ABSTRACT
Seed deterioration can be defined as deteriorative changes occurring with time that increase the seed’s vulnerability to external challenges and decrease the ability of the seed to survive. Three general observations can be made about seed deterioration. First, seed deterioration is an undesirable attribute of agriculture. Annual losses of revenue from seed/grain products due to deterioration can be as much as 25 percent of the harvested crop. This value would be in the billions of U.S. dollars (McDonald and Nelson, 1986). An understanding of seed deterioration, therefore, provides a tem plate for improved crop production as well as increased agricultural profits. Second, the physiology of seed deterioration is a separate event from seed development and/or germination. Thus, the knowledge gained from under standing these events likely does not apply to what occurs during deteriora tion. Third, seed deterioration is cumulative. As seed aging increases, seed performance is increasingly compromised. With these tenets in mind, what causes seeds to die? An understanding of this process might begin with an understanding of seed evolution-a topic seldom discussed.
