New Zealand Journal of Agricultural Research abstracts

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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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