New Zealand Journal of Agricultural Research abstracts
Use of seed vigour tests to predict field emergence
of lucerne (Medicago sativa)
Y. R. WANG
L. YU
Z. B. NAN
Herbage Seed Testing Centre
Gansu Grassland Ecological Research Institute
P.O. Box 61
Lanzhou, China
Abstract The suitability of three vigour tests (electrical
conductivity at different soaking periods, controlled deterioration at 20% seed
moisture content, and germination index) for indicating field emergence of
lucerne seed lots was studied using 10 seed lots with similar germination
percentages. The seed emergences were assessed in glasshouse pot trails using
field soil at 30, 50, 70, or 90% soil water-holding capacity (WHC), and in
field plots at two sowing dates. The seed lots differed significantly in seed
vigour and in seedling emergence. The lower vigour seed lots had the lower
seedling emergence rates both in the glasshouse and in the field. The standard
germination test and the germination index did not show any significant
correlation with seedling emergence in any glasshouse or field trial. Compared
with the standard germination test, the electrical conductivity test was the
most reliable for predicting seedling emergence in drier soils with significant
correlation coefficients of r = -0.701 to -0.829 for soil held at 30%
WHC and r = -0.696 to -0.850 in a field trial with two sowing dates. The
controlled deterioration test also gave a significant correlation with seedling
emergence under a moisture condition of 30% WHC. The results of electrical
conductivity tests obtained from seed soaked for 4-20 h were significantly
correlated with those from a 24-h soaking (r = 0.952** to 0.999**),
which suggests that the soaking period for lucerne seed in the electrical
conductivity test could be shortened.
Keywords electrical conductivity; controlled deterioration;
lucerne; Medicago sativa; seed vigour; soil emergence; soil moisture
content; China
New Zealand Journal of Agricultural Research, 1996, Vol. 39: 255-262
0028-8233/96/3902-0255 $2.50/0 (c) The Royal Society of New Zealand
1996
PDF file of entire paper: medium quality (593K); (scanned from paper original: notes about this process)
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