Yield and Seed Quality of Mungbean as Affected by Irrigation in a Dry Season

A field study was conducted with the objective of determining the effects of soil moisture on seed yield and quality of mungbean ( Vigna radiata L. Wilczek) when grown under rainfed and irrigated conditions in a dry season. Seed quality was determined in terms of germination and production of normal seedlings after controlled deterioration. The presence of adequate soil moisture increased growth and yields of mungbean significantly. The seeds from irrigated plots had a greater weight, owing to heavier cotyledons. Although germination of seeds from the irrigated plots was higher before and after controlled deterioration for 72 h, the number of abnormal seedlings was also greater. Controlled deterioration reduced germination of both categories of seed in the same manner. These factors indicate the low potential of using seeds produced under irrigation in dry seasons as planting material, especially after storage.     

Influence of Soil Moisture on Growth, Water Use and Yield of Mustard

A field experiment was conducted to study the influence of soil moisture on growth, water use and yield of mustard ( Brassica juncea L. cv. Rai 5 ). Two soil moisture regimes were rainfed and irrigated at 10 days interval throughout the growing season. The total amount of water received as irrigation was 110 mm and as rainfall was 15 mm. Total dry matter per unit ground area, leaf area index (LAI), crop growth rate (CGR) and net assimilation rate (NAR) were increased and leaf area ratio (LAR) and specific leaf area (SLA) were decreased by irrigation. Chlorophyll content and relative leaf water content (RLWC) were increased by irrigation, but proline content was greater in the rainfed crop at both the flowering and pod-filling stages. Time taken to first flowering, duration of flowering, number of seeds/pod and harvest index were unaffected by irrigation. Plant height at harvest, number of pods/plant, seed yield and oil content of seeds were increased and 1000-seed weight was decreased by irrigation. The consumptive use of water increased with an increase in water supply, but the water use efficiency (WUE) was decreased.     

抗旱种衣剂对大豆抗旱性及产量性状的影响

为评价两种抗旱种衣剂在大豆上的抗旱与增产作用,开展田间试验,对两种制剂处理下大豆的种子萌发、生长、产量以及与抗旱性相关的指标进行观测。结果表明,两种抗旱种衣剂均有抗旱增产的功能。抗旱种衣剂1号处理下,与对照相比,大豆的种子出苗率提高4.8%,平均株高增加4cm,单株根瘤数量增加13个,产量增加7.3%,净光合速率增加1.4 μmolCO2/(m2·s)。种衣剂2号处理下,大豆的种子出苗率提高5.2%,平均株高增加5.6cm,单株根瘤数量增加65个,产量增加6.3%,蒸腾速率、叶片失水速率下降,根体积、根冠比增加。表明种衣剂2号的抗旱效果更强,种衣剂1号的增产效果更明显。     

7份云南野生画眉草属植物种子产量及萌发特性研究

以云南分布较为广泛的7份野生画眉草属植物材料为研究对象,以弯叶画眉草为对照,对种子产量及萌发特性进行初步研究,以确定云南野生画眉草属植物的结实性能和发芽规律.结果表明,供试材料均表现出较好的开花结实性能,种子产量以弯叶画眉草最高,达525.4 kg/hm2,黑穗画眉草次之,知风草最低;种子千粒重为弯叶画眉草＞知风草＞黑穗画眉草;种间相比较,弯叶画眉草的发芽势和发芽率均最高,分别为91.7％和93.0％,显著高于黑穗画眉草和知风草(p＜0.01);种内相比较,5份黑稳画眉草间的发芽势和发芽率差异较大(p＜0.01或p＜0.05),2份知风草间差异不显著(p＞0.05).     

