Analysis of the Physical Properties of Seeds of Selected Viburnum Species for the Needs of Seed Sorting Operations

Zdzisław Kaliniewicz,Dariusz J Choszcz

doi:10.3390/pr9040711

Abstract

Viburnum is a genus of colorful and ornamental plants popular in landscape design on account of their high esthetic appeal. The physical properties of viburnum seeds have not been investigated in the literature to date. Therefore, the aim of this study was to characterize the seeds of selected Viburnum species and to search for potential relationships between their physical attributes for the needs of seed sorting operations. The basic physical parameters of the seeds of six Viburnum species were measured, and the relationships between these attributes were determined in correlation and regression analyses. The average values of the evaluated parameters were determined in the following range: terminal velocity—from 5.6 to 7.9 m s−1, thickness—from 1.39 to 1.87 mm, width—from 3.59 to 6.33 mm, length—from 5.58 to 7.44 mm, angle of external friction—from 36.7 to 43.8°, mass—from 16.7 to 35.0 mg. The seeds of V. dasyanthum, V. lentago and V. sargentii should be sorted in air separators, and the seeds of V. lantana and V. opulus should be processed with the use of mesh screens with round apertures to obtain uniform size fractions. The seeds of V. rhytodophyllum cannot be effectively sorted into batches with uniform seed mass, but they can be separated into groups with similar dimensions.

Highlights

According to estimates, shrub plants occupy 45% of land area on the surface of theEarth [1,2]
The average value of the volumetric coefficient of proportionality k measured with a liquid pycnometer was determined at 0.527 in V. dasyanthum seeds, 0.467 in V. lantana seeds, 0.514 in V. lentago seeds, 0.465 in V. opulus seeds, 0.513 in V. rhytodophyllum seeds and
In the analyzed group of six Viburnum species, the greatest similarities in the basic physical properties of seeds were noted in Viburnum dasyanthum and Viburnum rhytodophyllum

Summary

Introduction

Shrub plants occupy 45% of land area on the surface of theEarth [1,2]. Shrub plants occupy 45% of land area on the surface of the. Shrubs are an important component of forest ecosystems; they promote the growth of other plants, stabilize biocenoses and contribute to the phytoremediation of forest soils. Multicolored ornamental shrubs are used in landscape design on account of their high esthetic appeal, and they are often planted in parks, in green squares and along boulevards [1,3,4,5,6]. Ornamental shrubs include species of the genus Viburnum. The genus Viburnum consists of around 160–200 species, most of which are shrubs or small trees. Viburnum shrubs are widely distributed in the temperate climate of the northern hemisphere, and large clusters are encountered in Asia and Central America. Viburnum colonizes mostly mountain regions of Southeast Asia and South America [7,8,9,10]

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Conclusion