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Effect of Seed Source and Seed Age on Field and Laboratory Performance of Field Corn 1
Author(s) -
Funk C. R.,
Anderson J. C.,
Johnson M. W.,
Atkinson Roy W.
Publication year - 1962
Publication title -
crop science
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.76
H-Index - 147
eISSN - 1435-0653
pISSN - 0011-183X
DOI - 10.2135/cropsci1962.0011183x000200040013x
Subject(s) - certification , crop , library science , horticulture , mathematics , agricultural science , biology , political science , agronomy , computer science , law
T HE effect of the physical quality of seed on the vigor and yield of the resulting plant is of theoretical as well as of practical interest. Immaturity (8), frost damage (15), drying at high temperatures (11), herbicide injury (16), pericarp injury (10), phytotoxic seed treatments (7), seed-borne fungi (10), and improper storage conditions (14) can all lower the germination and vigor of corn seed. Although the adverse effects of weak seed in reducing field stands with a subsequent reduction in yield is well known, the reports of the effect of weak seed on the field performance of the plants grown from them are contradictory. Delouche and Caldwell (4) state that "the literature contains very little data . . . none of which is very conclusive . . . showing that vigor differences . . . affect yields." Owen (12) reviews a number of reports where plants obtained from extremely old seed were highly vigorous. Seeds of Nebumbium speciosum Willd. shown--by radioactive carbon dating--to be 1040---+ 240 years old produced longer sprouts than fresh seeds. Kiesselbach (9) found that well-matured, viable corn seed up to 4 years of age was satisfactory in field performance. Dungan and Koehler (6) observed that handprocessed seed over 4 years of age gave reductions in stand and yield. Commercially processed seed exhibited inferior performance, with 2and 3-year-old seed of average commercial quality giving reduced yields. Yield decreases were caused by a reduction in field stand and also to a lesser extent by a lowered yield per plant. Dimmock (5) noted reduced plant vigor in a number of corn lines associated with the use of immature seed and improper drying. Koehler (10) observed that both stand and yield reductions were associated with pericarp injury in field corn and that treatment with fungicides did not completely compensate for injured seed. Barton and Garmon (2) found that tomato seed stored for 13 years at room temperature produced plants which were inferior in field performance to those obtained from fresh seed or from seed stored under cool, dry conditions. Old seed of a number of other species produced plants similar in performance to those grown from fresh seed. Torrie (18) noted that soybeans grown from 2and 3-year-old seed were lower in yield than those grown from 1-year-old seed. There are some data which indicate that the environment in which the seed is produced may have some effect on the performance of the subsequent crop (1, 13, 17, 19).