Standard Germination Test Research Articles

Treatment of soybean seeds with molybdenum and inoculant: nitrate reductase activity and agronomic performance

The aim of this study was to analyze the effects of molybdenum and inoculant application via seed treatment in soybean, and their role in the nitrate reductase enzyme activity, agronomic traits and physiological quality of the produced seeds. The experiment was conducted at the Federal University of Pelotas (UFPel), Rio Grande do Sul state, Brazil. The treatments were shaped by five doses of molybdenum (zero; 16; 32; 48; 64 g.100kg-1 of seeds) combined with the presence and absence of liquid inoculant (Bradyrhizobium japonicum), at a dose of 200 mL per 100 kg of seeds. The evaluations of nitrate reductase activity, agronomic traits and physiological seed quality were performed in the present work. The measured agronomic traits were: plant height, number of pods per plant, number of seed per plant and thousand-seed weight. Standard germination test was executed to evaluate the produced seed viability. First germination counting, accelerated aging test, cold test, plantlet shoot and root length, plantlet shoot and root dry mass, and field seedling emergence were utilized to measure the seed vigour. Molybdenum, both in presence and absence of inoculant, positively influenced the enzymatic activity, for both vegetative and reproductive stages. The addition of inoculant and molybdenum provided increase in the vigour of the produced seeds. The enzyme activity was positively correlated with the agronomic traits and vigour tests. The addition of inoculant and molybdenum in the seed treatment provides a better expression of nitrate reductase activity and vigour of the produced seeds.

Effect of Packaging Materials and Storage Periods on the Vigor Parameters of Some Selected Varieties of Soybeans in Makurdi, Benue State, Nigeria

This study was carried out in 2017 at the Federal University of Agriculture, Makurdi Nigeria. The study was aimed at evaluating the effect of packaging materials and storage period on the vigor parameters of some selected varieties of soybeans in Makurdi. The experimental design was 3x5x6 factorial CRD comprising 3 varieties, 5 storage periods and 6 packaging materials by 3 replicates. Samples were collected from National Cereal Research Institute, Yandev sub-station. The soybeans were cleaned, dried and the moisture content noted. Five hundred grams was measured into the various packaging material stored and at Strategic Grains Reserve, Federal Ministry of Agriculture Makurdi. The seeds in storage was sampled periodically (2, 4, 6 and 8 months) to determine quality by conducting standard germination test with 100 seeds (100 seeds/rep). The investigation revealed that V3 (TGx 1448-2E) stored for 2 months had the highest Shoot seedling length while V1 (TGx 923-3F) stored for 8 months had the least shoot seedling length. Soybeans stored in cloth had a very high Shoot seedling length at 2 months but dropped thereafter and turned out to be the lowest at the end of the storage period. V2 (TGx 1904-6F) stored in laminate paper produced the longest Shoot seedling length and also produced the shortest with V1. The seedling root length was longest in V3 stored for 2 months and least in V1 stored for 8months.Soybeans stored in cloth for 2 months produced very high SRL 2 months but dropped to 0.00 at the end of the storage period. V2 did better in LDPE than all the packaging materials. V1 had the shortest SRL in soybeans stored in bottle. The highest seedling vigor was recorded in V3 stored for 2 months while the lowest seedling vigor was recorded in V1 stored for 8 months. V2 in plastic container had the highest seedling vigor whileV1 in plastic had the lowest. However, significant differences were observed at (P< 0.05) in the interaction effect. In the present study, LDPE proved to be the best packaging material and the variety that had more resistance to deterioration was V2 (TGx 1904-6F). Soybeans that are stored at ambient should be in storage material that are impervious to air and moisture otherwise the seeds will lose viability and vigor. In addition, varieties that are prone to fast deterioration should not be stored longer.

Classification Method for Viability Screening of Naturally Aged Watermelon Seeds Using FT-NIR Spectroscopy.

