Greater Number Of Seeds Research Articles

Honeybee (Apis mellifera L.) pollination enhances the yield and flavor quality of kiwifruit.

Pollination is essential for achieving high yields and enhancing the quality of kiwifruit cultivation, both of which significantly influence growers' interests and consumers' preferences. However, compared to studies on yield, there are fewer studies exploring the impact of pollination methods on the flavor of kiwifruit Actinidia chinensis Planchon. This study examined the effects of bee (Apis mellifera L.) pollination and artificial pollination on the yield and flavor of kiwifruit in the main producing areas of China. Compared with those pollinated artificially, bee-pollinated kiwifruit exhibited a greater fruit set rate, heavier fruit weight, and greater number of seeds. Notably, the number of seeds was positively correlated with fruit weight in bee-pollinated kiwifruit, whereas no such correlation was detected in artificially pollinated fruit. Bee pollination not only enhanced the yield but also improved the flavor of kiwifruit. Specifically, bee-pollinated kiwifruit contained higher levels of sucrose and lower concentrations of glucose and fructose, while the acid content was less affected by pollination methods. Furthermore, significant differences were observed in the volatile organic compound (VOC) levels in kiwifruit subjected to different pollination treatments, with bee-pollinated fruit exhibiting a superior flavor. Our findings provide new insights into the beneficial role of bee pollination in enhancing kiwifruit yield and quality, underscoring the crucial importance of bees in kiwifruit pollination.

Can cotton seed size mitigate preemergence herbicides injury?

AbstractPreemergence herbicides (PRE) have become integral for weed control in cotton (Gossypium hirsutum L.), especially with the prevalence of glyphosate‐resistant Palmer amaranth (Amaranthus palmeri S. Wats.). However, PRE herbicides have the potential to injure cotton seedlings. Previous research has shown that a larger seed size can compensate for early season stresses which could mitigate potential PRE herbicide injury. In this study, we evaluated growth and yield of two cotton varieties with different seed sizes (large and small) in response to three PRE herbicides alone and in combination. Percent visual injury, biomass, plant heights, stand counts, lint yield, and fiber quality were obtained to make comparisons between seed sizes and PRE treatments. In both years, the large‐seeded variety had a higher biomass at 3‐leaf stage. However, both varieties had “grown out” of the herbicide injury at 42 days after planting and the early season vigor of the larger seed did not result in higher lint yield. The small‐seeded variety had greater yield in both years of the study. This may be due to the genetics or yield potential of the small‐seeded variety, or bolls containing smaller seeds typically have a greater number of seeds with more opportunity for lint production. Cotton treated with diuron had the most visual injury and decreased biomass. The results from this study will allow growers to make more informed decisions with regards to seed size, vigor, and PRE herbicide choices. If crop injury is likely, a larger seeded cotton variety may mitigate potential early season injury; however, seed size did not have an impact on final lint yield.

Comparative characteristics of oat doubled haploids and oat × maize addition lines: Anatomical features of the leaves, chlorophyll a fluorescence and yield parameters.

As a result of oat (Avena sativa L.) × maize (Zea mays L.) crossing, maize chromosomes may not be completely eliminated at the early stages of embryogenesis, leading to the oat × maize addition (OMA) lines development. Introgression of maize chromosomes into oat genome can cause morphological and physiological modifications. The aim of the research was to evaluate the leaves' anatomy, chlorophyll a fluorescence, and yield parameter of oat doubled haploid (DH) and OMA lines obtained by oat × maize crossing. The present study examined two DH and two disomic OMA lines and revealed that they differ significantly in the majority of studied traits, apart from: the number of cells of the outer bundle sheath; light energy absorption; excitation energy trapped in PSII reaction centers; and energy dissipated from PSII. The OMA II line was characterized by larger size of single cells in the outer bundle sheath and greater number of seeds per plant among tested lines.