Genetic control of alfalfa seed yield and its components

Seed yield is of little agronomic importance in alfalfa (lucerne) but is critical in the marketing of varieties. In order to develop breeding criteria, the quantitative genetics of seed yield components must be studied. The objective of this study was (1) to evaluate combining ability for seed yield and its components and (2) to estimate the genetic control of these same characters. A 7 × 7 diallel mating design, including reciprocals, among parents from different varieties, and a 7 × 7 factorial design within the ‘Flamande’ population were evaluated. In the diallel design, where the progenies were evaluated over two growing seasons, a high genotype effect was found for seed yield and its components while genotype × year interaction was only significant for seed yield per plant. General combining ability (GCA) effects explained most of the variation due to genotype effect. Specific combining ability (SCA) and reciprocal effects were only significant for seed yield per plant. ‘Europe‐1’, ‘Rival‐5’ and ‘Medalfa‐7’ were the most promising parents, conferring the highest GCA for most of the characters evaluated, especially for seed weight per inflorescence. In the factorial design, seed weight per pod was the only character for which the year effect was not significant. Male and female effects were significant for all characters and these effects were larger than the male × female interaction variance for all the characters. These results were stable over the 2 years for most characters. Additive variance was larger than dominance variance, for all traits. This resulted in high narrow‐sense heritabilities, especially for seed yield per plant, seed weight per inflorescence and number of seeds per pod. Seed weight per inflorescence and number of seeds per inflorescence were highly correlated with seed yield per plant among the full‐sib (FS) families, in both experiments. Increase in seed yield potential in alfalfa could be achieved by the use of seed weight per inflorescence as a selection criterion.     

Drought Stress Effects on Seed Yield, Yield Attributes, Growth, Cell Membrane Stability and Gas Exchange of Synthesized Brassica napus L.

Drought stress effects on leaf gas exchange, cell membrane stability, seed yield and yield attributes of synthesized Brassica napus L. cv. Bangla kale and Bangla cabbage were compared. Drought stress treatments were imposed at early vegetative, late vegetative and flowering stages by withholding watering. Bangla cabbage produced greater pods/plant, larger seed size, greater total dry matter/plant, seeds/pot, and 17% greater yield than Bangla kale. The seed yield in plants stressed at early vegetative, late vegetative and flowering stages were 59, 74, 88% lower respectively, than watered plants. Drought stress reduced leaf photosynthesis by 67 to 97%. Bangla cabbage had 68% greater photosynthesis and 56% greater stomatal conductance than Bangla kale under stress at flowering stage. Leaf temperature was 1 to 2°C higher in stressed plants than watered plants. The cell membrane stability (CMS) increased up to 83% at flowering stage under stress compared to 21% under watered conditions. Although Bangla cabbage had high seed yield, yield attributes and photosynthesis under stressed conditions at flowering stage, its CMS values were lower than those of Bangla kale.     

Path analysis of the relationships between seed yield and some morphological and phenological traits in safflower (Carthamus tinctorius L.)

Path analysis was performed on plant characters of six safflower genotypes grown in a two year field experiment to determine for seed yield, the direct and indirect effects of the following traits: total biomass, stem yield, number of primary branches/plant, number of secondary branches/plant, number of seeds/m², number of seeds/capitulum, number of capitula/plant, capitulum diameter, 1000-seed weight, seed weight/capitulum, distance between ground level and the first fertile branch, plant height, number of days to the beginning of branching, number of days to the beginning of flowering, number of days to 50% flowering, number of days to full flowering and flowering duration. Seed yield was significantly correlated with the following traits: total biomass, stem yield, capitulum diameter, 1000-seed weight, seed weight/capitulum, distance between ground level and the first fertile branch, number of days to the beginning of branching and flowering duration. Total biomass, seed weight/capitulum, distance between ground level and the first fertile branch, 1000-seed weight and flowering duration had substantial direct effects, in that order, on enhancement of seed yield. The significant positive correlation coefficient of capitulum diameter with seed yield resulted from positive indirect effects of total biomass, seed weight/capitulum and 1000-seed weight. Conversely, the significant negative correlations between number of days to the beginning of branching and distance between ground level and the first fertile branch and seed yield resulted from negative indirect effects of the same three traits. Stepwise multiple regression analysis showed that 94% of the total variation in seed yield could be explained by variation in total biomass and by number of days to the beginning of branching (84 and 10%, respectively). Results suggest that total biomass and number of days to the beginning of branching are primary selection criteria for improving seed yield in safflower.     

萌发过程中种子贮藏物质的动员和变化规律概述

种子萌发是植物生命的开端,此过程需要多种贮藏物质的动员来提供营养及能量,贮藏物质对种子萌发至关重要.本文概述了种子萌发所需主要贮藏物质(糖类、蛋白质、脂肪、磷)在种子萌发中的作用、动员情况和代谢变化规律,并与经劣变(老化)后的种子进行比较,从贮藏物质角度解析劣变对种子萌发和活力的影响,并对该领域未来的研究方向进行了展望...     

