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A Refractometric Method for Testing Seed Coat Permeability¹

Utilizing the refractometric method (3) to measure water flow by the resulting changes in concentration of a sucrose solution, we have designed an apparatus and procedure to measure the rate of water movement through seed coats of snap beans (Phaseolus vulgaris, L.). The degree of accuracy obtainable in reading the sucrose concentration on the refractometric scale was ± 0.05%. Using 0.2 ml of solution, it was thus possible to detect the movement of 0.4 mm³ of water across the seed coat membrane.

Permeability of the seed coats-ranged from 0.78 mg/mm²/hr for the least permeable to 1.82 mg/mm²/hr for the most permeable of the 11 varieties tested. With one exception, the white-seeded beans were more permeable than the dark-seeded ones.

Key Words: water movement • snap beans

² Present address, Rogers Bros. Co., Twin Falls, Idaho.

² Plant Physiologist, Crops Res. Div., ARS, USDA (now at National Seed Storage Laboratory, Fort Collins, Colo.).

² Professor of Botany, Utah State University, Logan.

Received for publication June 10, 1967.