Viability analysis of stored seeds before sowing has a great importance as plant seeds lose their viability when they exposed to long term storage. In this study, the potential of Fourier transform near infrared spectroscopy (FT-NIR) was investigated to discriminate between viable and non-viable triploid watermelon seeds of three different varieties stored for four years (natural aging) in controlled conditions. Because of the thick seed-coat of triploid watermelon seeds, penetration depth of FT-NIR light source was first confirmed to ensure seed embryo spectra can be collected effectively. The collected spectral data were divided into viable and nonviable groups after the viability being confirmed by conducting a standard germination test. The obtained results showed that the developed partial least discriminant analysis (PLS-DA) model had high classification accuracy where the dataset was made after mixing three different varieties of watermelon seeds. Finally, developed model was evaluated with an external data set (collected at different time) of hundred samples selected randomly from three varieties. The results yield a good classification accuracy for both viable (87.7%) and nonviable seeds (82%), thus the developed model can be considered as a “general model” since it can be applied to three different varieties of seeds and data collected at different time.

Plant Growth Regulator and Irrigation Effects on Physiological and Harvest Maturity of Red Clover in Relation to Seed Quality

Core Ideas Trinexapac‐ethyl, a plant growth regulator, does not affect the quality of red clover seeds if applied at a rate of up to 700 g a.i. ha–1. Seeds reach maximum quality at harvest maturity, when seed moisture content is approximately 140 g kg–1. Visual indicators of physiological maturity of red clover include flower heads contain light brown petals and brownish‐green sepals, whereas seeds are pale green to pale yellow. At harvest maturity, heads contain dark brown petals and sepals, whereas seeds range from yellow to yellow‐dark grayish purple. A single irrigation application of water at the first flowering stage increased yield by approximately 9% in a 2‐yr study. Application of trinexapac‐ethyl at a rate of 560 g a.i. haw in the stem elongation stage increased seed yield by 16% in 1 of a 2‐yr study. Seed moisture content at physiological maturity of red clover ranges from 340 to 540 gkg–1 and approximately 140 g kg–1 at harvest maturity. Plant growth regulators (PGRs) and irrigation affect seed yield of red clover (Trifolium pretense L.). However, the effects of these factors on physiological maturity (PM), harvest maturity (HM), and seed quality are unknown. Therefore, the objectives of this study were to determine the effects of trinexapac‐ethyl (TE) PGR and irrigation on PM, HM, and seed viability and vigor on the most common red clover variety in Oregon over 2 yr. Five TE rates, ranging from 0 to 700 g a.i. ha−1, were applied at stem elongation and bud emergence stages. Irrigation was applied at the first flowering stage. Physiological and visual indicators were recorded to determine PM and HM. Standard germination (SG), tetrazolium (TZ) and cold (CT) tests were conducted to evaluate seed quality at weekly intervals starting from seed formation until HM. Irrigation resulted in a 4‐d delay in PM compared to the non‐irrigated treatment, but TE applications did not affect timing of seed maturation. At PM, flower heads contained light brown petals and brownish‐green sepals, whereas seeds were pale green to pale yellow. At HM, heads contained dark brown petals and sepals, whereas seeds ranged from yellow to yellow‐dark grayish purple. Seed dry weight did not change from PM to HM. Seed moisture content at PM ranged from 340 to 540 g kg−1 and decreased to below 140 g kg−1 at HM. At HM, seeds reached maximum quality as viability ranged from 92 to 98% by TZ and SG, and vigor ranged from 90 to 94% by CT.

The Optimum Plant Density for Vigorous Seed Production in Safflower

Seed viability and vigor have been influenced by several factors including soil and climatic conditions, plant nutrition, fertilization, irrigation, plant population and post-harvest storages. The study was conducted to determine the appropriate plant density for vigorous seed production in safflower. The effects of row spacing (14 and 28 cm) and seeding rate (40, 80, 120, 160 and 200 seeds m-2) on yield, yield components and seed quality of safflower were detected in the study. The results showed that increased seeding rates resulted in enhanced seed yield and the highest seed yield was obtained from 14 cm and 200 seed m-2 with 3320 kg ha-1. The row spacing and seeding rate did not cause a significant difference in oil and protein contents. Laboratory emergence, germination after accelerated ageing (AA) and electrical conductivity tests were suitable for determining seed quality among the seed lots, while standard germination, cool and cold tests were not appropriate. The highest laboratory emergence percentage and germination after AA were determined in 80 seed m-2 but field emergence percentage in 120 seed m-2. It was concluded that the 14 cm row spacing and seeding rate of 120 seed m-2 should be advised for high yielding seed production regardless of seed vigor in safflower.