生物保水种衣剂对蔬菜种子发芽及幼苗生理特性的影响

以生物种衣剂(ZSB)与羟基纤维素复配,作为生物保水种衣剂,按照1:100、1:80、1:60、1:40四种不同浓度(ml母液/g种子),对南瓜、西葫芦和豆角3种蔬菜种子分别进行包衣处理,研究不同药种比保水剂对蔬菜种子发芽及苗期生长的影响.结果表明:1:80到1:60的包衣浓度不仅显著提高蔬菜种子发芽率,增强发芽势,而且蔬菜幼苗株高、根长、鲜重和干重都显著高于对照.1:80到1:60包衣浓度还有助于提高幼苗茎叶中叶绿素含量,能显著增强幼苗过氧化物酶(POD)活性.     

Effects of Faba Bean Leaves in Different Positions on the Yield and Photosynthetic Compensation after Defoliation

In a field experiment in the winter seasons of 1985/86 and 1988/89 at Xichang, China, the effects of defoliation on seed yield of Vicia faba and its photosynthetic compensation were investigated by removing all leaves, some leaves from different plant positions at the beginning of flowering and the beginning of pod formation. Seed yield decreased by 37.3–52.3 % in plants with upper leaves removed at the beginning of flowering. Removal of middle leaves at the beginning of pod formation had the most significant effect, followed by the of upper and lower leaves removed, causing yield decreases of 43.4–64.3 %, 18.6–24.7 % and 8.9–12.3 %, respectively. Removal of leaves at the beginning of pod formation resulted in a greater reduction in seed yield, total dry weight, harvest index, and number of pods and seeds per plant than leaf removal at the beginning of flowering.
The photosynthetic rate and export rate of photosynthate of upper leaves at the beginning of flowering, and middle leaves at the beginning of pod formation were the greatest during both years of the experiment. Photosynthetic rate increased and reached its maximum at 4–5 days after leaf removal, then decreased, but, yet greater than the control leaves at 9–11 days after leaf removal. In the meantime, transport of photosynthetic products was accelerated. In general, removal of leaves from the upper and middle third of the plant increased the export rate of photosynthate by ca. 20 %. Photosynthetic compensation could not fully make up the loss caused by leaf removal, so grain yield was decreased by all treatments. The full defoliation decreased yield by > 70 %.     

种子萌发及其调控的研究进展

大多数有花植物通过有性生殖和产生种子繁衍后代, 种子的成功萌发和正常成苗决定植物物种的繁衍与生存。种子萌发容易受到机械伤害、病害和环境胁迫的影响, 是植物生活周期中最重要和最脆弱的阶段, 对于一年生和二年生植物则更为重要。种子萌发是一个复杂的多步骤过程, 在这个过程中静止的干燥种子迅速恢复代谢活性, 完成胚伸出周围结构的细胞事件, 以及为随后的幼苗生长做准备。本文综述了近年来种子萌发及其调控的研究进展, 主要包括种子萌发过程中的重要生理事件, 与种子萌发有关的蛋白合成、翻译后修饰和蛋白质组, 以及植物激素对种子萌发的调节。此外, 我们还提出了种子萌发的能量刺激假说, 此假说为回答植物学、农学和园艺学中的两个基本问题, 即胚怎样从它的周围结构中伸出完成萌发？胚的伸出怎样被阻断以至于种子被维持在休眠状态？以及减少禾谷类作物种子和粮食生产中发生的穗萌现象提供了新的研究思想。     

Water Requirements of Safflower Entries in Middle Egypt

Two promising selected land races of safflower ( Carthamns tinctorious L.) designated as line 11 and line 13, together with the local variety Giza 1 , were examined under three levels of moisture depletions, i.e. 40, 60 and 80 % ASMD at Fayoum, Middle Egypt during 1986/87 and 1987/88 seasons. In both growing seasons, the second irrigation treatment i.e. 60 % ASMD gave the highest means for growth characters as well as seed yield and most of its components. Seed oil content per cent exhibited an increased as soil moisture depletion increased with no significant difference between entries. Safflower entries showed clear differences in some yield components which compensate each other and resulted in no significant difference in seed yield per hectar.
Consumptive use of water by safflower plants increased as the available soil moisture around the root zone increased. No significant differences were found in water consumed by safflower entries used in all experiments.
In the two experimental seasons, the best water use efficiency (WUE) for seed production was obtained also from the second treatment (60 % ASMD). The line 11 gave the best WUE.     

