DOI: 10.36347/sajb.2015.v03i08.013

Pages: 708-711

The objective of the study was to determine the role of aging on maize seed germination characteristics and enzyme activity. Maize seeds were incubated in completely covered plastic boxes for the aging experiment. Accelerated aging regimes were performed by maintaining the maize seeds at 40°C and 90 % relative humidity for 0, 2, 4, 6 and 8 days in triplicates. When aging period increased, the germination characteristics and production of enzymes showed a reducing trend. The effect of the treatments on the germination characteristic parameters such as percentage of germination, general normal seedling percentage, germination index, enzyme producing capacity and mean time to germination, under conditions provided for aging were significant (P < 0.05) with accelerated aging of maize seeds. Biochemical and enzymatic changes that occur inside the seed and reduction of seedling growth are consequences of deterioration of maize seed. Germination characteristics and enzyme activity of the maize seeds were higher at the initial stages of aging while the same were lower towards the final stages of the aging.