The Influence of Seed Viability on the Germination and In Vitro Multiple Shoot Regeneration of Soybean (Glycine max L.)

The moisture status of seeds is usually high during the period of harvest and deterioration (loss of viability) starts to occur when seeds are stored for longer periods. In the present study, soybean seeds were evaluated using a standard germination test, in vitro germination, and for efficient multiple shoot induction, following storage under ambient conditions for 0, 3, 6 and 9 months. Results showed that seeds stored for more than 3 months had reduced moisture content and decreased germination percentages in LS677, LS678, Dundee, Peking, TGx1740-2F and TGx1835-10E of the tested genotypes. In particular, seeds stored for 9 months showed significantly poor seed viability and less than 50% overall seed germination (Dundee—42%, LS678—49%, TGx 1740-2F—44%, TGx 1835-10E—48%), except for LS677 and Peking, with 52 and 55%, respectively. The efficiency of multiple shoot induction also decreased with prolonged seed storage, with all genotypes recording an overall decline from about 96% to 40% regeneration efficiency within 9 months. The results obtained clearly indicated that high germination rates and efficient in vitro shoot induction depended largely on seed viability and storage duration, and significantly differed according to genotypes.

Seed coat structural and imbibitional characteristics of dark and light coloured Bambara groundnut (Vigna subterranea L.) landraces

Bambara groundnut is cultivated using landraces of different seed coat colours. However, very few studies have associated the seed coat colour (morphological feature) with other physiological and biochemical processes as underlying the observed differences in seed quality among landraces. This research sought to investigate seed quality characteristics (viability and vigour) of landraces on the basis of seed coat colour with the hypothesis that; seed coat colour could be linked to other properties (physical, physiological, biochemical and ultra-structure) that may account for seed quality with respect to germination, vigour and storage potential. Four landraces were analysed for differences in seed coat colour and seed coat thickness using a scanning electron microscope (SEM). Seed imbibition, electrolyte conductivity, tetrazolium test, and standard germination tests were combined to evaluate the viability of seeds after deterioration through accelerated ageing (AA) at 42 °C and 100% relative humidity (RH) over 5 durations, namely 24, 48, 72, 96 and 120 hours. There were significant differences (P < 0.001) among landraces with respect to seed coat colour, seed coat thickness, electrical conductivity (EC), hydration rate, germination rate and length of the measured seedling axis. The light coloured landrace, Kazai, had the highest germination (66.9%) whereas the dark coloured landrace, G340A, had the lowest final germination (53.6%) after 120 hours of seed ageing. Likewise, G340A and Kazai had the highest (110.33 μS cm-1 g−1) and lowest EC (92 μS cm-1 g−1), respectively. Electron microscope revealed that dark and light seeds had the thickest (127 μm) and the thinnest (104.6 μm) seed coats, repsectively. This study highlighted that (1) seed coat thickness and colour alone do not account for hydration pattern of Bambara groundnut landraces and (2) Bambara groundnut seeds viability may not necessarily imply good seed vigour.

Influence of physiological and health quality on the vigor of cucumber seeds

ABSTRACT The physiological performance of seeds is related to their physiological quality and seed vigor, while their health quality may interfere with germination and early seedling establishment in the field due to the interaction of microorganisms associated with seeds. The study aimed to evaluate the physiological performance and health quality of cucumber seeds and to verify the relationship between these attributes. The physiological quality of cucumber seeds was evaluated by standard germination tests, first count of germination, controlled deterioration test, electrical conductivity test, seedling emergence, emergence speed index, and traditional accelerated aging and aging modified with saline for 48, 72, and 96 h. The health quality of cucumber seed lots was evaluated by blotter test. Stratification of cucumber seed lots by seedling emergence was similar to seedling emergence by controlled deterioration test, first count of germination, and electrical conductivity results. The cucumber seed lots evaluated showed high germination rates; however, lots 1 and 3 had a better performance in vigor tests than lots 2 and 4. Fungi detected in the blotter test were Alternaria sp., Aspergillus sp., Cladosporium sp., and Penicillium sp. Seed lots 2 and 4 had low vigor evaluated by seedling emergence and controlled deterioration, and showed a higher incidence of Penicillium sp. in the evaluation of health quality of seeds. The incidence of Penicillium sp. may negatively affect the vigor of cucumber seeds evaluated by seedling emergence and by controlled deterioration test.