Effectiveness of Native Insect Pollinators in Mungra (Raphanus sativus) Seed Production

Bees have been observed to be the most effective pollinators in increasing the yield of fruits and seeds in various vegetable crops. To assess the pollination efficiency of indigenous bee species for the successful pollination of mungra crops (Raphanus sativus), an experiment was carried out at the research farm of Muhammad Nawaz Shareef University of Agriculture in Multan, Pakistan. The effectiveness of the most prevalent pollinators was measured using parameters such as visitation rate, duration of stay per flower, percentage of stigma contact, as well as the percentage of pod set from a single visit and the number of seeds per pod. The results indicated that Xylocopa sp. exhibited a notably higher visitation rate and stigma contact percentage, surpassing A. dorsata and A. mellifera. When considering the effectiveness of a single pollinator visit in terms of pod set percentage and the number of seeds per pod, Xylocopa sp. emerged as the most proficient pollinator, followed by A. dorsata and A. mellifera. Additionally, open-pollinated flowers demonstrated significantly higher pod set percentages and a greater number of seeds per pod compared to self-pollinated flowers. Conserving these efficient native bee species could potentially lead to increased vegetable crop production and greater returns for farmers in other cross pollinated crops in the Punjab Pakistan.

Comparative embryological study of some Jerusalem artichoke (<i>Helianthus tuberosus</i> L.) accessions with different seed-setting ability from the VIR collection

Background. Jerusalem artichoke (Helianthus tuberosus L.) is a valuable agricultural plant, characterized by mostly vegetative propagation and depression of sexual process. This feature notably impedes breeding improvement of both Jerusalem artichoke and its hybrids with sunflower. That is why a detailed investigation of possible reasons for the failure of seed setting is very important for this crop. Materials and methods. Jerusalem artichoke accessions from the VIR collection: cvs. ‘Topianka’ (k-70), ‘М-24-29’ (k-90), ‘2М-22-29’ (k-119), Skatovsky (k-123), and ‘Kievsky krasny’ (k-170), grown at Maikop Experiment Station of VIR, were examined. The material for embryological analysis was fixed at the stage of anthesis, processed, and analyzed at the Embryology and Reproductive Biology Lab of the Komarov Botanical Institute. Results. A cytomorphological analysis of pollen grains and examination of anther walls and ovules with embryo sacs showed that from 51 to 95 % of the pollen grains and from 23.1 % to 66.6 % of the embryo sacs were formed normally. Abnormalities in female reproductive structures appeared more frequently but they did not determine the poor seed setting. Among the studied accessions, both cvs. ‘Kievsky krasny’, with the greatest number of abnormalities in male and female reproductive structures, and ‘Topianka’, with the smallest number, produced almost no seeds. The greatest number of seeds (from 207 to 1164) were set in ‘2M-22-29’, with the medium amount of normal generative structures, both male (pollen fertility was 81 %) and female ones (59,4 % of viable embryo sacs). Self-incompatibility observed in cv. ‘Topianka’ could cause the pollination failure, destruction of normal embryo sacs, and seed production decrease. Conclusion. Thus, a combination of several factors (absence of developmental abnormalities in generative structures, crosspollination, and a compatible pollinizer) is necessary for successful seed setting in Jerusalem artichoke.

Influence of Phosphorus, Sulphur and Zinc Levels on Growth and Yield of Blackgram [Vigna mungo (L.)

A field trial was undertaken on the crop black gram in the Zaid season of 2021–2022, at the Crop Research Farm (CRF), in the department of agronomy, SHUATS, Prayagraj, (U.P). The trail was carried out to research “the influence of different levels of phosphorus, sulphur, and zinc on black gram crop”. The soil of the exploratory plot had a sandy loam texture, a naturally occurring pH of 7.1, a low level of organic carbon (0.36%), and readily available amounts of N (171.48 kg/ha), P (15.2 kg/ha), and K (232.5 kg/ha). The treatment included two amounts of phosphorus (40 and 50 kg/ha), sulphur (15 and 20 kg/ha), zinc (10 and 15 kg/ha) and a control. The experiment was designed in RBD, duplicated three times, and included nine treatments. The experiment's findings indicated that applying 50 kg/ha of phosphorus and 15 kg/ha of zinc to the soil (Treatment 8) resulted in the highest plant height (28.50 cm), number of nodules per plant counted (25.77), maximum plant dry weight (4.19 g/plant), higher number of pods per plant (30.67), a greater number of seeds per pod (12.00), test weight (36.30 g), seed yield (0.85 t/ha), straw yield (1.99 t/ha), and harvest index, were found to be non-significant. The same treatment (T8) also produced the maximum gross return (73720 INR/ha), net return (47732 INR/ha), and benefit: cost ratio (1.83).

