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The effects of density, date of inflorescence emergence, date of harvesting and temperature upon seed quality in tetraploid hybrid ryegrasses
Author(s) -
AKPAN E. E. J.,
BEAN E. W.
Publication year - 1980
Publication title -
grass and forage science
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.716
H-Index - 56
eISSN - 1365-2494
pISSN - 0142-5242
DOI - 10.1111/j.1365-2494.1980.tb01493.x
Subject(s) - seedling , germination , inflorescence , dry weight , biology , agronomy , anthesis , horticulture , cultivar
Thousand‐seed weight, germination and seedling dry weight were measured in some tetraploid hybrid ryegrasses to study variations in seed quality. In cv. Sabrina, seed from spaced plants had a higher 1000‐seed weight and seedling dry weight, and a slower germination rate than seed from narrow drills. Seed from later emerging groups of inflorescences had a low 1000‐seed weight and seedling dry weight, but a high germination rate. Seeds of cv. Sabrina, Leri and Augusta harvested at between 10 and 25 d after peak anthesis had low 1000‐seed weights, low germination rates and low seedling dry weights. Air temperatures between inflorescence emergence and seed maturity also affected seed quality; an increase in temperature from a 15°/10°C regime to a constant 25°C environment reduced 1000‐seed weight and seedling dry weight, but increased germination rate. It is concluded that year‐to‐year variation in seed characters will occur because of temperature and other climatic changes, but seed quality can also be influenced by the time at which the seed is harvested. If combine harvesting is carried out at a moisture concentration of about 400 g kg ‐1 (≡40%) then maximum yields of seed of a high quality should be obtained.