Seed Priming Enhances the Performance of Late Sown Wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) by Improving Chilling Tolerance

In rice–wheat systems, late sowing of wheat is the major reason of low yield. This yield reduction is principally due to lower and erratic germination, and poor crop establishment because of low temperature prevailing. The present study was conducted to explore the possibility of improving late sown wheat performance by seed priming techniques. Seed priming strategies were: on‐farm seed priming, hydropriming for 24 h, seed hardening for 12 h and osmohardening with KCl or CaCl₂ for 12 h. Seed priming improved emergence, stand establishment, tiller numbers, allometry, grain and straw yield, and harvest index. However, seed priming techniques did not affect plant height, number of spikelets, number of grains and 1000 grain weight. Osmohardening with CaCl₂ gave more grain and straw yield and harvest index compared with control and other priming treatments, followed by osmohardening with KCl and on‐farm seed priming. Improved yield was attributed principally to better stand establishment and improved number of fertile tillers. Seed priming techniques can be effectively used to improve the performance of late sown wheat.     

S—3307浸种对小麦种子活力和幼苗素质的调节效应

用不同浓度的S-3307溶液浸种，对小麦种子发芽率没有明显地影响，对发芽势和发芽指数有抑制作用，分别降低11.1％～22.2％和6.9％～16.0％。用S-3307溶液浸种的，由于单株于重增加，尤其是根系干重增加较多，所以活力指数有所提高。用S-3307溶液浸种的，麦苗素质提高．抗逆性增强，先合性能改善，为提高单产奠定基础。     

Effect of Phenological Stages on Plant Dry Matter Partitioning and Seed Production in Berseem (Trifolium alexandrinum L.)

Berseem clover ( Trifolium alexandrinum L.) is an annual forage crop widely grown in Mediterranean environments. Dry matter partitioning in the leaf, stem and root and seed production of three populations of Egyptian as well as Italian origin were evaluated under four cutting regimes. The cutting treatments were applied to the plants at different stages of plant development: at the fourth (A) and eighth nodes elongation (B), at early flowering (C) and physiological maturity of seeds (D), After herbage, harvest plants were utilized for seed yield and evaluation of its seed yield components. Higher dry matter and seed yield was obtained in treatments D and B, respectively. In the other treatments, dry matter content was lower than in treatment D and related to the phenological development of the plant. Dry matter content in the root was higher when the cut was applied at early flowering. Cutting regimes influenced plant mortality, with the number of dead plants increasing from the cut applied in early (A) to that in the final treatment (D). Cuts applied at early stage of development depleted root reserves causing plant death. This peculiarity could be a tool for selecting populations with higher persistence and with a more tolerant physiological response to stress imposed by cuts. The populations of Egyptian origin, in comparison with the Italian ones, were more productive in dry matter in the early stage of growth and in all treatments were higher in seed weight.     

Physiological characteristics and irrigation water productivity of quinoa (Chenopodium quinoa Willd.) in response to deficit irrigation imposed at different growing stages—A field study from Southern Iran

Iran has been faced to drought during last decades, and one way to overcome this phenomenon is to improve the water productivity by introducing new crops tolerant to water stresses such as quinoa. Two-year field experiment was performed to find out the response of quinoa (cv. Titicaca) to deficit irrigation imposed at different growing stages. Hence, the effect of full irrigation (100% irrigation water requirement) and deficit irrigation (50% full irrigation) on physiological parameters, yield, irrigation water productivity and root density of quinoa was investigated during 2016 and 2017 growing seasons. The result showed that there was a significant difference between all variables in two years. Higher average air temperature in 2017 (2.0°C) resulted in a reduction of seed yield and water productivity (55% and 40% of that obtained in 2016, respectively). Application of deficit irrigation during different growing stages reduced crop height, stomatal conductance and seed yield, while it increased the root length density in both years. In conclusion, flowering stage of quinoa was very sensitive to deficit irrigation, and irrigation at grain filling stage would not help to recover the seed yield. Furthermore, the seed yield was lower than that obtained in other studies performed in other countries using same quinoa cultivar, which could be due to higher amount of applied irrigation water and different phenology under different climatic conditions. A decision on cultivating this crop under semi-arid conditions has to be made considering limited water resources.     

