Quality Of Seeds Research Articles

Quality assessment of soybean seeds submitted to industrial seed treatment and stored in a natural and controlled environment

Seed quality is a limiting factor in the search for high soybean yields. However, fungi and insect pests can negatively interfere with their performance, and industrial seed treatment (IST) is a tool used to minimize the attack of pathogens and pests. The treated seeds are often stored until sowing, which can lead to a reduction in their quality. This work aimed to evaluate the physical and physiological quality of soybean seeds submitted to IST, with subsequent storage in a natural and controlled environment. The experiment was conducted in a split-split-plot design in a completely randomized scheme (time x storage systems x IST) with four replications. Soybean cultivar 55I57RSF IPRO was subjected to IST with fungicide (metalaxyl-M, thiabendazole, and fludioxonil) and insecticide (thiamethoxam and cyantraniliprole), combined or not with polymer and dry powder, with subsequent storage in a controlled and natural environment. The moisture content, thousand-seed weights, germination, first germination count, germination speed index, accelerated aging, seedling length, dry matter transfer, and emergence sand test were evaluated. IST did not affect the moisture content and weight of a thousand seeds. However, storage in a controlled environment provided a greater reduction in moisture content and a smaller reduction in the weight of a thousand seeds. IST negatively affected germination, first germination count, germination speed index, and accelerated aging test. IST negatively affected plant length, except in the treatment where only insecticide was applied. The dry mass transfer was negatively affected but with less intensity in seeds subjected only to the application of insecticide or fungicide and the combination of insecticide, fungicide, and polymer. Seed emergence in the sand was negatively affected by all treatments. Regardless of the treatments, all responses evaluated showed a reduction throughout storage, with greater intensity in seeds stored in the natural environment.

Assessing Nutritional Characteristics and Bioactive Compound Distribution in Seeds, Oil, and Cake from Confectionary Sunflowers Cultivated in Serbia.

Sunflower seeds are key agricultural commodities due to their nutritional and industrial value. This study aimed to analyze the distribution of targeted bioactive compounds and assess the physical properties across 27 sunflower seed genotypes, including parental lines and F1 and F2 hybrids, cultivated in Serbia. Various analytical techniques were employed to determine the chemical composition and physical characteristics of the seeds. This research revealed significant genetic variability in fatty acid profiles, with differences in polyunsaturated and saturated fatty acid levels among the genotypes. Hybrid seeds displayed variations in 1000-seed weight and bulk density compared to parental lines, which exhibited higher essential fatty acid contents and mechanical properties advantageous for industrial processing. These insights highlight the potential for refining breeding strategies to improve seed quality for specific industrial purposes. Overall, this study emphasizes the critical role of genetic selection in enhancing the nutritional and processing qualities of sunflower seeds, offering valuable perspectives for advancing agricultural and breeding practices.

The efficiency of pre-sowing application of humic preparations when applied to European spruce (Picea abies) seeds

ABSTRACT The article discusses the relevance of increasing the sowing qualities of forest seeds. The results of studies on the influence of humic preparations on the sowing qualities of the European spruce (Picea abies) are presented. The positive effect of the studied humic preparations on the germinative energy and germinating ability of seeds was noted. The best effect is obtained when processing seeds which have reduced sowing qualities. The dependence of germinating ability of seeds on duration of soaking in the working solution of humic preparations and the content of the active substance in them has been established. The best indicators of germinating ability and germinative energy were noted when the seeds were soaked for 20 hours in a humic preparation with a humic acid content of 9.9 g/l.

Agribusiness analysis of seed producer supports increased soybean production in East Java production centre areas

ABSTRACT Quality seeds are one of the main technological components for increasing soybean crop production. Until now the use of quality soybean seeds in Indonesia only reaches 30%. The constraints of providing soybean quality seeds still often occur. The objectives of this study are to identify the financial feasibility of soybean seed producer in various uses of soybean products; to identify socio-economic constraints on soybean seed producer and to propose a strategy for developing soybean seed producer agribusiness in East Java province. The survey was conducted on soybean seed growers and soybean farmers who planted soybeans in the 2022 growing season. The results showed that the R/C ratio of producers for seed purposes, producers for consumption purposes, and soybean farmers are 1.34, 1.23 and 1.2, respectively. Threats faced by soybean seed producers include suboptimal post-harvest handling and the rapidly decreasing soybean seed germination. The strategy in developing soybean seed producer that can be proposed are: growing soybean seed farmers at each production centre location to meet the needs of seeds on time, quantity, variety, agroclimate, quality, and price, so as to meet the need of local farmers quickly, and reduce the risk of rapidly decreasing seed germination.

