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Studies on the Effect of Moisture Stress at Different Growth Phases on Seed Vigour, Viability and Storability in Peanut (Arachis hypogaea L.)
Author(s) -
Ramamoorthy K.,
Basu R. N.
Publication year - 1996
Publication title -
journal of agronomy and crop science
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.095
H-Index - 74
eISSN - 1439-037X
pISSN - 0931-2250
DOI - 10.1111/j.1439-037x.1996.tb00589.x
Subject(s) - arachis hypogaea , water content , agronomy , moisture , field capacity , biology , moisture stress , yield (engineering) , horticulture , irrigation , chemistry , materials science , geotechnical engineering , organic chemistry , metallurgy , engineering
Studies were conducted on the influence of moisture stress at different growth phases, either alone or in combination, on seed yield, quality and longevity in groundnut, at Agricultural College and Research Institute, Coimbatore. At the end of each growth phase, irrespective of available soil moisture, plots were irrigated with a measured quantity of water to a depth of 5 cm, sufficient to raise the soil moisture content of top 30 cm layer to field capacity. Plots which received stress were not irrigated in the respective growth phases. Moisture stress during the combined reproductive phases, viz. flowering + pegging and pegging + maturity, had a mitigating influence on growth and yield to a greater extent than stress at other phases. Though water deficit at different growth phases had no impact on viability and vigour of fresh seeds, it helped to enhance the longevity and the greater the stress the better the storability. The conversion of oil into free fatty acids was least in seeds collected from stress. Membrane integrity as indicated by electrical conductivity and leachate amino acids were also minimal in seeds from stressed plots.