Prevention of Field Deterioration of Cottonseed by an Impermeable Seedcoat 1

IELD deterioration of cottonseed is directly related to F pre-harvest moisture conditions. Several workers, including Simpson and Stone (6) and O'Kelly and Hull ( 5 ) , have established the relation between rainfall or high humidity and loss of planting and milling quality of cottonseed. Recently it was suggested that an impermeable seedcoat might be valuable in reducing field deterioration of cottonseed ( 2 ) . A heritable impermeable seedcoat is a common characteristic of wild species and unimproved forms of cultivated Gossypium species. I t is likely requisite for survival of wild forms. Stevens (7) suggested that an impermeable seedcoat could have been important in the movement of the genus across ocean barriers. The trait is of occasional occurrence in commercial upland cottons (G. hirsutum L.) even though cultural methods apply selection against slowgerminating seed. It is a problem in Pima S-1, a western commercial variety of G. burbudense L. Walhood (8) developed a hot-water treatment which renders Pima cottonseed water permeable. The treatment is also effective on seed of other strains. The value of an impermeable seedcoat in prevention of high humidity-induced cottonseed deterioration in storage was previously reported (4). This paper resents results of research on the value of an impermea I ! le seedcoat in preventing field deterioration of cottonseed.