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A New Cheap and Efficient Single‐Grain Shatter Tester for Use in Rice Breeding
Author(s) -
Lamo Jimmy,
Tongoona Pangirayi,
Okori Patrick,
Derera John,
Hendricks Roelof,
Laing Mark
Publication year - 2011
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/cropsci2010.05.0267
Subject(s) - agricultural engineering , biology , grain yield , panicle , agronomy , mathematics , microbiology and biotechnology , engineering
Grain shattering, also called grain shedding, is the relative ease with which rice ( Oryza sativa L.) seed is dislodged from the pedicel at maturity. Several qualitative methods have been used to assess grain shattering and they tend to underestimate yield loss. Equipments available for quantitative assessment of grain shattering are mostly laboratory based. However, a recently developed prototype in Japan for fieldwork can be used, but the cost is prohibitive. An improved grain‐shattering tester that uses a hand‐held device has been developed and reported here. It is an improvement over the stationary laboratory device. It has the following modifications: a crocodile clip instead of a bench clamp and a helical spring for testing tensile material instead of tension gauge. The new device is affordable, handy for fieldwork, and effective for large experimental trials. This equipment was designed and developed at the University of KwaZulu‐Natal (UKZN) mechanical workshop (Pietmeritzburg, South Africa). Its efficiency was tested at the National Crops Resources Research Institute (NaCRRI) at Namulonge, Uganda. The efficiency was tested by first estimating yield loss in selected test plants using a method that involves shaking panicles. This finding was compared with the minimum force required to dislodge the grains using this new device and a high correspondence of R 2 = 99.9% was found. This new equipment has therefore been recommended for field assessment of grain shattering.