Abstract
Abstract Acceptance of shrunken-2 (sh2) sweet corn (Zea mays L.) hybrids is limited by poor seed quality and seedling emergence, especially in cold soils. The conductivity of the electrolytes leached from imbibing seeds, a rapid measurement of seed quality, is highly correlated with field emergence among sweet corn hybrids. Our objective was to determine if conductivity is related to field emergence in a sh2 population that had undergone selection for improved field emergence for 10 cycles. The response of conductivity to indirect selection was linear, and the linear trend accounted for a large portion of the variation in conductivity (r2 = 0.70). Conductivity ranged from 82.0 dS·m–1 in cycle 0 to 35.3 dS·m–1 in cycle 8, with cycle 10 not differing from cycle 8. High conductivity indicates greater electrolyte leakage. At P ≤ 0.01, conductivity was negatively correlated with all seed performance ratings; field emergence (r = –0.82), plant height (r = –0.81), uniformity (r = –0.92), and relative emergence (r = –0.85).
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