Abstract
In this study, a comparative analysis of seed quality indicators of 1196 hybrid maize seed samples from the main maize-producing areas in China from 2013 to 2018 was carried out. The results showed that the maize seed quality in China had changed obviously in the past six years, and was mainly as follows: The percentage of samples with coated seed in 2015–2018 was higher than 62.8% in 2013 and all exceeded 97%; the sample rate of packaging according to seed number was from 24.5% in 2013 to 58.6% in 2018, and the percentage of samples which met the prescribed quality standards was from 89.2% in 2013 to 98.4% in 2018. Principal component analysis indicated that standard germination energy (SGE), standard germination percentage (SGP), cold test germination percentage (CTGP), accelerated aging test germination percentage (AATGP), and mean field seedling emergence (FSE) were the primary predictors of seed germination and seedling emergence. Meanwhile, combining other statistical methods, regression models of SGE, SGP, CTGP, and AATGP were established to predict the field seedling emergence. Furthermore, seed bulk density and total starch content were correlated with seed vigor, which needs to be further studied. This study offered a theoretical basis and data support to better understand the changes of maize quality in China over the past six years, and provided an important reference to further improve the maize seed quality in the future.
Highlights
In China, hybrid maize comprises more than 95% of maize cultivation [1], and the annual demand for hybrid seeds is approximately 1.1 billion kg [2]
We found that the mean SGP slightly fluctuated from 2013 to 2018, but the value each year was over 92% except for 2013 (91.8%), which was clearly higher than the national standard germination percentage (85%)
Through the variation of the maximum, minimum, and mean value of 14 seed quality indices among different years, we found that the mean standard germination energy (SGE), SGP, cold test germination percentage (CTGP), accelerated aging test germination percentage (AATGP), and field seedling emergence (FSE) were on the rise
Summary
In China, hybrid maize comprises more than 95% of maize cultivation [1], and the annual demand for hybrid seeds is approximately 1.1 billion kg [2]. The production of high-quality hybrid maize seeds is one of the foundations of successful agriculture and can comprehensively enhance the development level of modern agriculture. China has many seed companies (5808 companies in 2018, data from China Seed Congress 2019, Beijing, China) and crop varieties. It is worth noting that the seed production levels of different seed enterprises are inconsistent. This may be due to the low entry threshold of China’s seed enterprises in the past. Most maize growers in the USA depend
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