Abstract
The attempt was made to estimate the mechanical loads on seeds, taking into account their geometric properties and chemical composition. Material chosen for the study comprised 46 samples of common vetch representing collection accessions originated from Europe. Additionally, accessions of other legume species were involved. The study included determinations of seed thickness and weight of 1,000 seeds (TSW) followed by static loading tests. Moisture content of the seeds did not exceed 10 %, and TSW of vetch determined at that moisture was from 19.7 g for small seeded Polish lines VSAT 42 to 73 g for VSAT 24 obtained from Slovakia. Seed thickness value ranged for common vetch accessions from 2.5 to 4.4 mm and for the rest of species from 2.6 mm for lentil to 7.2 mm for chickpea. Apart from the obvious accessions-related differences among various seeds in terms of TSW and seed thickness, the study revealed a wide range of differentiation in the resistance of seeds to static loading expressed by: maximum load, deflation at max. load stress at max. load and work to max. load. Obtained result allowed to select vetch accessions with a high resistance of seed to static loading. Fat content is low at the level of pea, grass pea and lentil as compared with high values of Andean lupin species and white lupin. Fatty acids composition of vetch is different in comparison with remaining species characterized by lowest content of monounsaturated oleic acid (29 %) and relatively high content of polyunsaturated linoleic and linolenic acids (respectively 44 and 11.7 %).
Highlights
According to the European Union, ensuring highprotein and high-quality protein in human and animal feeding is of great importance
The results of analysis of variance have shown that parameters of mechanical loading of seeds, their thickness and thousand seed weight (TSW) the accessions under estimation combined different significantly with relation to each features at the level of 0.001 (Table 1)
Prior to the estimation of the resistance of seed static loads, determination was made of the TSW as well as their geometric properties expressed by seed thickness
Summary
According to the European Union, ensuring highprotein and high-quality protein in human and animal feeding is of great importance. 1 mln t of protein per annum, with 80 % of the fodder requirement being covered by import of soybean meal. A greater part of that requirements could be covered from own cultivation of grain legumes to the moderate climate (Pahl 2002; Swiecicki et al 2007). To improve this unfavourable situation it is necessary to include in greater scale grain legumes production underutilized or neglected species like common vetch (Vicia sativa L.), the main research object of presented paper. Progress in common vetch breeding in terms of grain yield and yieldquality improvement, included among others: increase of protein content (with enhanced amino acids composition), reduction of the content of anti-nutritive components and limitation of susceptibility of plants to lodging and abiotic stresses (drought, diseases and pest), should be related with ultimate goal of the breeder to make vetch more competitive as compared to other main species of grain legumes
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