Field performance of abnormal maize seedlings

Abstract

The aim of this study was to investigate field emergence parameters, number of plants that reached reproductive stage and yield of seed lots with different count of abnormal seedlings. In standard germination test these seedlings are discarded from the count of germinated seed, presuming that they will not develop into normal plants. Five lots of hybrid NS 640 with different percentage of abnormal seedlings were tested. Results showed that in favourable environment conditions, large number of abnormal seedlings emerged, reached reproductive stage and participated in yield formation. However, emergence of seed lots with high percentage of abnormal seedlings was longer than for lots with small number of abnormal seedlings. Laboratory germination and germination energy were more correlated with indicators of field emergence rate, while total percentage of germinated seedlings (normal and abnormal) was more correlated with grain yield. However, it can be expected that in adverse environment conditions, abnormal seedlings are less likely to develop into normal plants.

Cilj ovog ispitivanja bio je da se kod partija semena sa različitim udelom atipičnih ponika ispitaju parametri brzine klijanja u polju, broj biljaka u reproduktivnoj fazi i prinos. Ovakvi ponici se u standardnom testu klijavosti ne ubrajaju u klijava zrna, jer se pretpostavlja da neće dati normalnu biljku. Testirano je pet partija hibrida NS 640 sa različitim udelom atipičnih ponika. Rezultati su pokazali da je u povoljnim uslovima veliki broj atipičnih klijanaca nikao, dostigao reproduktivnu fazu i učestvovao u formiranju prinosa. Sa druge strane, nicanje partija sa velikim brojem atipičnih klijanaca je bilo usporeno. Laboratorijska klijavost i energija klijanja su bile u većoj korelaciji sa parametrima brzine nicanja, dok je ukupna klijavost (normalni i atipični klijanci) bila u većoj korelaciji sa prinosom. Ipak, u nepovoljnim uslovima spoljašnje sredine, atipični klijanci imaju manje šanse da se razviju u normalnu biljku.