Can Wheat Germination Test Be Used to Predict Pregnancy in Ewes?

Abstract

Several invasive diagnosis methods to predict pregnancy in humans and animals were used in the past. Since Antiquity, grains germination test was used to predict more safely the pregnancy in women in order to avoid the possibility of miscarriage. The abscisic acid is a component of pregnant females’ urine that prevents germination of grains. Considering this principle, 20 samples of urine were collected from 10 pregnant ewes and 10 from non-pregnant animals. After urinalysis, 15 ml urine sample was added to 20 grains of wheat in a Petri dish, followed by a dilution of 1:4 with distilled water. Only water has been added in the control sample. There were performed duplicates for each animal. For 10 days, all plates were kept in a constant environmental temperature (22°C) and humidity (42%). Statistical analysis revealed that after 5 and 10 days, wheat grains belonging to pregnant ewes were less germinated, and values regarding shoot length were lower than those from the control group. Even if the number of samples is small, it can be concluded that wheat germination test can be used to predict pregnancy in ewes.