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Effects of Broken Seed Coats on Field Emergence of Soybeans 1
Author(s) -
Luedders V. D.,
Burris J. S.
Publication year - 1979
Publication title -
agronomy journal
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.752
H-Index - 131
eISSN - 1435-0645
pISSN - 0002-1962
DOI - 10.2134/agronj1979.00021962007100050040x
Subject(s) - germination , imbibition , sowing , biology , horticulture , agronomy , seed testing , seedling
Mechanical damage is a seed‐quality factor that may affect the worth of soybean [ Glycine max (L.) Merr.] seed lots. Half soybean seeds (splits) can be sieved out of seed lots, but the relationship of splits, whole but damaged seed coats, and laboratory and field performance has not been investigated. Fifty uncleaned seed lots in each of 2 years were separated into clean seed, splits, small seed, and debris. The clean seed were tested for germination in sand and in rolled towels (RT) and also tested for emergence in four field environments. The percentage of seeds with broken seed coats was determined after imbibition for 15 min. Only data from seed lots with commercially acceptable germination (≥ 80%) were used. This reduced the sample sizes to 48 and 41 seed lots. Average germination was higher in sand than in RT (92.4 vs. 86.8%). Average field emergence (60.6%) was lower than laboratory germination and greater from 5‐cm than 10‐cm planting depth (78.6 vs. 46.2%). Percentages of broken seed coats and abnormal seedlings were negatively correlated with germination and emergence and positively correlated with each other. Correlation coefficients between splits and broken seed coats were only 0.51 and 0.31. Percentage of broken seed coats could not be used predict relative field emergeability of the seed lots as well as did RT or sand germination. Results of the two germination tests and the four field environments were positively correlated with each other in both years. Coefficients for a multiple regression equation were obtained using laboratory tests and one field emergence and then used to predict the other seven field emergences. The prediction was somewhat better than using RT germination alone but slightly poorer than sand germination six out of seven times. Results from this and other published experiments indicate that the standard germination test may predict relative field emergeability as well as any vigor‐stress test or index.