Identification of Maize Kernel Vigor under Different Accelerated Aging Times Using Hyperspectral Imaging.

Seed aging during storage is irreversible, and a rapid, accurate detection method for seed vigor detection during seed aging is of great importance for seed companies and farmers. In this study, an artificial accelerated aging treatment was used to simulate the maize kernel aging process, and hyperspectral imaging at the spectral range of 874–1734 nm was applied as a rapid and accurate technique to identify seed vigor under different accelerated aging time regimes. Hyperspectral images of two varieties of maize processed with eight different aging duration times (0, 12, 24, 36, 48, 72, 96 and 120 h) were acquired. Principal component analysis (PCA) was used to conduct a qualitative analysis on maize kernels under different accelerated aging time conditions. Second-order derivatization was applied to select characteristic wavelengths. Classification models (support vector machine−SVM) based on full spectra and optimal wavelengths were built. The results showed that misclassification in unprocessed maize kernels was rare, while some misclassification occurred in maize kernels after the short aging times of 12 and 24 h. On the whole, classification accuracies of maize kernels after relatively short aging times (0, 12 and 24 h) were higher, ranging from 61% to 100%. Maize kernels with longer aging time (36, 48, 72, 96, 120 h) had lower classification accuracies. According to the results of confusion matrixes of SVM models, the eight categories of each maize variety could be divided into three groups: Group 1 (0 h), Group 2 (12 and 24 h) and Group 3 (36, 48, 72, 96, 120 h). Maize kernels from different categories within one group were more likely to be misclassified with each other, and maize kernels within different groups had fewer misclassified samples. Germination test was conducted to verify the classification models, the results showed that the significant differences of maize kernel vigor revealed by standard germination tests generally matched with the classification accuracies of the SVM models. Hyperspectral imaging analysis for two varieties of maize kernels showed similar results, indicating the possibility of using hyperspectral imaging technique combined with chemometric methods to evaluate seed vigor and seed aging degree.

Assessment of Seed Vigor Tests for Crambe abyssinica

Vigor tests are important mainly to identify differences associated to lots performance in field conditions. The objective of this study was to define the most appropriate tests to evaluate the crambe (Crambe abyssinica) seeds vigor. Seven seed lots of crambe were subjected to the standard germination (on the first and last count), germination speed index (GSI), primary root protrusion speed index (PRPSI), seedling length dry and weight seedling, water stress test using PEG 6000 at -0.2 MPa, electrical conductivity and cold test without soil. Crambe lots studied had germination percentages varying from 54 to 80.5%. The GSI, on the first count of water stress and electrical conductivity test ranked lots between two vigor classes The PRPSI, seedling length, seedling dry weight and last count of water stress tests were less sensitive to evaluate vigor for crambe seed. The cold test without soil and the first count of standard germination test were capable to dishtinguish lots more efficiently than the standard germination test on last count by ranking four of the seven seed lots studied.

The effect of soil fertility and harvesting stage on maize seed quality under rain-fed conditions

Management practices during seed development are crucial for boosting seed quality and establishment. This study determined the interactive effect of soil fertility and maturity stage on maize seed quality. The cultivar SC701 were harvested at milk, dent, and physiological maturity stages and dried to <12% moisture content. Field trials were split plots replicated four times. Seed quality was evaluated using standard germination test, vigor indices and electrical conductivity test. Highly significant interactions (p < .001) occurred for most of the seedling germination and vigor parameters measured. The interactions had strong impact on the germination characteristics and vigor of seeds at dent and physiological maturity. Seeds at dent stage under optimal fertilization gave higher seed quality. Optimal fertilizer application and harvesting at physiological maturity leads to maximum acquisition of seed vigor. However, in the presence of adverse weather conditions seeds from late dent stage under optimally fertilized conditions still give high seed quality.

