ZLV Online

Abstract

This paper focuses on water activity and its potential application in forestry tree seed management, such as seed moisture control during drying and storage. Moisture content in seeds is crucial to long-term survival of stored seeds, as it affects the rate of metabolic and deteriorative reactions. Therefore, understanding of the relationship between the storage temperature, relative humidity and seed water content is essential for developing optimal seed storage protocols. Water activity (aw) measurement is a concept developed and mainly used in food-processing (foodsafety). Water activity illustrates the energy status of water and consequently its degree of availability and mobility in biological materials. Water activity provides data about availability of water for fungi, yeasts and hydrolytic reactions influencing successful seed storage. Measurement of water activity is a non-destructive, rapid method for detecting moisture of seeds; seed lots can be tested regularly without spoilage and information collected is reliable. Water sorption isotherm describes the relationship between water activity and the seed moisture content at a given temperature.