Seed Size and Its Influence on Growth-Related Agronomic Characters of Wheat Plants

Gustavo Henrique Demari,Vinícius Jardel Szareski,Cristian Troyjack,Tiago Pedó,Tiago Corazza Da Rosa,Simone Morgan Dellagostin,Francisco Amaral Villela,Velci Queiróz De Souza,Paulo Dejalma Zimmer,Ivan Ricardo Carvalho,João Roberto Pimentel ,Tiago Zanatta

doi:10.5539/jas.v11n12p29

Gustavo Henrique Demari, Vinícius Jardel Szareski + Show 10 more

Open Access

https://doi.org/10.5539/jas.v11n12p29

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Abstract

The objective of this work was to evaluate the influence of seed size on agronomic traits related to the growth of wheat plants. The seeds used in this experiment were collected in growing fields from the North of Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil. The experimental design was randomized block design, with three wheat cultivars (Quartzo, Ametista and TBIO Sinuelo) &times; six seed lots (A; B; C; D; E; F) &times; five sieve diameters: I: (original sample without standardization, being that used by farmers (OS)), II: (seeds &gt; 3.00 mm), III: (seeds from 2.5 to 2.99 mm), IV: (seeds from 2.0 to 2.49 mm) and V: (seeds &lt; 2.0 mm), and the treatments were arranged in three replicates. The number of tillers per plant, height and spike insertion height are determined by intrinsic characteristics of the cultivar used, but extensive variations are attributed by lot fragmentation and seed size. The morphological and growth attributes of wheat are affected by considerable effects of seed size, and the decrease in these dimensions results in lower plants and reduced growth. The use of sieves for wheat seeds standardization allows the identification and selection of specific cultivars, lots and seed dimensions that may be essential for wheat crop performance.

Highlights

Wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) belongs to the Poaceae family, with annual cycle, being used for human and animal feeding
The seeds used in this experiment were collected in growing fields from the North of Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil (Table 1), and the choice of cultivars was due to their adaptability to the culture environment
In the laboratory of the Seed Science and Technology Graduate Program of the Federal University of Pelotas, the seeds were standardized through a set of oblong hole sieves, separating the width > 3.00 mm, 2.5 to 2.99 mm, 2.0 to 2.49 mm, and < 2.0 mm

Summary

Introduction

Wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) belongs to the Poaceae family, with annual cycle, being used for human and animal feeding. The average wheat yield in Brazil is 2431 kg per hectare of grains (CONAB, 2018), which is considered low, and can be improved by seeds standardization It allows to remove seeds with undesirable physiological quality, to improve sowing management, to enhance the performance of plants at field, and thereby to increase yield, since the physiological quality of seeds is determined by chemical, sanitary, physiological and physical attributes (Martin et al, 2016). These attributes influence on germination, vigor, initial seedling development and phytomass accumulation (Brzezinski et al, 2014)

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