Pyramiding of bacterial blight resistance genes into promising restorer BRRI31R line through marker-assisted backcross breeding and evaluation of agro-morphological and physiochemical characteristics of developed resistant restorer lines.

BRRI31R is one of the Bangladesh's most promising restorer lines due to its abundant pollen producing capacity, strong restoring ability, good combining ability, high outcrossing rate and genetically diverse from cytoplasmic male sterile (CMS) line. But the drawback of this line is that it is highly susceptible to bacterial blight (BB) disease of rice caused by Xanthomonas oryzae pv. oryzae. The present study highlighted the pyramiding of effective BB resistance genes (xa5, xa13 and Xa21) into the background of BRRI31R, through marker-assisted backcrossing (MABC). Backcross progenies were confirmed and advanced based on the foreground selection of target genes. Pyramided lines were used for pathogenicity test against five Bangladeshi Xanthomonas oryzae (BXo) races (BXo93, BXo220, BXo822, BXo826, BXo887) and confirmed the dominant fertility restore genes, Rf3 and Rf4 and further validated against SNP markers for more confirmation of target resistance genes. All pyramided restorer lines consisted of Xa4 (in built), xa5, xa13, Xa21, and Chalk5 with two fertility restorer genes, Rf3, Rf4. and these restorer lines showed intermediate amylose content (<25%). Restorer lines BRRI31R-MASP3 and BRRI31R-MASP4 showed high levels of resistance against five virulent BXo races and SNP genotyping revealed that these lines also contained a blast resistance gene Pita races. Gene pyramided restorer lines, BRRI31R-MASP3 and BRRI31R-MASP4 can directly be used as a male parent for the development of new BB resistant hybrid rice variety or could be used as a replacement of restorer line of BRRI hybrid dhan5 and 7 to enhance the quality of hybrid seeds as well as rice production in Bangladesh.

Semisynthetic compounds for controlling Colletotrichum lindemuthianum on bean seeds

Anthracnose caused by Colletotrichum lindemuthianum is one of the main diseases that affect the bean crop. The use of semisynthetic compounds for controlling anthracnose aims at providing a higher balance to the ecosystem and a lower environmental impact. Based on this context, the objective of this work was: a) to carry out the prospection of compounds such as Phenyl S Citral, Phenyl Se Citronellal, and Citral at concentrations of 1, 0.5, 0.25, 0.125, 0.0625, 0.0312, 0.0156, 0.0078, and 0.0039%, which were modified from the essential oil of citronella and lemongrass, for controlling C. lindemuthianum; b) to evaluate the initial performance of seedlings and treat the incidence of C. lindemuthianum in bean seeds with Phenyl S Citral and Phenyl Se Citronellal at concentrations of 0.125 and 0.0625%. Phenyl Se Citronellal at 0.5% controlled 100% of mycelial growth and Phenyl S Citral at 0.5 and 1% controlled more than 50% of mycelial growth of C. lindemuthianum. The treatment with Phenyl S Citral and Phenyl Se Citronellal did not affect the physiological quality of bean seeds while increasing seedling development when using the 0.0625% concentration of Phenyl Se Citronellal. Treatment with Phenyl Se Citronellal at both concentrations decreased the incidence of C. lindemuthianum infection.