Evaluation of Native Stingless Bee Species (Heterotrigona itama and Geniotrigona thoracica) for Pollination Efficiency on Melon Manis Terengganu

Melon Manis Terengganu (MMT) is a newly developed melon cultivar that is exclusively planted in Terengganu and has monoecious flowers where female and male parts are in different flowers of the same plant. Current practise for MMT pollination mainly depends on humans by hand-cross pollination treatment. However, until now little study on the potential of stingless bees as pollinator for greenhouse MMT has been documented in Malaysia. In this study, two species of stingless bees, Heterotrigona itama and Geniotrigona thoracica were placed with the MMT in the greenhouse. This study is aimed to investigate and compare the quality of MMT produced by four different pollination treatments; (1) self-pollination, (2) hand-cross pollination, (3) H. itama pollination and (4) G. thoracica pollination. Two hives of each stingless bee species were placed into the greenhouse at least two days before the MMT flowers bloomed. MMT produced from pollination by both stingless bee species and hand-cross pollination were significantly heavier in fresh weight, larger in diameter, higher in total soluble solid (TSS), and greater number of seeds per fruit compared to those produced from self-pollination. Pollination by stingless bees reached fruits with higher sweetness than hand-cross pollination and self-pollination. Results revealed that the stingless bee pollination on MMT production was similar to the MMT produced from hand-cross pollination. This study provides essential information on the potential of native stingless bees, H.itama and G. thoracica which can be effective pollinators for the MMT grown in the greenhouse besides manual pollination.

Physiological Characteristics of Cultivated Tepary Bean (Phaseolus acutifolius A. Gray) and Its Wild Relatives Grown at High Temperature and Acid Soil Stress Conditions in the Amazon Region of Colombia.

Common bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) is sensitive to different types of abiotic stresses (drought, high temperature, low soil fertility, and acid soil), and this may limit its adaptation and consequently to its yield under stress. Because of this, a sister species, tepary bean (Phaseolus acutifolius A. Gray), has recently gained attention in breeding for improved abiotic stress tolerance in common bean. In this study, we evaluated the adaptation of 302 accessions of tepary bean (Phaseolus acutifolius A. Gray) and its wild relatives (grouped in four types of tepary bean genetic resource: cultivated, acutifolius regressive, acutifolius wild, tenuifolius wild) when grown under high temperature and acid soil conditions with aluminum toxicity in the Amazon region of Colombia. Our objective was to determine differences among four types of tepary bean genetic resource in their morpho-phenological, agronomic, and physiological responses to combined high temperature and acid soil stress conditions. We found that cultivated P. acutifolius var acutifolius presented a greater number of pods per plant, as well as larger seeds and a greater number of seeds per pod. Some traits, such as root biomass, days to flowering and physiological maturity, specific leaf area, and stomatal density, showed significant differences between types of tepary bean genetic resource, probably contributing to difference in adaptation to combined stress conditions of high temperature and acid soil conditions. The photochemical quenching (qP) was higher in cultivated P. acutifolius var. acutifolius, while energy dissipation by non-photochemical quenching (NPQ) in the form of heat and the coefficient of non-photochemical dissipation (qN) were higher in acutifolius regressive and tenuifolius wild accessions. We have identified 6 accessions of cultivated and 19 accessions of tenuifolius wild that exhibited grain yields above 1800 kg ha−1. These accessions could be suitable to use as parents to improve dry seed production of tepary bean under combined stress conditions of high temperature and acid soil.