A Simple Estimation of Seed Viability and Emergence Potential in Sugar Beet

The electrical conductivity (EC) test was investigated to predict the seed viability and emergence potential of sugar beet because germination inhibitors mislead the precise results of standard germination test. The EC test was conducted at three incubation durations in 12 seed lots. Simple correlation coefficients were calculated to show the relationship between EC results and seedling emergence. The results showed that a considerable increase in EC results was observed when soaking duration was prolonged. The seed lots with low emergence percentage resulted in higher EC value. All the relationships with EC results were negative and significant. The EC results gave higher correlation coefficient for emergence than that of germination percentage. The highest correlation coefficients (r = − 0.854** in germination, r = − 0.908** in emergence) were calculated for 24 h, while the shorter soaking durations were also given significant correlations. The fitted regression formula between EC and emergence was calculated as y = 298 − 0.984x with determination coefficient R2 = 0.82**. It was concluded that the EC test for 24 h should be successfully applied to evaluate the seed viability and emergence potential of sugar beet seeds.

Effect Of Seed Hydration-Dehydration Integrated With Rhizobacteria On Viability And Vigor Of Deteriorated Soybean Seed

Soybeans undergo rapid deterioration due to its chemical composition and unfavourable storage conditions. The objective of the research was to determine the length period of seed hidration and dehydration which is integrated with rhizobateri to viability and vigor of deteriorated soybean seed. A completely randomized design with four replicates were used in this experiment. Seeds were treated with varied combination of hydration period in a rhizobacteria suspension and followed by dehydration time. Data were analysed using the F-test and significant differences were further tested with Least Significant Difference at the 5% level. Results showed that the hydration and dehydration period of seeds in a rhizobacteria suspension improved viability and vigor of seed which have 59.5% initial germination percentage. The improvement was 12.28%, 0.56, 25.4% and 1.4 days for standard germination test, vigor index, first count test percentage and T50, respectively. The hydration for 60 minutes followed by dehydration for 60 minutes gave the best results on seed viability and vigor.

Variation for hardseededness and related seed physical parameters in mung bean [Vigna radiata (L.) Wilczek

Presence of hard seeds in seed lots reduces the seedling emergence percentage in field leading to non-uniform and lowered plant population and uneven maturity. Seed hardness, characterized by no water imbibitions, is controlled by both genetic and environmental factors. The occurrence of hardseededness in 51 mung bean genotypes grown in the field in two seasons (summer and Kharif, 2016) was confirmed by standard germination test. The seed size, 100 seed mass and seed density of identified 20 hard seed and 8 non-hard seed genotypes out of 51 genotypes have been recorded. Hardseededness among the genotypes in original seed lot of Kharif, 2015 ranged from 3 to 52% with a mean of 18.1%. It ranged from 2% to 11% and 3% to 46%, with a mean of 5.42% and 18.35% in summer, 2016 and in kharif, 2016, respectively. In the seed lots of genotypes grown in kharif, 2015 the seed size of selected hard seed genotypes ranged from 3.69/2.90mm (L/ W) to 4.58/3.31mm (L/W) and in selected non-hard seed genotypes it ranged from 4.01/2.46mm (L/W) to 4.83/3.48mm (L/W). The 100 seed mass in selected hard and non-hard seed genotypes ranged from 2.69 to 4.13g and 2.39 to 3.94g, respectively, in kharif, 2015. In summer, 2016, it ranged from 3.57 to 4.75g and 3.05 to 5.58g in selected hard seeded and non-hard seeded genotypes, respectively. A higher seed density of hardseeded genotypes was recorded in comparison to that of non-hard seeded genotypes. In summer, 2016 the genotypes like Pant M-5, GM-4, IPM 02/3, AKM 9904, PS-16, SM-11/75, HUM-12, IPM 205/7 showed lower occurrence of per cent hard seeds. The broad sense heritability estimates for the hardseededness in the kharif and summer season ranged between 0.96 to 0.98 and 0.67, respectively. A larger seed size in genotypes grown in summer season showing lower occurrence of hard seeds suggest that the summer season is the desired season for quality seed production of genotypes with higher percentage of hard seeds.