Physicochemical, Cooking Quality and Sensory Acceptability of Three Cowpea Varieties Grown in Botswana

Background: Information on the physicochemical, cooking and sensory qualities of cowpea seeds are required for nutrition information, to design processing and for consumer acceptance. In view of this, three cowpea varieties (Tswana, Blackeye and ER7) grown in Botswana were evaluated. Method: Proximate compositions, physical, gelatinization and sensory properties respectively were evaluated following AOAC, conventional, Amylograph and on 7-point hedonic sensory acceptability scale. Result: Significant variations (p less than 0.05) were observed in fat, fiber, ash and available carbohydrate (CHO) contents, length, thickness, hundred seeds weight (HSW), hydration capacity, hydration index, cooking time, flour starches maximum gelatinization temperature (Tm,°C) and viscosity at Tm. The percentage moisture, protein, fiber, fat, ash and available carbohydrate contents ranged 9.5-10.1, 21.7-22.8, 2.3-2.6, 1.1-2.0, 2.1-3.0 and 59.4-62.3, respectively. Initial gelatinization temperature (To,°C) and Tm (°C) were ranged 71.3(ER7)-73.7(Tswana) and 83.0(ER7)-84.7(Blackeye), respectively. Significant (p less than 0.05) variations in Tm and viscosity at Tm were observed because of differences in water uptake, swelling and thickening ability at high temperature. Longest cooking time was recorded for Tswana (43.57 min) while shortest was for Blackeye (36.10 min). Tswana recorded a longer cooking time probably because of low water hydration capacity, small seed size and low HSW. There was no significant difference in the sensory liking of the cooked cowpea seeds and were rated from slightly to moderately like. Cowpeas of high protein and fiber contents, short cooking time and high thickening ability on cooking are preferred for healthy diets. In terms of cooking time and thickening ability, Tswana variety appeared poor. Shorter cooking time, high protein content and high thickening ability of Blackeye cowpea is more acceptable. The ER7 is preferred for its large seed size.

Upholding Seed Quality with Mid-storage Invigoration Treatments in Rice (Oryza sativa L.)

The groundbreaking research investigated the impact of mid-storage invigoration treatments on seed quality parameters in rice. The experimental design used in the study was Completely Randomized Design with three replications. The experiment was conducted at the Regional Agricultural Research Station, Pattambi, Kerala Agricultural University. The objective of the study was to understand the effect of mid-storage invigoration treatments on seed storage under ambient conditions. An experiment was conducted to evaluate the effect of ten different treatments on the quality of seeds, specifically the germination percentage, seed vigour index I, electrical conductivity, and mean germination time. The treatments tested were control- untreated seeds, hydration and dehydration treatment 1l/kg, ascorbic acid 10g/kg, calcium chloride 10g/kg, albizzia leaf powder 2g/kg, neem cake 5g/kg, neem leaf powder 2g/kg, neem oil 2ml/kg, red chilli powder 1g/kg and vayambu leaf powder 2g/kg. The rice variety Jyothi was used. Results showed that all the mid-storage invigoration treatments significantly improved the germination rate of the treated seeds when compared to the control under ambient storage conditions. Neem oil when used showed the highest germination percentage after five months of storage. In the last month of storage, neem oil showed a significantly higher vigour index which was comparable to hydration dehydration treatment and red chilli powder. Germination percentage and seedling vigour index I are positively associated with seed quality. Electrical conductivity and mean germination time are negatively correlated with seed quality. The least electrical conductivity was recorded in hydration dehydration treatment. Neem oil and hydration dehydration treatment had low mean germination time. Based on the research conducted, neem oil, hydration-dehydration, and red chili powder are the most effective treatments for improving the longevity of seeds. These eco-friendly and cost-effective mid-storage invigoration seed treatments can help farmers enhance the quality of their seeds and extend their storage life.

A systems genomics and genetics approach to identify the genetic regulatory network for lignin content in Brassica napus seeds.

Seed quality traits of oilseed rape, Brassica napus (B. napus), exhibit quantitative inheritance determined by its genetic makeup and the environment via the mediation of a complex genetic architecture of hundreds to thousands of genes. Thus, instead of single gene analysis, network-based systems genomics and genetics approaches that combine genotype, phenotype, and molecular phenotypes offer a promising alternative to uncover this complex genetic architecture. In the current study, systems genetics approaches were used to explore the genetic regulation of lignin traits in B. napus seeds. Four QTL (qLignin_A09_1, qLignin_A09_2, qLignin_A09_3, and qLignin_C08) distributed on two chromosomes were identified for lignin content. The qLignin_A09_2 and qLignin_C08 loci were homologous QTL from the A and C subgenomes, respectively. Genome-wide gene regulatory network analysis identified eighty-three subnetworks (or modules); and three modules with 910 genes in total, were associated with lignin content, which was confirmed by network QTL analysis. eQTL (expression quantitative trait loci) analysis revealed four cis-eQTL genes including lignin and flavonoid pathway genes, cinnamoyl-CoA-reductase (CCR1), and TRANSPARENT TESTA genes TT4, TT6, TT8, as causal genes. The findings validated the power of systems genetics to identify causal regulatory networks and genes underlying complex traits. Moreover, this information may enable the research community to explore new breeding strategies, such as network selection or gene engineering, to rewire networks to develop climate resilience crops with better seed quality.

