Changes in the germinability and vigour of winter triticale seeds with sprouting damage

Abstract

Changes in the germinability and vigour of seeds with sprouting damage obtained after induced sprouting under laboratory conditions were investigated in winter triticale cultivars: Bogo,Moreno, Vero, in the years 1998–2000. The seeds were tested directly after harvest, at the optimal time for sowing winter triticale and after accelerated ageing test. Average germinability evaluated directly after induced sprouting and at the optimal time for sowing winter triticale ranged from 78.0% to 92.7% and from 70.3% to 81.0%, respectively. Similar results were obtained for the length of the first leaf and the length of the longest root. The estimated components of variance showed that the year variation and interaction of years with seed sprouting damage made the greatest percentage (to 49.2% and to 31.8%, respectively) of the total variation. After accelerated ageing a significant decrease in germinability and vigour of seeds was observed. That decrease was in proportion to sprouting damage which accounted for 57.6% of the total variation. These results point to poor storability of seeds with sprouting damage.