刈割时间对苜蓿生殖生长及种子性状的影响

试验以‘新牧4号’紫花苜蓿为材料,研究不同刈割时间对苜蓿生殖生长及种子特性的影响,以期为提高苜蓿种子产量提供基础数据。试验数据表明,刈割对苜蓿生殖格局、种子产量和种子特性等影响较大。其中,返青后第44（5月8日）、51天（5月15日）刈割,与对照相比,种子千粒重分别增加24.44%、30%,种子产量分别提高26.85%、45.86%,种子发芽率分别降低了2.12%、10.63%。刈割能够延迟苜蓿花期,通过改变苜蓿花期的外部环境和花的传粉效率来影响其结实特性。在苜蓿孕蕾至初花期间,适时刈割1次,能够提高花的传粉受精效率,降低生殖败育率,增加种子产量。     

纳罗克非洲狗尾草结实性及适宜收种时间的研究

纳罗克非洲狗尾草在昆明市的抽穗持续时间较长，抽穗高峰期为7月下旬至8月中旬；抽穗后3天内多数花序进入开花期。开花高峰期为始花后第10～15天，开花期前25天内所开小花约占总数的87．5％。开花后10天种子具备正常发芽能力，此时小穗风干物质含量〉60％。始花至成熟种子脱落时间平均为18天，95％种子脱落持续时间平均为45．4d；种子开始脱落后的第15～30天为脱落高峰期，此阶段饱满种子脱落占总数的54．5％。适宜的收种时间为抽穗后第5周。根据本次所有观测结果的变异系数，非洲狗尾草结实性个体间差异极大，是导致种子收获率低的重要原因。     

Seed priming improves germination in saline conditions for Chenopodium quinoa and Amaranthus caudatus

Seed priming has proved to be an effective method in imparting stress tolerance to plants using natural and/or synthetic compounds to treat the seeds before germination. The present work aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of priming treatments in seeds of Chenopodium quinoa and Amaranthus caudatus to improve germination under NaCl. Species‐specific protocols for seed hydropriming and osmopriming were established by germinating seeds under different water potentials and creating seed imbibition curves. Primed seeds were then germinated under different concentrations of NaCl, and the effect of priming was analysed based on the parameters, such as final germination percentage (FGP), germination index (GI) and mean germination time (MGT). Seed hydropriming and osmopriming caused significant improvements in germination velocity and uniformity, reflected in high FGP, high GI and reduced MGT under salinity. C. quinoa had a higher tolerance to salinity than A. caudatus during seed germination. Improved germination in salinity resulted from osmopriming seeds with solutions of low water potential for A. caudatus, while for C. quinoa, this effect was achieved from hydropriming and osmopriming seeds with solutions of high water potential. Primed tolerance to moderate salinity was achieved for A. caudatus, and for both species, the salinity threshold for germination to occur was slightly broadened.     

Plasticity of seed weight compensates reductions in seed number of oilseed rape in response to shading at flowering

Understanding the response of the number of seeds and seed weight to the availability of assimilates is crucial for designing breeding strategies aimed to increase seed and oil yield in oilseed rape. This study aims to answer the questions: i) do seed number and seed weight in oilseed rape differ in their plasticity in response to the availability of assimilates at flowering? and ii) how sensitive are oil and protein concentrations to the availability of assimilates during flowering?A spring oilseed rape hybrid was sown in two field experiments and the treatments were combinations of i) two plant densities and ii) shading or no shading between the beginning and end of flowering. Seed yield was not affected by plant density or by shading. Lower plant density was compensated by an increase in seed number per plant, without effects on single-seed weight. However, the negative effect of shading during flowering on seed number per area was fully compensated by an increase in single-seed weight by 47–61%. The plasticity of single-seed weight observed in the present study of oilseed rape has never been reported for annual seed crops. Shading at flowering increased both the seed filling rate and the duration of the seed filling period at all positions in the canopy. We also observed that the reduction of the source-sink ratio at flowering increasing seed weight does not necessarily modify oil or protein concentrations. Thus, single-seed weight could be targeted to increase seed yield in oilseed rape without compromising oil content.