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Development of Safflower Seed from Flowering to Maturity 1
Author(s) -
Leininger L. N.,
Urie A. Lee
Publication year - 1964
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/cropsci1964.0011183x000400010026x
Subject(s) - technician , division (mathematics) , crop , library science , citation , biology , horticulture , mathematics , computer science , political science , agronomy , law , arithmetic
as 1880 (12). Studies on barley (5, 11), wheat (4, 6), and oats 9) seem to indicate that seed of all cereals develop similarly although each has it., unique characteristics. Dry matter was accumulated most rapidly and uniformly the first 12 to 14 days after pollination. Moisture was highest (nearly 80%) immediately after fertilization and decreased uniformly untii maximum dry matter had been accumulated in the seed after which seed moisture was lost rapidly. Whether dry matter increased in seed after the stem was severed from the roots was not clear, but nitrogen definitely appeared to be translocated during the drying period. Early windrowing did not appear to be a means of reducing loss from ravages of rust in cereals, since yield and quality were reduced in proportion to the earliness of cutting. However, windrowing (swathing) was economically successful 7 to 10 days prior to maturity. In some cases, this was necessary to assure uniform ripening and to reduce losses due to the environment. Germination tests indicated some seed viability in cereals 4 to 6 days after flowering although seedling vigor was much reduced. Percent germination and seedling vigor increased with maturity up to 20 to 28 days after pollination. Investigators of corn (1, 17) have found that harvesting of seed before the moisture content had been reduced to approximately 25% reduced seed germination and seedling vigor even though maximum dry weight was achieved at about 65% moisture. Appearance of the corn plant was not a good criterion for estimating maximum dry matter of seed. Days after silking or tasseling was not a dependable criterion since different lines or hybrids mature at different rates. Sorghum researchers (13, 14) have found that much the same results can be expected in development of sorghum seed as in that of cereals except that dry weight of seed may occur at more widely varying levels of moisture and seed do not germinate until 12 to 15 days after pollination. Seedling vigor and seed weight are closely correlated. McAllister (16)concluded that, of several species studied, dough-stage seed were as viable as more mature seed and had a similar longevity under comparable storage conditions. However, seed of Bromus marginatus Nets and