<p><strong><em>Salacia frutiplatensis </em>(Celastraceae, Salacioideae), a new species of the coastal sand dunes of Los Tuxtlas, Veracruz, Mexico</strong></p>

The new species Salacia frutiplatensis is described and illustrated herein. This new taxon is part of the arboreal strata of the coastal sand dunes scrub of Los Tuxtlas, Veracruz, Mexico, where it is considered endemic. Salacia frutiplatensis is similar to S. elliptica, S. cordata, and S. impressifolia, but differs from these in the shape and diameter of the extra-staminal disk, pericarp thickness, greater number of seeds, and not displaying the lianous habit.

Fine root biomass and seed bank in secondary and primary forests in Eastern Amazon

Amazon is made up of a mosaic of ecosystems that have important structure, flora, and ecological functions for Brazil and the world. Knowing aspects of this biome related to the production and biomass of fine roots is of major importance given the role that the plant root system plays in nutrient cycling and carbon storage. Therefore, this study aimed to quantify the fine root mass in two regeneration areas and in primary forest, with a forest edge, in order to verify whether in different environments there are significant differences in root mass, as well as to compare the seed bank of the three areas to try to identify similarities among banks. The native forest presented a higher root mass, which differs from the two regeneration areas. The seed bank of succession forests is more similar to each other. The native forest has a greater number of seeds per volume of soil and litter collected. Concerning morphospecies, a higher number was observed in succession forests. The three areas differ in terms of fine root mass; however, regarding the seed banks, a possible edge effect may be affecting the native forest.

Spanish cedar: Relationbetween Fruit and Seed Characteristics with Germination

Spanish cedar: Relationbetween Fruit and Seed Characteristics with Germination Pérez-Flores Julián, Sánchez-Gutierrez Facundo, Sol-Sanchez Angel, Jasso-Mata Jesús Abstract For Spanish cedar (Cedrelaodorata L., Meliaceae) is unknown if big fruits contain a greater number of seeds and if those seeds have better physic and biological quality than those coming from small fruits. Therefore, the relation between physic characteristics of fruit and seed with Spanish cedar germination was determined. One hundred seeds per tree from three groups of 12 trees were sown in individual nursery bags and 100 in a seedbed. Fruit weight and number of seeds per fruit differed significantly among the three groups of trees. Fruit size was directly related to seed weight and inversely related to number of seeds per fruit.Germination in nursery bags did not correlate neither to fruit nor seed variables, but correlated in seedbed (r = 0.99, P = 0.03) to both fruit weight and number of seeds per fruit. The conclusion is that weightier fruits correspond to higher number of seed per fruit, smaller seeds and higher germination in Spanish cedar which would be useful to sure the plant production in nurseries. Full Text: PDF DOI: 10.15640/jaes.v8n1a15

Review of the vertebrate-mediated dispersal of the Date Palm, Phoenix dactylifera

As a major agricultural crop in the semi-arid and arid zone of North Africa and the Middle East, drupes (“fruits”) of the Date Palm Phoenix dactylifera form with their high carbohydrate content of the flesh and oils in the seed a major part of the diet of resident and migratory bird species and fruit bats. This paper reviews the range of known instances of drupe predation by volant and non-volant vertebrate vectors. While documented dispersal distances range from tens of metres to about 50 km, the efficacy of that dispersal has not been assessed in any of the papers under review. While volant animals, primarily birds, make up the greatest number of dispersal vectors and also account for the greatest number of seeds dispersed, long distance dispersal of a larger quantity of seeds per dispersal event seems to rely on terrestrial animals, primarily canids, but also bears and flightless birds, such as the Emu (Dromaius novaehollandiae).

