Classification of Seeds Based on Storage

Seeds can be grouped in more than one way according to how they behave in storage. Roberts (1973) classified seed by physiological storage behaviour into two categories: orthodox seed, which can be dried down to about 5% moisture (wet basis) and then stored at low or sub-freezing temperature for long periods — cereals, pulses and oilseeds are typical examples — and recalcitrant seed, which must be kept at a much higher moisture content of roughly 20–50% and cannot be successfully stored for long periods at all, as in mango, jackfruit and coconut. Separately, Ewart (1908) classified seed into three categories based on natural lifespan or longevity: microbiotic seed, with a lifespan not exceeding about 3 years; mesobiotic seed, lasting from …