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The effect of time of harvest on the viability and pre‐emergence mortality in soil of pea (Pisutn sativum L.) seeds
Author(s) -
MATTHEWS S.
Publication year - 1973
Publication title -
annals of applied biology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.677
H-Index - 80
eISSN - 1744-7348
pISSN - 0003-4746
DOI - 10.1111/j.1744-7348.1973.tb01327.x
Subject(s) - biology , water content , sativum , leaching (pedology) , agronomy , moisture , horticulture , germination , soil water , botany , ecology , chemistry , geotechnical engineering , organic chemistry , engineering
SUMMARY A series of harvests from field plots of peas showed that the younger seeds were at the time of harvest the lower was their percentage viability and the greater their percentage mortality in soil. Young seed also showed a high degree of solute leaching into steep water and had a high moisture content at harvest compared with older seeds. Heavy rainfall just prior to harvesting reduced the percentage viability of the dried seed and increased the moisture content of the seed at harvest as well as the leaching of solutes from the dried seed into steep water. Comparisons of moisture content at harvest and seed condition after drying suggested that cotyledons and embryo axes were only able to withstand enhanced drying after removal from the plant if the seed moisture content had already begun to decline whilst the seed was still on the plant.