INFLUENCE OF SELECTED STORAGE-CONDITIONS ON VIABILITY AND METABOLISM OF BEECH NUTS

A long-term project has been installed to find an optimal method for p reserving beech seed, with the objective to guarantee high germinative capacity over long periods of time. For this purpose, beech nuts, str atified and unstratified, from six seed collection stands were stored beginning in December 1990 at two different storage temperatures (-5-d egrees-C and -18-degrees-C), and with different seed moisture contents (5%, 8%, and 10%). Morphological condition, carbohydrate metabolism, and germinative capacity of the beech nuts before and during storage a re monitored methodically. First research results show that there were no losses in viability after 11 months of storage under the most favo rable conditions (at -5-degrees-C, 10% moisture content of the beech n uts). Intensive dessication (5% H2O-content) as well as interruption o f seed dormancy before storage reduced germinative capacity. During st ratification, beech nuts showed high metabolic activity. Primarily, sa ccharose was hydrolyzed to fructose and glucose. Amylase activity incr eased, but no decrease of starch contents could be detected.