Sunflower Yield Depending on the Application of Micronutrients

Background: The article presents the results of field experiments on the use of micro fertilizers on sunflower. The object of the study was a hybrid of sunflower Fausto from the company “Strube DandS GMBH”. Field experiments were carried out with micro fertilizers of the German company “Lebozol”, the Russian “Polydon Agro” and the Lithuanian “Acoustic Biotechnologies (brand Humic Land”). Methods: Foliar application with micronutrients and their treatment of sunflower seeds and their combination were studied. As studies have shown, the variant with the use of micronutrients for seed dressing against the background of foliar application showed the greatest effectiveness. Foliar application without treating seeds with trace elements did not significantly increase the yield and oil yield. Also, the oil content of the seeds according to the variants in the years of research did not differ significantly. In general, the condition of sunflower plants during the years of research before harvesting was satisfactory. At the same time, it should be noted that in 2022 abnormal precipitation affected the quality of sunflower seeds. Result: The analysis of the obtained results indicates the need for further search for optimal ways of using micronutrients to increase the yield of sunflower and its quality. It should also be taken into account the fact that according to economic calculations, the costs of applying micro fertilizers during seed treatment will not exceed 10 rubles/ha and with àoliar application they will amount to 1300-2300 rubles/ha. accordingly.

Marigold Seed Pelleting with Plant Nutrients on Germination, Growth, Storage and Flower Yields

Background: Seed pelleting, a method involving seed coatings to enlarge seed size, is advantageous for marigold seeds because it improves water utilization efficiency during germination. Furthermore, the incorporation of vital plant nutrients into seeds fosters germination and growth, facilitating accelerated growth and increased yield in marigold plants. Methods: Marigold seeds were pelleted with NH4NO3 at rates of 0.048, 0.096 and 0.192 g, NaH2PO4.H2O at rates of 0.064, 0.128 and 0.256 g and KCl at rates of 0.013, 0.026 and 0.052 g. Growth was determined after incubation in 4 × 6 inch bags for 56 days. Storage longevity was determined after incubation in aluminum foil bags under controlled (15°C, 50% RH) and ambient conditions (27±2°C, 70% RH) for 6 months. Result: Seeds pelleted with NH4NO3, NaH2PO4.H2O and KCl demonstrated superior germination rates and germination speed. NaH2PO4.H2O pelleting led to increased shoot dry weight. The use of 0.256 g NaH2PO4.H2O resulted in the highest germination rate over 6 months. Pelleting with all three nutrients resulted in higher plants, particularly 0.256 g NaH2PO4.H2O, which led to more flowers per plant. Therefore, pelleting seeds with 0.256 g NaH2PO4.H2O is recommended to optimize the quality of marigold seeds.

The evaluation of Indigofera seed production and quality in different environments

Abstract Seed production and quality are pivotal factors in the success of Indigofera cultivation as forage crop for livestock. This study aims to evaluate the seed production and quality of Indigofera in different environments of Seed Production Unit (SPU). Seven distinct SPU’s, namely BPPIB-TSP Bunikasih, BBIB Singosari, BPTU-HPT Denpasar, BPTU-HPT Pelaihari, BPTU-HPT Sembawa, BBPTU-HPT Baturraden, and CV Cahaya Baru Semarang selected as the observed locations. Environmental data pertaining to elevation (m a.s.l.), annual rainfall (mm/year), temperature (°C), humidity (%), and light intensity (Lumen-hour) were collected for each unit. Seed production parameters were seed yield (g) and seed weight (g per 1,000 seeds). Seed quality parameters encompassed water content (%), purity (%), and viability (%). The analysis in this study involved assessing the mean differences in these parameters through the application of analysis of variance (ANOVA). The result showed the seed production and quality were diverse across SPUs, with BPTU-HPT Sembawa and CV Cahaya Baru Semarang demonstrating outstanding seed production, while BPTU-HPT Pelaihari maintains high-quality standards. The highest positive correlation emerged between elevation and water content (r = 0.72), highlighting the influence of altitude on the moisture content of seeds. The strongest negative correlation was observed between temperature and water content (r = -0.76), emphasizing the role of temperature in drying seeds.

