Assessment of seed quality through rapid tests: a bibliometric analysis

Abstract

Seed quality is essential to ensure success in plant production. Traditionally, germination testing is widely used to assess seed viability, but it is a time-consuming process. Consequently, rapid tests have been increasingly explored due to their efficiency and speed. This article presents a bibliometric review of seed quality assessment methods, focusing on rapid tests. The results reveal a wide range of methods used, with the tetrazolium test, accelerated ageing test and electrical conductivity test being the most utilised. Brazil stands out as one of the main contributors to research in this field, reflecting significant interest and investment in the agronomic sector. Furthermore, the use of advanced technologies such as hyperspectral imaging and X-ray is revolutionising seed quality assessment, providing greater accuracy and detail in defect and anomaly detection. Standardisation of methods and consideration of optimal conditions for different species are essential to ensure reliable and comparable results across different studies.