Seed vigor in performance of wheat plants: evidence of interaction with nitrogen

Ricardo Mari Bagateli,Geri Eduardo Meneghello,José Ricardo Bagateli,Gabriel Streck Bortolin,Jader Job Franco,Francisco Amaral Villela

doi:10.1590/2317-1545v44253465

Ricardo Mari Bagateli, Geri Eduardo Meneghello + Show 4 more

Open Access

https://doi.org/10.1590/2317-1545v44253465

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Abstract

Abstract: The use of high-quality seeds is an important factor in the crop production system. Its benefits to the performance of plants and possible interactions with other factors - such as nitrogen fertilization - could be better understood from a multivariate analysis perspective. With this approach, the objective of this work was to evaluate the impacts of wheat seed vigor and possible interactions with nitrogen fertilization on the performance of wheat plants. The data analyzed were obtained from the average results gathered through three experimental environments, located in the department of Alto Paraná, Paraguay. High-vigor seeds with provided a better plant stand and also a greater growth in the formed tillers stage. This category also provided plants with higher performance - a condition found for dry matter weight - in the booting, flowering and milk seed stages, in the presence and absence of nitrogen fertilization. The multivariate analysis showed that plants originating from high-vigor seeds that had not been fertilized with N showed a similar performance to that of low-vigor plants, but fertilized with N. High-vigor wheat seeds provide plants with superior performance.

Highlights

The challenges for food production until 2050 have intensified the need to improve production per unit of arable area, and seeds play a key role in this context
The use of high vigor seeds promoted better establishment of the two evaluated genotypes, and this benefit was found in the established plant population (Table 1)
Plant stand is important for obtaining high yields in large crops, and it is one of the first variables to benefit from seed quality

Summary

Introduction

The challenges for food production until 2050 have intensified the need to improve production per unit of arable area, and seeds play a key role in this context. The benefits of using seeds with high physiological performance, called high-vigor seeds, include adequate and uniform stands, consisting of plants (or seedlings) that are vigorous and efficient in taking advantage of available resources. On this important topic, recent studies with seed-producing species have found that the benefits of using high-vigor seeds are not limited only to establishment and initial growth; they can be observed in crop yields (Caverzan et al, 2018; Bagateli et al, 2019; Ebone et al, 2020). Cardoso et al (2021) went beyond yield and investigated the impacts of vigor on seed quality

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