Temperature and Moisture Content for Storage Maintenance of Germination Capacity of Seeds of Industrial Hemp, Marijuana, and Ditchweed Forms of Cannabis sativa

摘要

Cannabis sativa seeds of three industrial hemp cultivars, a medicinal strain of marijuana, and a ruderal strain were subjected to combinations of four temperatures (20℃, 5℃, -20℃, and-80℃) and three seed moisture contents (approximately 11%, 6%, and 4%) for 66 months. Storage of seeds with a moisture content of 11% at 20℃ reduced the germinability of seeds of all varieties to zero in less than 18 months. Either reducing the temperature to at least 5℃ or reducing the seed moisture content to at least 6% had a huge beneficial effect on maintaining seed viability. Additional reduction of temperature, but not additional reduction of moisture content had a small supplementary beneficial effect. No apparent benefit was noticed from oxygen-free seed storage.