Enhancing Fenugreek (Trigonella foenum-graecum L.) Productivity and Seed Quality through Silicon-Based Seed Priming under Salt-Stressed Conditions

Enhancing Fenugreek (Trigonella foenum-graecum L.) Productivity and Seed Quality through Silicon-Based Seed Priming under Salt-Stressed Conditions

Penerapan Metode Vikor dalam Pemilihan Bibit Unggul Pohon Karet

Rubber plant is one of the plantation commodities that has an important role in economic activities in Indonesia. The need for rubber seeds continues to increase in line with the increase in the area of ​​smallholder rubber plantations and the government. Quality seeds are a community need in developing rubber plantations in Indonesia from year to year. The first step to get good rubber seeds is that rubber farmers need to use quality rubber seed planting material and are able to produce high latex. Given the very importance of seeds in determining quality rubber repair. With a Decision Support System with the vikor method to build a system that has the ability to be able to assist farmers in choosing superior rubber tree seeds with a system that is able to provide problem solving skills and communication skills for problems with semi-structured and unstructured conditions. This study uses the vikor method because this method is suitable for use in most real-time problems such as making decisions to find quality rubber tree seeds so that this research can be useful for rubber tree farmers in improving the quality of superior seeds.

Classification of nutmeg ripeness using artificial intelligence

Nutmeg seeds can produce a lot of oil if they have optimal maturity, in other words, they have little moisture content. Based on observations I made at one of the refineries in Sukabumi, farmers do not pay attention to the maturity level of nutmeg seeds after drying which can cause a decrease in the quality of nutmeg seeds and the quality of the oil produced. This study aims to make it easier for nutmeg farmers to classify the maturity of nutmeg seeds. This study used the Convolutional Neural Network (CNN) method to help with classification problems and several image processing methods. This program will be run through an android application. The results of CNN model training accuracy are 97.92%. Thus, it can be concluded that the design and testing of a model to classify the maturity level of nutmeg seeds using artificial intelligence and the implementation of the model into an android application has been successfully carried out.

Discrimination of internal crack for rice seeds using near infrared spectroscopy

It is an important thing to identify internal crack in seeds from normal seeds for evaluating the quality of rice seeds (Oryza sativa L.). In this study, non-destructive discrimination of internal crack in rice seeds using near infrared spectroscopy and chemometrics is proposed. Principal component analysis (PCA) was used to analyze the rice seeds spectra. Four supervised classification techniques(partial least squares discriminate analysis (PLS-DA), support vector machines (SVM), k-nearest neighbors (KNN) and random forest (RF)) with four different pre-processing techniques (standard normal variate (SNV), multiplicative scatter correction (MSC), first and second derivative with Savitzky-Golay (SG) smoothing) were applied. The best results (Sn = 0.8824, Sp = 0.9429, Acc = 0.913) were achieved by PLS-DA with the raw spectral data. The performance of the best SVM model was inferior to that of PLS-DA, but superior to that of RF and KNN. Except for PLS-DA, four different preprocessing techniques were improved the performance of the developed models. The important variables for discriminating internal cracks in rice seeds were related to the amylose. Overall, the all results demonstrated the feasibility of non-destructive discrimination of internal crack for rice seeds (Oryza sativa L.) using near infrared spectroscopy and chemometrics.