Machine vision based alternative testing approach for physical purity, viability and vigour testing of soybean seeds (Glycine max).

The conventional methods for seed quality testing have several limitations as they involve visual assessment and are destructive. In this context, a study was performed to assess the suitability of non-contact, non-destructive type imaging techniques such as visible imaging and X-ray imaging for conducting physical purity, viability and vigour tests of soybean seeds. The seeds that appeared healthy in external surface examination using visible tests as well as in internal assessment using X-ray tests were classified as sound seeds while the other seeds were marked as not-sound seeds. The obtained results were then correlated with the results of the standard germination tests. The high correlation results between the imaging tests and the standard conventional germination tests indicate the effectiveness and usability of the proposed image analysis based technique as an attractive alternative to the existing quality assessment methods for soybean seeds.

GERMINATION AND VIGOR OF Bixa orellana L. SEEDS PRE-SOAKED IN A PLANT BIOSTIMULANT

The aim of this study was to assess the germination and vigor of Bixa orellana seeds that were pre-soaked in different concentrations of Stimulate® plant biostimulant. For the standard germination test, Bixa orellana seeds from the Embrapa 37 Cultivar were pre-soaked (for periods of four and eight hours) in the following concentrations of Stimulate® aqueous solution: 3.0; 6.0; 9.0; and 12.0 mL L-1. Seeds that were pre-soaked in distilled water were used as control. The following parameters were tested: germination; first germination count; abnormal seedlings; length; and seedling dry mass. The experimental design was completely randomized and a 2 x 5 + 1 factorial design was used (with two pre-soaking periods, five Stimulate® concentrations, and one additional control without pre-soaking). Four replicates of 50 seeds were performed for each treatment. Water immersion treatments for four and eight hours were efficient for breaking dormancy in Bixa orellana seeds, since they promoted better germination in relation to the intact seeds that were not pre-soaked. The pre-soaking of Bixa orellana seeds for eight hours in a 12.0 mL L-1 Stimulate® concentration presented the best results in terms of germinative performance and seedling growth, with greater accumulation of dry mass. Therefore, this practice is recommended for the production of seedlings of this species.

Evaluation of Seed Vigor Tests for Predicting Seedling Establishment at Low Temperature in Rice (Oryza sativa L.)

This study was carried out to develop an evaluation method to predict rice seedling establishment (SE) under low-temperature conditions. Two Korean-bred japonica cultivars, Shindongjin and Hopum were used in the experiment. Fresh seeds were treated with an accelerated aging (AA) at 40°C and 100% RH for 1-15 days. The SEs of the fresh and AA seeds were evaluated in nursery beds at 17°C, and their correlation coefficients with seed vigor values measured by 9 test methods including standard germination test (SGT), cool germination test (CLT), cold germination test (CDT), seedling growth rate test (SGRT), ascorbate peroxidase (APX), peroxidase (POX), superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT), and α ‐amylase (AMY) activities. The percentage of SE decreased slowly from 75 to 0% with an increasing of AA period from 0 to 15 days. The result of nine vigor tests showed different correlations with the SE. SGT, CLT, SGRT, and POX were significantly correlated with the SE. In the correlation analysis with only short-term aging seeds (1-7 days), the SE was very highly correlated with SGT, CLT, CDT, SGRT, POX, and CAT. These results suggest that seed vigor values measured by several methods including SGT and POX could be used as a reference value to secure SE at low temperatures in nursery bed rice seedling culture.

