Journal of Food, Agriculture and Environment

Importance of the cereal seed grain provenance

Author(s):

Ladislav Bláha ¹, Petr Konvalina ²*, Zdeněk Stehno ¹, Martina Leskovcová ²

Recieved Date: 2013-04-28, Accepted Date: 2013-10-23

Abstract:

This study compared organic and conventional seeds of various spring cereal cultivars, bread wheat (Triticum aestivum L.), barley (Hordeum vulgare L.) and hulled and naked oat (Avena sativa L. and A. nuda L.) with four different seed provenances: certified organic, conventional untreated and two levels of farmer’s seed. The analysis of basic seed traits as germination and vitality were carried out. In addition, the length of germinal roots and their volume as well as dry matter weight were measured also. The germination and vitality of the certificated organic seed as well as the conventional seed gained significantly higher values on average, while the average values of better and worse farm seed were lower. Similar differences were obtained in the traits of the root system at flowering. The rapidity of water uptake and water utilisation was highest in certified organic seeds. A high uptake of water was also identified in farmer seed with low quality (= low weight of seeds). The results showed that the seeds and embryos of different provenance have almost the same dimensions and size but have different physiological characteristics of seeds. Provenance affects chemical composition and enzyme activity, seen in the displayed changes in germination, vigour, content of seed dry matter and water and size of embryonic roots. The obtained results confirmed in all experiments a statistically significant influence of the provenance on the traits of seeds and via the seed influence on the root traits of plants. Very similar results were obtained for analysed field crops. The additional experiment simulating salinity and drought by application of PEG 6000 in the laboratory experiment was without positive results, no differences among provenances were obtained. The differences exist only among cultivars.

Keywords:

Seed provenance, seed quality, cereals, organic farming

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Journal: Journal of Food, Agriculture and Environment
Year: 2013
Volume: 11
Issue: 3&4
Category: Agriculture
Pages: 679-683

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