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["Doreen Howard" <gardendiva@charter.net>]

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Computer imaging determines seed quality
Researchers at Ohio St. Univ. have used computer imaging technology to develop an automated seed-vigor assessment system that reduces time and eliminates the expense and subjectivity of human analysis. Seed vigor can be calculated by the scanning system within 3 days of germination as opposed to the 7-14 days required for manual tests. The system can also measure the vigor of all seedling parts, unlike existing commercial tests that only examine certain parts such as root length or cotyledons. So far the imaging system has been calibrated to measure the seed vigor of tomato, lettuce, melon, cabbage, carrot, corn, cotton and soybean.