Germination Energy and Capacity of Maize Seeds Following Low-Temperature Short Storage

Katarzyna Kozłowicz,Marek Domin,Franciszek Kluza,Sybilla Nazarewicz,Marek Szmigielski,Beata Ślaska-Grzywna,Dariusz Góral

doi:10.3390/su12010046

Katarzyna Kozłowicz, Marek Domin + Show 5 more

Open Access

https://doi.org/10.3390/su12010046

Copy DOI

Journal: Sustainability	Publication Date: Dec 19, 2019
Citations: 12	License type: CC BY 4.0

Affiliation: University of Life Sciences in Lublin

Abstract

The present research attempts to characterize the effect of low temperatures, and the moisture content of maize (Kosmo 230) meant for sowing on its energy and capacity to germinate. Seeds were moistened to varying degrees and stored under various conditions; then, their germination energy and capacity were assessed. Sowing material with 15% moisture content showed slightly declined germination ability when stored at −25–−20 °C for over three days, while the storage of seeds with a 25 and 30% moisture content at −5–0 °C for 1–3 days had the effect of seed conditioning. Seedlings obtained from conditioned seeds showed sustainability characterized by faster growth, and demonstrated nearly twice the size as other plants. Warehousing and storage of maize grains with a 11.12% moisture content at temperatures up to −25 °C did not significantly affect seed germination capacity or energy, irrespective of storage time.

Highlights

The cereals wheat, maize, rice, barley, and sorghum are grown on almost 700 million hectares, and collectively they provide approximately 40% of the energy and protein components of the human diet
Sowing material with 15% moisture content showed slightly declined germination ability when stored at −25–−20 ◦C for over three days, while the storage of seeds with a 25 and 30% moisture content at −5–0 ◦C for 1–3 days had the effect of seed conditioning
The present paper has shown that high values of germinability and germination energy of maize grain with 11.12% moisture after storage under different conditions were consistent with those published by other authors studying germination of maize seeds [27,28,29]

Summary

Introduction

The cereals wheat, maize, rice, barley, and sorghum are grown on almost 700 million hectares, and collectively they provide approximately 40% of the energy and protein components of the human diet. Maize is one of the primary agricultural crops. After wheat, it ranks second in terms of cultivation area [1]. Maize is grown increasingly willingly by European farmers due to its advantages, which include versatility and high yield. A lack of suitable hybrids and the insufficient development of agricultural technology meant that, in areas such as Germany, Denmark, and Poland, maize was mainly grown for silage to feed cattle during winter [2]. Today its cultivation for grain has become more popular [3]

Objectives

Methods

Results

Conclusion