Diferencias fenológicas, morfológicas y de componentes del rendimiento entre una forma silvestre y una domesticada de frijol común

En 2014 se cultivaron en invernadero dos formas de frijol común (Phaseolus vulgaris L.), una silvestre y otra domesticada, ambas de hábito de crecimiento indeterminado tipo IV, trepador. El cultivo se realizó en hidroponía permitiendo la máxima expresión de su potencial genético. La forma silvestre y la domesticada de P. vulgaris son importante reservorio de genes para el fitomejoramiento. El objetivo fue realizar una comparación mutua de caracteres fenológicos, morfológicos y de los componentes del rendimiento, así como de algunas variables fisiológicas como duración del área foliar, tasa de asimilación neta, índice de llenado de la vaina e índice de cosecha. La forma silvestre presenta un ciclo de cultivo más largo que la domesticada y un mayor número de vainas desde la etapa de llenado de la vaina hasta la de madurez de cosecha y en esta última un mayor número de semillas por planta, aunque las semillas de un menor tamaño y peso individual; asimismo, el porcentaje de germinación fue similar en ambas formas sin necesidad de escarificar la semilla. En la forma silvestre, la producción total de materia seca por planta y la duración del área foliar son mayores, esta última característica debido a que su follaje permanece funcional más tiempo en comparación con la domesticada. La tasa de asimilación neta es mayor en la domesticada, lo cual indica su precocidad. El índice de cosecha tradicional y modificado (incluyendo y excluyendo la raíz en ambos casos) es mayor en la forma domesticada debido a la selección bajo domesticación.
 

Ectopic expression of a tomato DREB gene affects several ABA processes and influences plant growth and root architecture in an age-dependent manner

Regulation of whole plant growth and adaptive responses by abscisic acid is complex, requires multiple regulators and largely unknown in plants other than Arabidopsis. We show that over-expression of the tomato SlDREB3/SlERF.H12 (DEHYDRATION RESPONSE ELEMENT BINDING PROTEIN3/ETHYLENE RESPONSE FACTOR. H12) gene can negatively affect many ABA-governed processes across tissues. Its expression leads to early germination in presence of ABA and in response to mannitol, NaCl and glucose. Its expression delays ABA-mediated leaf senescence and natural senescence leading to an increase in plant life by about 20days. Transgenic SlDREB3 lines show reduced ABA-mediated inhibition of conductance and transpiration and a greater sensitivity to water stress. Reduction in sensitivity to ABA-mediated stomatal closure leads to higher photosynthetic rates in transgenic plants than controls. Consequently, transgenic SlDREB3 plants produce a larger number of capsules and greater number of seeds with the increase in yield ranging from 18 to 35% in different seasons under well-watered conditions. Root growth, but not shoot growth, also undergoes a profound increase of about 50% in transgenic SlDREB3 lines. The increase occurs in an age-dependent manner with the most prominent changes being observed between 1.5 and 2.5 months in several independent experiments in different years. SlDREB3 thus seems to govern several ABA-regulated processes across tissues, partly through control over ABA levels. It may encode a factor that is most likely a component of the central ABA response machinery.

SU‐G‐IeP4‐14: Prostate Brachytherapy Activity Measurement and Source Localization by Using a Dual Photon Emission Computed Tomography System: A Feasibility Study

Purpose:To monitor the activity distribution and needle position during and after implantation in operating rooms.Methods:Simulation studies were conducted to assess the feasibility of measurement activity distribution and seed localization using the DuPECT system. The system consists of a LaBr3‐based probe and planar detection heads, a collimation system, and a coincidence circuit. The two heads can be manipulated independently. Simplified Yb‐169 brachytherapy seeds were used. A water‐filled cylindrical phantom with a 40‐mm diameter and 40‐mm length was used to model a simplified prostate of the Asian man. Two simplified seeds were placed at a radial distance of 10 mm and tangential distance of 10 mm from the center of the phantom. The probe head was arranged perpendicular to the planar head. Results of various imaging durations were analyzed and the accuracy of the seed localization was assessed by calculating the centroid of the seed.Results:The reconstructed images indicate that the DuPECT can measure the activity distribution and locate the seeds dwelt in different positions intraoperatively. The calculated centroid on average turned out to be accurate within the pixel size of 0.5 mm. The two sources were identified when the duration is longer than 15 s. The sensitivity measured in water was merely 0.07 cps/MBq.Conclusion:Preliminary results show that the measurement of the activity distribution and seed localization are feasible using the DuPECT system intraoperatively. It indicates the DuPECT system has potential to be an approach for dose‐distribution‐validation. The efficacy of acvtivity distribution measurement and source localization using the DuPECT system will evaluated in more realistic phantom studies (e.g., various attenuation materials and greater number of seeds) in the future investigation.