EFFECT OF SOLAR DRYING ON THE QUALITY OF CORN SEEDS

The main objective of this investigation was carried out to study the ability of utilizing greenhouse solar dryers for drying of corn in order to obtain the best quality of dried grains for using it as seeds with the least drying time, and comparing with the natural sun drying method. Thus, contributing to increase the productivity. Corn cv. (Giza 168) was used for the experimental work at initial moisture content of 31.73% on dry basis (d.b). Two different drying methods of corn were tested for drying of ear and shelled corn. The two methods were natural sun drying and solar drying using greenhouse type solar dryers at different air velocities (0.5, 1.0 and 1.5 m/s). The experiments were carried out in rice mechanization center at Meet El- Dyba, Kafr El-Sheikh Governorate, Egypt during September 2016. Experiment included the flowing variables Two different drying methods (Solar drying method using greenhouse type solar dryer and natural sun drying method). Two different conditions of corn (complete ear-shelled corn). Three different air velocity (0.5, 1.0 and 1.5 m/s). High moisture ear and shelled corn was dried by using solar energy for heating air inside a greenhouse and compared with natural sun drying method. The results of quality tests that included standard germination test, vigor test and tetrazolium test for both drying methods for ear and shelled corn recorded high percentages for all treatments except solar drying of ear corn at air velocities 0.5 and 1.0 m/s. The average air temperature inside the solar dryer at air velocities 0.5 and 1.0 m/s reached to 43.9 and 42.4 ˚C respectively. High temperatures killed the germ of corn so the quality tests were reduced. Germination percentage of natural sun dried ear corn was 97 % and for solar dried samples at air velocities 0.5, 1.0 and 1.5 m/s was 79, 81, and 89%, respectively. The corresponding values for shelled corn were 93, 97 and 98 %.and 95 % for natural sun dried ones. The vigor test of dried ear corn recorded 90 for natural sun drying method and 34, 45, and 66% for solar drying at air velocities of 0.5, 1.0 and 1.5 m/s, respectively. The corresponding values for shelled corn were 86, 96 and 97% respectively, and 82 for natural sun dried samples. The recorded drying times were 26, 24 and 28 hours to reduce the moisture content from an initial level of 31.73 to final level of 14.07% (d.b.) for ear corn and for shelled corn were 20, 16 and 24 hours to reduce the moisture content from an initial level of an initial level of 31.73 to final level of 14.07% (d.b.) for ear corn and for shelled corn were 20, 16 and 24 hours to reduce the moisture content from an initial level of 27.23% to 14.12% compared with 46 and 38 hours for ear and shelled corn dried by natural sun drying method. Hourly costs of ear corn drying were 0.95, 0.88, 1.00 and 1.03 L.E/ kg for solar drying at air velocities 0.5, 1.0 , 1.5m/s and natural sun drying respectively. The corresponding values for shelled corn were 0.74, 0.58, 0.89 and 0.96 L.E/ kg.

Physiological quality of parsley seeds in relation to doses of nitrogen and potassium

Parsley seeds [Petroselinum crispum (Mill.) Nyman ex AW Hill] must have germinations higher than 70%. But seed companies have found difficulties to get the minimum standards of germination established for this species, because of the slow and irregular germination after harvesting. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of nitrogen and potassium fertilization on the physiological quality of parsley seeds. The experiment was conducted in Bozano – RS. Factorial arrangement was 3x3 (3 doses of N and 3 doses of K2O). Increasing doses of potassium (0, 50 and 100 kg ha-1 of K2O) and nitrogen (0, 100 and 200 kg ha-1 of N) were applied. For the evaluation of the physiological quality of the lots in laboratory, a completely randomized design experiment was performed with the following tests: 1,000-seed weight, standard germination test, first-count germination, germination speed index, and electrical conductivity. Nitrogen and potassium coverage interfere with the physiological quality of parsley seeds. The best lots were obtained using the dose of 100 kg ha-1 nitrogen and 50 kg ha-1 potassium. Dosage of 200 kg ha-1 N will increase vigor and seed weight.

Ponašanje atipičnih klijanaca kukuruza u poljskoj proizvodnji

The aim of this study was to investigate field emergence parameters, number of plants that reached reproductive stage and yield of seed lots with different count of abnormal seedlings. In standard germination test these seedlings are discarded from the count of germinated seed, presuming that they will not develop into normal plants. Five lots of hybrid NS 640 with different percentage of abnormal seedlings were tested. Results showed that in favourable environment conditions, large number of abnormal seedlings emerged, reached reproductive stage and participated in yield formation. However, emergence of seed lots with high percentage of abnormal seedlings was longer than for lots with small number of abnormal seedlings. Laboratory germination and germination energy were more correlated with indicators of field emergence rate, while total percentage of germinated seedlings (normal and abnormal) was more correlated with grain yield. However, it can be expected that in adverse environment conditions, abnormal seedlings are less likely to develop into normal plants.