The effect of seed factors and the duration seed remains in soil before the onset of rains on establishment of maize and sorghum
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Date
1997
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Publisher
Sokoine University of Agriculture
Abstract
A study was undertaken to: (a) assess the seed quality in commercial and farmers planting seed,(b)
extent of seed ageing in storage and (c)investigate the monitor the effect of length of time seed remain in soil before onset of rains on establishment of maize (Zea mays (L) and sorghum (Sorghum bi color (L).
Seed of three cultivars of maize (Staha, TMV-1, and Kito) and one sorghum cultivar(Tegemeo)
were from bought Tanzania Seed Company (TANSEED), Morogoro branchz and from farmers around Morogoro Municipality. The bought seed was stored alongside TANSEED and farmer's seed. Initially, seed samples from each lot and each farmerz were taken to the laboratory for refrigeration to minimize ageing and hence to serve as control. Acquired seed was initially subjected to a germination test to assess its quality as a planting material.Germination test were conducted in a sandbox set at a matric suction of IkPa.
The study on the effect of length of time seeds remain in soil before the onset of rains on establishment was conducted both in glasshouse and in the field using high,medium and low vigour seeds.High vigour seeds were the fresh / imaged seed samples from the seed lots.Medium and low vigour seeds were obtained by artificial ageing of fresh seed for 2 and 3 days respectively.Planting, both in the glasshouse and in the field was done at an interval of 3 days z that is 0 r 3, 6, 9, 121 15 days.Watering was on the 15th day with an equivalent of 20mm of rainfall.
Seeds from TANSEED had ranging from 93 to 100%, initial germination percentage (maize) and 92 to 96% (sorghum)・Seeds from farmers had gemination percentage varying from 64 to 99% (maize) and 8 to 65% (sorghum)・seeds from TANSEED had relatively capacity than those from farmers.
Higher germination Seeds from farmers had high initial seed moisture content (SMC)
seed. Overall sorghum than commercial Sorghum had higher SMC than maize irrespective of
the source ・Initial SMC was about 10 and 11% for maize and sorghum respectively.At the end of the studyz SMC had increased to an average of 12 and 14% for maize and
sorghum respectively.
Time to 50% germination (T50) increased with storage time for seeds obtained from TANSEED.
maize cv St aha lot A were 2.2,T50 values (in days) for (initially) , 2.4 one month) and 2.7 after two months)・(after Seeds from farmers showed no consistent trend.In both field and glasshouse emerged earlier than maize seeds.studies,sorghum seeds Sorghum seeds started emerging 3 days after watering whereas for maize emergence started on the 4th day.The length of time seed remained in the soil(dry planting)had no effect on percentage emergence in the glasshouse experiment. Under field conditions percentage emergence decreased with the length of time seed remained in soil before watering.High vigour maize seeds had relatively higher proportion of seeds
categories.which emerged than Insorghum,medium and low vigour the other two vigour seeds performed better in terms of emergence than high vigour seeds.The average shoot length for maize 10 days after watering varied from 157mm to 238mm and 90.7mm to 248mm for the glasshouse and field experiments respectively.Sorghum seedlings grown in the glasshouse had mean shoot lengths varying from 121mm to 172mm and the mean values recorded in the field varied from 63mm to 101mm.
Description
Dessertation
Keywords
Seed storage, Deterioration, Seed germination, Farmers planting seed