Classifications

• • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
  • A01—AGRICULTURE; FORESTRY; ANIMAL HUSBANDRY; HUNTING; TRAPPING; FISHING
  • A01C—PLANTING; SOWING; FERTILISING
  • A01C1/00—Apparatus, or methods of use thereof, for testing or treating seed, roots, or the like, prior to sowing or planting
  • A01C1/02—Germinating apparatus; Determining germination capacity of seeds or the like
  • A01C1/025—Testing seeds for determining their viability or germination capacity
• • G—PHYSICS
  • G01—MEASURING; TESTING
  • G01N—INVESTIGATING OR ANALYSING MATERIALS BY DETERMINING THEIR CHEMICAL OR PHYSICAL PROPERTIES
  • G01N21/00—Investigating or analysing materials by the use of optical means, i.e. using sub-millimetre waves, infrared, visible or ultraviolet light
  • G01N21/62—Systems in which the material investigated is excited whereby it emits light or causes a change in wavelength of the incident light
  • G01N21/66—Systems in which the material investigated is excited whereby it emits light or causes a change in wavelength of the incident light electrically excited, e.g. electroluminescence

Definitions

• the present invention relates to an apparatus and method of application for the purpose of determining seed viability; it uses the demonstration of different electroluminescence phenomena between seeds with normal biological characteristics, and non-viable seeds.
• the known electrographic and electronographic techniques use excitation regimes in electroluminescence at relatively high energy values, which does not allow the detection of the fine modifications which make the difference between healthy seeds and non-viable seeds.
• the apparatus and the method for determining the viability of the seeds according to the invention makes it possible to avoid these drawbacks.
• the principle of this invention is based on the fact that the viable seeds, having a normal germinative potential, preserve around them, even in the conditions of reduced humidity of the environment where they are exposed, a thin layer of vapor d water and biological gas which ionizes easily, unlike non-viable seeds which lose this layer.
• Figure 1 Shows the block diagram of the device according to the present invention.
• Figure 2. Shows an example of a comparative measurement of the degree of electroluminescence of the seeds in the display device for a batch of live seeds and a batch of non-viable seeds;
• Figure 3. Shows an example of measurement of the voltage value which produces electroluminescence for each seed apart, also allowing automatic statistical calculation as well as determination of different degrees of viability of the batch of seeds tested.
• the apparatus and method for determining seed viability consists of a low frequency sinusoidal alternating current source A, amplitude controlled by a continuously adjustable voltage divider B, by through which the alternating sinusoidal electric current is applied to a high voltage transformer C. It is connected to the electroluminescence display device D, in turn made up of a transparent dielectric 1 having incorporated a conductive layer 1 ′, d a phosphor layer with low excitation threshold 2, under which the seeds to be tested 3 are arranged, the contact in the device being closed by the electrode 4.
• the display device is entirely observed by a sensor S or two different sensors S 'and S ", as shown in figure 2. They cover different visual fields and can measure or record electrolytic phenomena uminescence produced separately on each field.
• the apparatus in accordance with the invention, operates as follows:
• the alternating current A controlled in voltage by the divider B, is gradually applied to the exposure device on which are placed control seeds, viable or non-viable, tooth electroluminescence is compared with that of tested seeds.
• the phenomenon of electroluminescence will appear at lower control values for viable seeds than for non-viable seeds.
• the seeds tested, as well as the control seeds, are examined under identical conditions of temperature and humidity, after prior preparation.
• FIG. 3 a variant of this device is presented, according to the invention, which uses several sensors S ′, S ′′ ... S n which record the electroluminescent emission produced by the excitation of the phosphor layer 2 by each grain apart.
• the information is collected by 12 electronic switches E and compared by F to the high voltage level produced by the AC source applied to the terminals of the recording device D.
• the information is processed statistically and displayed by the calculation G, or stored in the storage unit H.
• the apparatus in this variant allows the rapid statistical calculation of the percentage of viable seeds and the determination of the different degrees of viability for the batch of seeds tested.
• the apparatus and the method for determining the viability of the seeds, in accordance with the invention, has the following industrial applications:

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• Life Sciences & Earth Sciences (AREA)
• Health & Medical Sciences (AREA)
• Analytical Chemistry (AREA)
• Biochemistry (AREA)
• Environmental Sciences (AREA)
• Nuclear Medicine, Radiotherapy & Molecular Imaging (AREA)
• Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
• Chemical & Material Sciences (AREA)
• Physiology (AREA)
• Soil Sciences (AREA)
• General Health & Medical Sciences (AREA)
• General Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
• Immunology (AREA)
• Pathology (AREA)
• Investigating Or Analysing Biological Materials (AREA)
• Pretreatment Of Seeds And Plants (AREA)

Applications Claiming Priority (2)

Publications (1)

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ID=9254536

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Family Cites Families (6)

• 1981
  • 1981-01-27 FR FR8101446A patent/FR2498415A1/fr active Granted
• 1982
  • 1982-01-04 WO PCT/FR1982/000001 patent/WO1982002470A1/en not_active Application Discontinuation
  • 1982-01-04 EP EP19820900212 patent/EP0070280A1/fr not_active Withdrawn

Non-Patent Citations (1)

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