ISHS Acta Horticulturae 215: Seed Research in Horticulture
REVIEW OF THE FACTORS AFFECTING SEED YIELD AND QUALITY |
| Author: | R. A.T. George |
| Abstract:
Particular examples from papers presented in this symposium are cited to illustrate the range of agronomic factors which can be manipulated during seed production to control seed quality. These include timing of irrigation, sowing date, plant population, nutrition of mother plant and stage of harvest. Seed is the primary and essential starting point for a wide range of horticultural crops, including the majority of vegetables and many annual and biennial ornamentals. The overall quality of a seed lot has an important influence on the subsequent crop. Seed quality embraces several factors, viz: potential germination (including vigour), genetical quality, mechanical purity (including freedom from undesirable seeds of weeds, noxious species or other crop species) and freedom from seed transmitted pathogens and pests. Several papers presented in this Symposium during the sessions on dormancy and pretreatments deal with examples of how a seed lot may be treated or dealt with in order to improve the subsequent plant stand. In this section emphasis is placed on the different environmental factors during seed production which can influence seed quality. Reference is also made by some workers to the aspects of seed production which can affect the quantity of seed obtained, i.e. seed yield. It is very likely that with the increased critical approach to seed quality required for modern methods of vegetable production we will have to make a greater distinction between seed quality and seed yield during the field multiplication of a cultivar. The production factors can be classified as: provenance, agronomic, roguing (or selection) and harvesting (or seed extraction). | |
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