Kajian Pertumbuhan dan Produksi Kentang (Solanum tuberosum L.) dengan Variasi Umbi Benih

The effect of seed tuber weight on the growth and production of potatoes (Solanum tuberosum L.) is intended to determine the efficiency of using tubers as seed material in potato cultivation. The single factor experiment was carried out using a randomized block design (RAK) consisting of 8 treatments, namely treatment A (Granolla variety with tuber weight 28 – 30 g), B (Granolla variety with tuber weight 31 – 45 g), C (Granolla variety with tuber weight 46 – 60 g), D HPS variety with tuber weight 31 – 45 g (Granolla variety with tuber weight 61 – 80 g), E (HPS variety with tuber weight 28 – 30 g), F (HPS variety with tuber weight 31 – 45 g), G (HPS variety with tuber weight 46 – 60 g), and H treatment (HPS variety with tuber weight 61 – 80 g). Each treatment was repeated four times. The results showed that the results were better for tubers weighing 46 - 60 g than tubers weighing 28 - 45 g, and the results were the same compared to tubers weighing 61 - 80 g, both for the HPS variety and the granolla variety. In developing potato cultivation, it is necessary to pay attention to the availability of quality seeds, the weight of the seed tubers and varieties that are suitable for the land environment. By increasing the production of quality tuber seeds, it is hoped that it can contribute to increasing productivity and potato production

Effect of NPK fertilizer (16-16-16) concentration on the production and quality of cayenne pepper seeds (Capsicum frutescens L.) Bonita and Loblita varieties

One way to increase the production and quality of cayenne pepper seeds is by proper fertilization. The purpose of this study was to obtain the best concentration of NPK (16-16-16) fertilizer for the production and quality seeds of Bonita and Loblita varieties. This study used a nested design with a basic design of randomized group design consisting of 4 levels of NPK (16-16-16) fertilizer concentrations (0 g/l (control), 5 g/l, 10 g/l, and 20 g/l) and 2 varieties of cayenne pepper (Bonita and Loblita) using 3 replications. The concentration of 5 g/l NPK fertilizer (16-16-16) on the Bonita variety gave the best results on germination (85,33%), seed growth speed (24,73%/ethmal), and seed growth uniformity (84,33%). While in the Loblita variety, the concentration of NPK fertilizer (16-16-16) 10 g/l gives the best results on germination (83%), seed growth speed (11,31%/ethmal), and seed growth uniformity (64,33%).

Non-destructive Near-infrared Hyperspectral Imaging in Food Technologies with a Focus on Monitoring Seed Viability

Seed qualities including viability and germination significantly influence the quantity and the quality of harvest. Technological means to assess seed qualities and attributes of seed-derived food products are varied. This paper highlights the use of infrared hyperspectral imaging (NIR- HSI) in food quality control, authentication, safety, process monitoring, shelf-life prediction, ingredients analysis, allergens detection and food sorting and grading. It also shows a particular application of NIR-HSI for the monitoring of nutrient content of sprouts and germinated seeds for industrial processing of foods with high nutritional values. The paper further reviews the applications of NIR-HSI to predict seed viability and germination. The non-destructive, rapid, and high-throughput capability of NIR-HSI were demonstrated through research works combining the NIR-HSI technology with chemometrics tools to reach more than 90% prediction rate. These relatively high rates may depend on the storage conditions or the stringency of the artificial aging conditions applied to parts of the seeds. However, the NIR-HSI has also proven efficient using naturally aged seeds with the prediction rates up to 90% correct classification, demonstrating the high capability of the technology. In combination with advanced chemometrics tools, some components of emerging technologies such as traditional machine learning and deep learning models have been added to increase the efficiency of NIR_HSI. Overall, the research works reviewed in this paper and which cover several food crops and food products showed that NIR-HSI is set to reach new heights in monitoring seed viability for improved seed stock management, crop production and innovation in the food industry.

Оценка посевных качеств семян и сезонного развития многолетних травянистых растений, интродуцированных в Полярно-альпийском ботаническом саду-институте

The study investigated the phenorhythms and sowing qualities of seeds from eight herbaceous perennial plant species (Arnica unalaschcensis, Aster bellidiastrum, Cirsium spinosissimum, Doronicum glaciale, Erigeron glacialis,Geum rhodopeum, G. virginianum and Rheum tataricum) introduced in Polar-Alpine Botanic Garden-Institute.Aster bellidiastrum, Doronicum glaciale, and Erigeron glacialis exhibited the earliest seed ripening, while Arnica unalaschcensis, and Rheum tataricum displayed a somewhat delayed ripening process. Notably, these species demonstrated high laboratory germination rates ranging from 92 % to 100 %, indicating their successful adaptation to the local environmental conditions. Conversely, Cirsium spinosissimum exhibited an extended period of seed maturation, with a lower germination rate of 37 %.