Td. Hong et al., Accumulation of sugars during the onset and development of desiccation tolerance in immature seeds of Norway maple (Acer platanoides L.) stored moist, SEED SCI R, 10(2), 2000, pp. 147-152
The viability of Norway maple seeds collected 21 d before mass maturity (68
% moisture content, wet basis) and at mass maturity (56% moisture content)
was reduced from 52-85% to 0-7% if dried rapidly (at 10-12% r.h. and 15-17
degrees C for 3 d, then 3 d over silica gel) to 4-5% moisture content. Mois
t storage of the fruits at 15 degrees C improved the ability of the seeds t
o tolerate rapid desiccation considerably: 10 and 21 d of moist storage ena
bled seeds collected at mass maturity or 21 d earlier, respectively, to att
ain maximum desiccation tolerance to 4-5% moisture content. Moist storage a
nd/or subsequent desiccation affected stachyose, sucrose, and to a lesser e
xtent raffinose, concentrations. The oligosaccharide :total sugar ratio sho
wed a similar pattern in relation to ability to germinate after desiccation
to 4-5% moisture content among seeds collected on both dates: desiccation
tolerance developed from nil to maximal in these seed populations between t
hreshold oligosaccharide:total sugar values of just less than 0.3 and about
0.4.