Optimum Harvest Time of Vicia cracca under Stress Condition

Abstract

Timely harvest is critical to achieve maximum seed viability, vigour and yield. Many native grasses display seed shat-tering and other seed production problems. Shattering during harvest is a major problem in seed production of Vicia. cracca (L.). The objective of this study was to further determine the optimum harvest time of V. cracca by simultaneously analyzing pod and seed morphological and physiological characters, as well as seed stress tolerance. Pods were harvested at three-day intervals from peak anthesis until pod shattering in pod development. The results showed that pod dry weight (DWT) and thousand seed weight (TSW) reached the maximum, as well as pod moisture content (PMC) reached the minimum from 36 to 42 days after peak anthe-sis (DAPA). The maximum percentage germination, germination rate and radicle length were at about 36 DAPA under NaCl and Na2CO3 stresses. Therefore, V. cracca can be harvested at six days before pod shattering without affecting yields and seed quality.