Evolution of germination strategy in the invasive speciesUlex europaeus

The study of the adaptive potential of the germination patterns of invading species enables us to identify some traits linked with their capacity to colonize new sites, and to gain a better understanding of their area of distribution. The aim of this study is to determine the germination pattern of Ulex europaeus, a cosmopolitan invasive species, in relation to temperature and to explore its potential evolution and invasiveness in a tropical region, following its introduction from Europe. We studied the germination pattern of U. europaeus (the common gorse) to test both physical dormancy and germination capacity within the range of temperatures found in the native and invasive regions. To understand its germination pattern and its evolution, the rate and the speed of germination, as well as the percentage of seeds that became mouldy during the experiment, have been compared between a native habitat, France and a habitat into which it has been introduced, the tropical island of La Reunion. The results show that gorse seeds germinate in large quantities, possess the ability to germinate under a wide range of temperatures and they confirm the physical dormancy of the seeds (caused by seed coat impermeability).The decrease in germination from 25ºC upwards, coupled with an increase in the rate of moulding help to explain its restricted distribution at altitude in tropical environments. For scarified seeds, we have not detected any difference between the two regions, neither in the percentage of germinated seeds, nor in the percentage of mouldy seeds. However, seeds from Reunion germinate faster at 20ºC than seeds from France and a greater number of seeds from Reunion are able to germinate without scarification (10–60% for Reunion versus 0–10% for France). These results suggest that while preserving the advantages of the native habitat, in Reunion gorse develops a strategy which favours the rapid occupation of new sites.

Effect of Various Levels of NPK Fertilizer on the Yield Attributes of Soybean (Glycine max L.) Varieties

Indonesian soybean production can only meet about 30% of national demand. Efforts to increase soybean production include the use of improved seed quality and fertilizer application. The aims of this research were to 1) examine the responses of six genotype soybeans to the application of different doses of NPK fertilizer; 2) determine the seed protein content of the six soybean genotypes following NPK application; 3) determine the interaction between soybean genotypes with NPK doses in affecting growth and yield. This research was conducted under a plastic house at the Faculty of Agriculture, University of Jenderal Soedirman, Central Java, Indonesia. The experiment was arranged in a randomized block design with three replications using six soybean varieties and four levels NPK fertilizer. Soybean varieties tested were “L/S: B6-G1” (V1), “L/S:B6-G3” (V2), “L/S:B6-G4” (V3), “Grobogan” (V4), “Burangrang” (V5), and “Argomulyo” (V6). Four levels NPK fertilizer tested were: without fertilizer (N0), 0.6 g per plant (N1) 1.2 g per plant (N2), and 18.g per plant (N3), or 0, 100, 200 and 300 kg.ha-1. “L/S: B6-G1” had the greatest number of seeds per plant (184) following treatment with 300 kg.ha-1 of NPK. The seed protein content increased with the increase doses of NPK. “Argomulyo” treated with NPK at 300 kg.ha-1 had the highest seed protein content (34.5%). Soybean responses to NPK treatment differed with varieties, particularly in the number of fl owers per plant, number of seeds per plant, grain weight per plant and seed protein levels.

Interrelationships and genetic analysis of seed yield and morphological traits in mini core collection of Iranian landrace, breeding lines and improved chickpea (Cicer arietinum L.) cultivars

To determine the association between genetic parameters and morphological traits in chickpea (Cicer arietinum L.) genotypes, a field experiment was conducted with 49 different landrace, breeding lines and cultivated chickpea genotypes using a 7?7 lattice square design with 2 replications in the 2012-2013 growing season. Genetic parameters including genetic, environmental and phenotypic variances; coefficients of variation; heritability; correlation coefficients; factor analysis and path coefficients were estimated, and cluster analysis was performed. High heritability values observed in measured traits indicating that these traits are controlled mainly by additive genes and that selection of such traits may be effective for improving seed yield. Number of seeds per plant, 100-seed weight and plant biomass had a positive direct effect on seed yield. These traits also had positive and highly significant phenotypic correlations with seed yield. Using principal component (PC) analysis, the first three PCs with eigenvalues more than 1 contributed 70.94% of the variability among accessions. The germplasm were grouped into 3 clusters. Each cluster had some specific characteristics of its own and the cluster I was clearly separated from cluster II and III. Overall the results, it can be concluded that seed yield in chickpea can be improved by selecting an ideotype having greater number of seeds per plant, 100-seed weight and plant biomass.

