Study on seed germination of Oryza rufipogon

Ｏｒｙｚａｒｕｆｉｐｏｇｏｎ，ｄｉｓｔｒｉｂｕｔｅｄｉｎｔｒｏｐｉｃａｌａｎｄｓｕｂｔｒｏｐｉｃａｌｒｅｇｉｏｎｓｉｓａｎｉｍｐｏｒｔａｎｔｇｅｒｍｐｌａｓｍｆｏｒｒｉｃｅｂｒｅｅｄｉｎｇ．Ｄｏｎｇｘｉａｎｇ（２８°１４′Ｎ，１１６°３６′Ｅ）ｉｓｔｈｅｎｏｒｔｈｅｒｎｍｏｓｔａｒｅａｏｆｔｈｉｓｓｐｅｃｉｅｓｒｅｃｏｒｄｅｄｉｎｔｈｅｗｏｒｌｄ，ａｎｄＣｈａｌｉｎｇ（２６°５０′Ｎ，１１３°４０′Ｅ）ｉｓｎｅａｒｔｏｔｈｅｎｏｒｔｈｅｒｎｒａｎｇｅｌｉｍｉｔ．Ｓｅｅｄｄｏｒｍａｎｃｙｃｏｍｍｏ…     

Rice seed identification by computerized AFLP-DNA fingerprinting

Ｗｅｄｅｖｅｌｏｐｅｄａｃｏｍｐｕｔｅｒｉｚｅｄｓｅｅｄｉｄｅｎｔｉｆｉｃａｔｉｏｎｓｙｓｔｅｍ．ＦｉｆｔｅｅｎｒｉｃｅｖａｒｉｅｔｉｅｓｔｈａｔｗｅｒｅｗｉｄｅｌｙｕｓｅｄｉｎＣｈｉｎａｗｅｒｅａｎａｌｙｚｅｄｂｙＡＦＬＰｆｉｎｇｅｒｐｒｉｎｔｉｎｇ．１２ｐｒｉｍｅｒｐａｉｒｓｗｅｒｅｓｃｒｅｅｎｅｄ．Ｉｎｏｒｄｅｒｔｏｓｉｍｐｌｉｆｙｔｈｅｐｒｏｃｅｄｕｒｅａｎｄｃｕｔｄｏｗｎｔｈｅｃｏｓｔｉｎｓｅｅｄｉｄｅｎｔｉｆｉｃａｔｉｏｎ，ｔｈｅｌｅａｓｔｎｕｍｂｅｒｏｆｐｒｉｍｅｒｐａｉｒｓｆｏｒ…     

Understanding smallholder farmers’ access to maize seed and seed quality in the drought-prone Central Rift Valley of Ethiopia

Despite efforts made by the Ethiopian research and extension system during the past 40 years to disseminate improved maize (Zea mays L.) variety seeds for increased crop production, the diffusion and use remained low, particularly in moisture-stressed areas. The topic of smallholder farmers’ access to quality seed is an ongoing issue in Ethiopia. The purpose of this paper is to identify and explain maize seed sources for smallholder farmers and assess the seed quality status in the drought-prone Central Rift Valley (CRV) of Ethiopia. Data for this study were obtained from farm households and other stakeholders survey in 2011 from East Shewa Zone, Oromia Regional National State. The survey results indicated that informal seed sources contributed 84% of annually planted maize seed. Sixty percent of maize growers obtained improved seed through farmer-to-farmer seed exchange and the informal seed market (ISM). Regarding the socioeconomic characteristics and maize seed acquisition behavior of the farm-household heads, a higher proportion of female-headed households and resource-poor farm households depended on other farmers and ISM than male-headed farm households. A quarter of the better-off maize-grower households also used ISM. Formal seed sources were found to be key in new variety introduction. The quality of the seeds obtained from informal sources was found to be acceptable relative to purity and germination. The effectiveness of the seed-supply system tended to rely on the complementary integration of formal and informal seed systems, as both systems had their own peculiarities in serving the farm community to enhance food security.     

