In　this study， 15 oat varieties were used to investigated the effects of different seed moisture content [12% （T1）， 14% （T2）， and 16% （T3）] and storage methods （conventional and hermetic storage） on the germination characteristics. The results revealed that there were significant genotypic differences （P<0.05） in response to moisture stress among the varieties， which were further influenced by storage duration and method. For example， ‘Baiyan 7’ exhibited the best performance during the initial germination stage at 16% moisture treatment （T3）， whereas varieties such as ‘Qinghai Sweet Oat’ showed higher germination rates under low moisture conditions （T1）. In addition， storage methods significantly altered moisture sensitivity of varieties： conventional storage increased the suitable moisture threshold to T3 for certain varieties， while hermetic storage reduced the moisture requirement of most varieties. Embryo development analysis revealed that distinct patterns in radicle and plumule biomass responses to moisture levels among varieties. Hermetic storage induced a shift from linear to peak-curve responses in these traits. Differential sensitivity to moisture between radicles and plumules was also observed， indicating genotype-specific resource allocation strategies. Hermetic storage had a highly significant effect （P<0.01） on oat seed germination characteristics. Based on TOPSIS comprehensive evaluation， ‘Qingyan 1’ was identified as the best stablity. Furthermore， strong correlations were observed between embryo indicators and germination parameters， suggesting that they could be used as a reliable predictor of seed vigor.

Oats  /  Seed moisture content  /  Seed vigor  /  Storage method