Weed seed distribution in the soil profile in extensive and intensive vineyards

Determination of weed seed bank is of great importance for the study of weed population dynamics and planned weed control. In agroecosystems knowledge of weed seed bank in a particular area provides better choice of cultural practices, as well as more rational herbicide use. Extensive growth of vine grape implies application of all cultural practices without herbicide use. Soil samples for determination of weed seed bank were taken at the beginning and at the end of vegetation period. Soil samples were taken from each plot in ten replications. The samples were taken from depths of 0-10 cm, 10-20 cm and 20-30 cm, separately. The aim of the study was to establish the composition of weed seed bank in extensive and intensive vineyards. In extensive vineyard 24 weed species were determined, and in intensive 20 ones and these were: Portulaca oleracea L., Amaranthus retroflexus L., Stellaria media (L.) Vill., Chenopodium album L., Euphorbia helioscopia L., Galium verum L., Polygonum persicaria L., Datura stramonium L., Setaria glauca (L.) Beauv., Solanum nigrum L., Stachys annua L., Geranium dissectum L., Veronica arvensis L., Euphorbia ciparissias L., Convolvulus arvensis L., Sinapis arvensis L., Viola tricolor L., Capsella bursa-pastoris L., Lamium purpureum L., Polygonum aviculare L., Papaver rhoeas L., Ambrosia artemissifolia L., Agropyrum repens (L.) Beauv., and Sorghum halepense L. In addition to the great variety of weed species, whose seeds were determined from the studied samples, only the following few species proved to be dominant with a greater number of seeds: Amaranthus retroflexus L., Portulaca oleracea L., Capsella bursa-pastoris L., Chenopodium album L., Stellaria media (L.) Vill., Solanum nigrum L., and Lamium purpureum L.

Produção e qualidade de sementes híbridas de berinjela em função do número de frutos por planta

A berinjela é uma espécie autógama, de flores perfeitas e que ainda não dispõe de sistema genético de macho-esterilidade para uso em escala comercial. Assim, a tecnologia de produção de sementes híbridas envolve emasculação e polinização manuais. No presente trabalho avaliou-se a produção e a qualidade de sementes híbridas de berinjela oriundas de plantas com diferentes números de frutos por planta, fecundados artificialmente. O experimento foi conduzido em campo de produção de sementes híbridas de berinjela 'Ciça' na Embrapa Hortaliças e os tratamentos corresponderam a diferentes números de frutos fecundados mantidos por planta (6, 9, 12, 15 e 18). Foram selecionadas seis plantas/repetições para cada tratamento, nas quais os botões florais foram emasculados manualmente e realizados cruzamentos controlados. Foram avaliados 1) número de sementes por fruto; 2) número de sementes por planta; 3) massa de sementes por planta; 4) massa de 100 sementes; 5) teste padrão de germinação; 6) primeira contagem; 7) classificação do vigor; 8) envelhecimento acelerado; 9) teste de frio e 10) emergência de plântulas. O maior número de sementes por fruto foi obtido em plantas com seis frutos e o menor em plantas com 15 e 18 frutos. Plantas com 12, 15 e 18 frutos apresentaram maior número e massa de sementes por planta. Os tratamentos não diferiram quanto à massa de sementes, primeira contagem, germinação e plântulas normais. O teste de envelhecimento acelerado indicou que o período de 72 h se relaciona melhor com a germinação. O estabelecimento do limite de 12 frutos por planta está próximo do ideal, uma vez que permite a racionalização da mão-de-obra quanto ao número de interferências realizadas pelo produtor de sementes híbridas.