Cultivar discrimination of Portuguese Lupinus albus by seed protein electrophoresis: the importance of considering “glutelins” and glycoproteins

The Osborne protein fractions of seeds of 17 Lupinus albus cultivars from different regions in Portugal (obtained from plants grown at the same location) were analysed. The objective of this work was to examine the variability in the seed protein fractions of such a L. albus germplasm sample in order to disclose existing genetic relationships and to obtain information useful for a breeding program. Globulins and, interestingly, the fraction extracted with NaOH (“glutelins”) were the major seed protein constituents. The several protein fractions were separated by electrophoresis (reducing SDS polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis) and the patterns examined by multivariate analysis. Bands of “glutelins” together with those of glycosylated polypeptides were found to have the highest discriminating capacity. Lupin populations were grouped according to their clinal geographical distribution from north (small-seeded, higher plant architecture and later flowering type) to south (large-seeded, shorter and early flowering type). It is also possible that polypeptide patterns could reflect microclimatic specificities related with altitude and temperature. In fact, one cultivar from the south but from high altitude was grouped with the north plant types adapted to colder and wetter weather, whereas two cultivars from a warmer north region were grouped with the southern types. The results show, in addition, that a general correlation exists between cultivar early flowering characteristics and higher amounts of both total seed protein and glutelins, and lower glutelin glycosylation. Since high seed protein content and early flowering are important aims of lupin breeding programs, these findings on the seed protein fractions could stimulate and direct future research in lupin improvement.     

Studies on the seed production properties of Hunong 5s／Teqing 2

From Nongken 58s/Laser 4 // Xiandang, a photoperiod-sensitive genie male sterile indica rice line, Hunong 5s was developed, and authorized by Hubei Province in 1992, and by the Committee of the State Science Foundation of China in 1993, Hunong 5s was crossed to a indica restorer line Teqing 2 to produce a twoline F1 hybrid Hunong 5s/Teqing 2.     

The influence of ultra-low moisture content on the seed viability of rice in store

This paper deals with the influence of ultra-low moisture content and the rate of desiceation on rice seed viability and physiological property by desiccating using four kinds of desiooants (phosphorus pentoxide, calcium oxide, calcium chloride and silica gel) with different dosage.     

Long-term sustainability of wood-pasture separation processes—A matter of seed mixtures and management

We studied the performance of different seed mixtures and the influence of liming on the establishment of a montane pasture under acidic site conditions during a wood-pasture separation process from 1998 to 2001 in Styria, Austria. Two treatments (with and without liming) were established, each with four seeding treatments (without seeding, commercial, site-adapted and site-specific mixtures), and all plots were regularly fertilized from 1998 to 2002. Vegetation surveys and forage analyses regarding development of vegetation cover, seeded species persistence, quality and yield parameters were conducted again in 2014 and 2016; soil samples were taken in 2015. After cessation of regular fertilization, the analysed soil parameters declined to levels that were sufficient or low for grasslands. pH decreased again over time, but still was significantly higher (p = .0034) in the liming treatment. The single liming during experimental set-up also caused better long-term performance for nearly all vegetation, quality and yield parameters. The site-specific seed mixture performed best regarding most analysed parameters, under both liming treatments. Concerning seeded species, the habitat-typical species Agrostis capillaris, Festuca rubra agg. and Trifolium repens persisted best with and without liming. All analysed vegetation and yield parameters stayed far behind their results of 2001 and their potential. The use of site-specific seed mixtures supports the establishment of productive grassland on specific locations. The long-term results also illustrated that even low-input management like liming in multi-annual intervals can help to improve acidic site and growing conditions significantly and thereby increases the sustainability of cost-intensive wood-pasture separation processes under similar conditions.     

Effect of seed soaked with urea solution on the cold tolerance of rice seedlings

In the Yangtze river aera, the first crop of indica rice is sown in fate Max to eariy Apt and transplanted in early May. Usually, seedlings perish when abnormal low temperature of 6-10℃ lasted for 3 d or longer. The effect of socking seed with urea solution on increasing the cold tolerance at the seedling stage was studied.