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The Eurasian low-shrub, forage kochia [Kochia prostrata (L.) Shad.], was introduced into western North America for use in restoration of severely disturbed landscapes in arid and semiarid environments. Seed mature in late fall and are short-lived in typical warehouse conditions. In a preliminary, cold-temperature experiment (2 degrees C) using 3-month-old seed from 16 forage kochia accessions, mean germination time, expressed as days to 50% germination, varied from 4 to 88 days. Follow up experiments using seed of 5 accessions tested the effects of storage time and temperature on seed viability and mean germination time and related this to field planting success. Sub-samples were air-dried and stored in plastic bags in a freezer, cold room, and lab (-15, 2, and 20 degrees C respectively). A fourth set of subsamples was stored in a shed with no temperature control (simulated warehouse storage). Seed were tested fresh and retested after 4, 8, 12, 24, and 36 months of storage. Mean viability decreased from 77% (range 66 to 93%) for recently harvested seed, to 24 and 8% for lab- and shed-stored seed, after 36 months of storage. No significant change in viability was observed for cold room- and freezer-stored seed. Across all accessions, cold temperature mean germination time (MGT) for recently harvested seed was 73 days (range 51 to 109 days). For each accession, germination occurred primarily over a 70 day period. Mean germination time decreased as storage time increased for lab- and shed-stored seed, varied unpredictably for cold room-stored seed, and remained unchanged for freezer-stored seed. Field germination using 1- and 2-year old lab- and shed-stored seed was significantly faster than that of same-aged cold room- and freezer-stored seed. The number of live seedlings 4 months after planting for cold room- and freezer-stored seed was 10-fold or greater than that of lab- and shed-stored seed. Thus a delayed, asynchronous cold-temperature germination pattern appears to be adaptive for forage kochia establishment. Cold, dry storage prevents loss of seed viability and preserves this desirable germination pattern. The Journal of Range Management archives are made available by the Society for Range Management and the University of Arizona Libraries. Contact lbry-journals@email.arizona.edu for further information. Migrated from OJS platform August 2020