Prediction of Field Performance of Seed Lots of Groundnut (Arachis hypogaea L.) through Vigour Tests

Abstract

Background: Profitable farming indeed needs a seed which emerges and performs better under natural ecosystem. The inadequacy of seed germination test in predicting the field performance of a seed lot, as it is carried out under controlled laboratory conditions which may not meet in the field necessitates the development and standardization of tests in a way that would reflect the performance of seeds in the field through laboratory tests.Methods: A laboratory based seed vigour tests were undertaken with 20 different seed lots of groundnut variety GPBD-4 having different vigour levels to predict the field performance. The correlation and regression analysis among the laboratory based seed vigour tests and field performance was analyzed.Conclusion: The significance of lab vigour test on the field performance revealed that, electrical conductivity was highly negatively correlated to seed emergence, speed of emergence, plant population and pod yield with r = - 0.885, - 0.885, -0.843 and -0.845, respectively. Similarly, accelerated ageing was highly correlated to plant population (r = 0.864), plant height (0.737) and pod yield (r = 0.815). Whereas, the mean germination time calculated based on radicle emergence test contributed more than 80% to field performances and mean while, electrical conductivity influencing for 71.4% variation in the pod yield. Thus, hinting refinement and use of electric conductance, accelerated ageing and mean germination time tests towards efficient prediction of field performance of groundnut seed lots.