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

Abstract

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°C, 5°C, −20°C, and −80°C) and three seed moisture contents (approximately 11%, 6%, and 4%) for 66 months. Storage of seeds with a moisture content of 11% at 20°C reduced the germinability of seeds of all varieties to zero in less than 18 months. Either reducing the temperature to at least 5°C 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.