Vol. 6 No. 2
Seed quality variation in relation to pod and seed position on the mother plant of soybean [Glycine max. (L.) Merrill] seed lot.
Author(s): B. PRASAD, R. PRASAD AND S. PRASAD
Abstract: Heterogeneity in seed quality due to pod position on the mother plant and ovule position within the pod were studied as a possible plant components contributing to variation in respected quality of seeds within lots of soybean [Glycine max. (L.) Merrill] cultivar PRS-1. Plants were grown in two consecutive years at 2100 m ASL under mid hills of Uttarakhand during kharif, 2008 and 2009. The seed quality and subsequent seedling vigour were assessed with in plant for different stem type and pod section. The heaviest seeds were produced on main stem position on the mother plant where the earliest pods were formed whereas within the pod distal position has greater seed weight. Seed germination per cent· was greatly influenced by different stem type and seed position within the pod on the mother plant and significantly higher germination per cent was recorded for main stem type over primary and secondary branches while seed attached to distal end within 1he pod had greater germination per cent over middle and proximal location under pod section. The subsequent seed and seedling vigour in terms of seedling length, fresh and dry weight of seeding, vigour index, relative growth index (RGI) and early germination as indicated by lower value of mean germination time (MGT) and time to 50% germination (T5rJ as well as electrical conductivity of seed leactates varied in different stem type and pod section. On the basis of these parameters, the seeds obtained from main stem exhibited greater vigour over primary and secondary branches respectively. However, in pod section the seed attached to distal end with in the pod reflected higher seedling vigour than middle and proximal end of the pod section. The results suggest that the seeds produced with in a plant even within pod might differ in their vigour.
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