Knowledge of the hard seed content of annual legumes, and its pattern of breakdown, is critical to the understanding of their ecology and management within farming and natural ecosystems. For logistical reasons, seed that has been stored for varying lengths of time is often used for pasture establishment and agronomy experiments. However, the implications of storage on hard seed physiology are unknown. The aim of this study was to explore the impact of seed storage on its subsequent pattern of hard seed breakdown when exposed to field conditions. Experiments examined seed from six different annual legume genotypes that had been either produced the prior year or stored under ambient conditions for 11–22 years. Comparisons were then made between the two seed sources on hard seed breakdown patterns in situ. Although initial hard seed levels were mostly unaffected by storage (seed of five genotypes remained over 93% hard after more than 11 years of storage), the patterns of release from dormancy during exposure to hard seed breakdown conditions of stored seed differed greatly (p 90% to 90% hard during the same period. Given this large and consistent impact, it is recommended that studies of the patterns of hard seed breakdown in legumes compare seed stored under consistent and well‐defined conditions.

中文翻译：

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草料豆类的长期储存极大地改变了原位硬种子分解模式

了解一年生豆类的硬种子含量及其分解模式，对于了解其在农业和自然生态系统中的生态和管理至关重要。出于后勤原因，已储存不同时间长度的种子通常用于牧场建立和农学实验。然而，储存对硬种子生理学的影响是未知的。本研究的目的是探索种子储存对其随后暴露于田间条件下的硬种子分解模式的影响。实验检查了来自前一年生产或在环境条件下储存 11-22 年的六种不同一年生豆科植物基因型的种子。然后在两种种子源之间进行了原位硬种子分解模式的比较。