolic thickening of over 2 mm on low-dose dobutamine stress.

What is the gold standard for viability? ›

PET scan is considered to be the gold standard for viability evaluation. However, the higher cost and lack of availability of this technique have limited its use in the past.

What is the viability of the heart? ›

From the clinical perspective, viable myocardium can be defined as myocardium in which contractile function is expected to improve, or in which remodeling can be avoided, once blood flow has been restored.

How is a viability test done? ›

This is an ultrasound examination that is usually carried out vagin*lly but can be done abdominally at around 7 weeks onwards. It aims to determine the number of fetuses present and whether the pregnancy is progressing normally inside the uterus.

What happens in a viability assessment? ›

The viability will be gathering information about the family background, their understanding of the concerns, their relationship with the child, their relationship with the parents, how contact will be managed, their parenting experience, an inspection of the home, and observation of the bedroom identified for the ...

Why do you need to do the viability test? ›

Generally, seed viability tests assess whether a seed is alive, metabolically active, and possess enzymes capable of catalyzing metabolic reactions needed for germination and seedling growth (Copeland and McDonald 2001). Thus, seed viability testing can assess tissue viability as well as viability of the entire seed.

How is viability scan of heart done? ›

A viability scan is accomplished by taking pictures of your heart at various intervals after an injection of a special radioactive drug called Thallium 201. Over a period of time, the thallium will be taken into the healthy “viable” heart muscle but will not be taken up by any scarred or “non-viable” heart muscle.

How do they do a myocardial viability scan? ›

About the procedure:

Patients having the Myocardial Viability test lie on an exam table, while a technologist injects a safe, radioactive substance called a tracer into a vein. The tracer travels through the body to the heart and releases energy.

What is viability criteria? ›

Fetal viability is the ability of a human fetus to survive outside the uterus. Viability depends upon factors such as birth weight, gestational age, and the availability of advanced medical care.

Which diagnostic test is most useful for assessing myocardial viability? ›

In general, nuclear imaging techniques have a high sensitivity for the detection of viability, whereas techniques evaluating contractile reserve have a somewhat lower sensitivity and a higher specificity. MRI has a high diagnostic accuracy for assessment of the transmural extent of myocardial scar tissue.

How to interpret a viability scan? ›

Making Sense of the Images. Your scan results will typically include images that show how blood flows through your heart. Bright spots on the images indicate areas of healthy, viable tissue with good blood flow. Dark areas might represent scar tissue or regions with reduced blood flow.

Can you live with only 40% heart function? ›

A normal output is 55–70% . People with an EF under 40% may have a higher risk of dying from CHF. However, a 2017 study reports that the 5-year life expectancy is poor among all people admitted to the hospital with heart failure regardless of their EF. Researchers estimate the 5-year death rate is 75.4%.

What is the life expectancy of someone with a heart condition? ›

Overall, life expectancy may decrease by about 8-10% of your expected life. For example, a person with no heart disease will be expected to die around age 85, but in the presence of a heart attack, the life expectancy will be reduced by 10% or 8.5 years.

What is the survival rate of heart? ›

“Not all heart attacks lead to cardiac arrest,” says Dr. Spurlock. “Generally, your survival rate long-term with a heart attack is about 97 to 98%; with sudden cardiac arrest, your long-term survival rate is only about 50%.”

What is the procedure of viability study? ›

A viability study evaluates a proposed project or commercial venture to see if it has the potential to succeed financially and technically. It often involves a market research, a competitor analysis, an operational and financial requirements evaluation, and a management team evaluation.

What is the process of determining the viability? ›

Answer: Market research is the process of determining the viability of a new service or product through research conducted directly with potential customers. Market research allows a company to discover the target market and get opinions and other feedback from consumers about their interest in the product or service.

What is the method of measuring viability? ›

Trypan blue staining is the most commonly used method for measuring cell viability. This method is based on the principle that healthy living cells have a cell membrane that prevents the penetration of dyes like trypan blue.

How do doctors determine viability? ›

Clinicians will use ultrasound results and pregnancy hormone levels in early pregnancy to determine whether a pregnancy is developing normally and is thus viable. However, a determination of viability at this stage doesn't mean that the fetus could survive if delivered later in pregnancy.

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