The effect of hulls on longevity of hulled wheats seeds in the conditions of accelerated aging

Abstract

The Aim is to determine effect of hulls presence on hulled wheats seeds on their longevity. Results and discussion. In representatives of hulled wheat species T. monococcum, T. dicoccum cv. Polba 3 and T. spelta cv. Frankenkorn, the seeds with removed hulls had in the control and experimental variants higher germination energy and germination level than the seeds in hulls. In the control variant, the positive reaction to the removal of hulls from the seeds in diploid species T. monococcum was more significant (germination energy and germination level increased respectively by 22% and 13%), than the samples of polyploid species T. dicoccum and T. spelta (increase by 3% – 10%). Under accelerated aging, on the contrary, removal of the hulls had a stronger positive effect in the polyploid species (the increase was from 21.7% to 34.0%) than on the diploid species (the increase was by 2% and 12%). Removing the hulls from the grains of the hulled wheats accessions ambiguously affected the length of the primary roots and leaves. In the control variant, in T. monococcum, length of the primary roots in the dehulled seeds did not change compared to the undehulled seeds; in the emmer and spelt it decreased. Under the conditions of accelerated aging, removal of the hulls affected the length of the primary roots in einkorn negatively, in the emmer and spelt – there was no impact. In most cases, removal of hulls had a positive effect on the primary leaf length, with the exception of the emmer variety Polba 3 in the control – decrease by 1,5%). The possible connection of this phenomenon with the presence of inhibitors in wheat hulls established by researchers is discussed. Conclusions. In the representatives of hulled wheat species T. monococcum, T. dicoccum Polba 3 and T. spelta Frankenkorn, the seeds freed from hulls are more longevous than the seeds in hulls.