Germination testing is a critical process for all seed companies and many service providers. Knowing exactly the performance of seedlots is the starting point for many commercial and technical decisions.
The radicle emergence tests are specific tests to quantify the moment of root protrusion which can provide valuable insight in total germination capacity, vigor and uniformity of the seedlots. These test procedures are often highly labour intense and require the physical presence of personnel in the lab.
Labour availability or restrictions are posing constant challenges to business continuity. Manual countings are still the norm, increasingly capabilities are implemented to automate these processes.
Automation of germination testing increases the quality and consistency of the data and is self-documenting by design. Additionally new opportunities arise to autonomously operate 24/7/365, and increasing the number of screening timepoints within a test.