Hostname: page-component-848d4c4894-2xdlg Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-07-02T23:48:44.565Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Leek (Allium porrum L.) seed development and germination

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  19 September 2008

D. Gray ,
J. R. A. Steckel  and
L. J. Hands
D. Gray*
Affiliation:
Horticulture Research International, Wellesbourne, Warwick CV35 9EF, UK
J. R. A. Steckel
Affiliation:
Horticulture Research International, Wellesbourne, Warwick CV35 9EF, UK
L. J. Hands
Affiliation:
Horticulture Research International, Wellesbourne, Warwick CV35 9EF, UK
*
* Correspondence
Get access Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Abstract

The effects of development of leek seeds at 20/10°, 25/15° and 30/20°C (day/night) and drying of seed harvested at different developmental stages on subsequent performance were examined in each of 3 years. An increase in temperature from 20/10° to 30/20°C reduced mean seed weight from 2.90 to 2.55 mg as a result of a reduction in the duration of seed growth from 80 to 55 days; seed growth rate was unaffected. Seed moisture content reached a minimum, up to 35 days after the attainment of maximum seed dry weight and 115, 90 and 70 days after anthesis at 20/10°, 25/15° and 30/20°C, respectively. The curves relating seed moisture to time for each temperature regime were mapped onto a single line accounting for >90% of the variation in moisture content, using accumulated day-degrees >6°C instead of chronological time. Seeds were capable of germinating when seed moisture contents were >60% (fresh weight basis), but maximum viability and minimum mean time to germination were not attained until seed moisture contents at harvest had fallen to 20–30%. Germination was little affected by temperature of seed development. Drying immature seeds increased percentage germination. Growing seeds at 30/20°C and drying at 35°C and 30% RH raised the upper temperature limit of germination compared with growing at 20/10°C and drying at 15°C and 30% RH.

Keywords

dryinggerminationmoisture contentseed developmenttemperatureleek
Type
Research Papers
Information
Seed Science Research , Volume 2 , Issue 2 , June 1992 , pp. 89 - 95
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 1992

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

Adamson, R.M. (1960) The effect on germination of drying leek seed heads at different temperatures. Canadian Journal of Plant Science 40, 666–671.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Bonnet, B. (1976) The leek (Allium porrum L.): botanical and agronomic aspects. Review of the literature. Saussurea 72, 57–68.Google Scholar
Bradstreet, R.B. (1965) The Kjeldahl method for organic nitrogen. New York, Academic Press.Google Scholar
Fischer, W., Berfeld, R., Plachy, C., Schäfer, R. and Schopfer, P. (1988) Accumulation of storage materials, precocious germination and development of desiccation tolerance during seed maturation in mustard (Sinapis alba L.). Botanica Acta 101, 344–354.Google Scholar
Gray, D. and Steckel, J.R.A. (1984) Viability of onion seed as influenced by temperature during seed growth. Annals of Applied Biology 104, 375–382.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Gray, D. and Steckel, J.R.A. (1986) The effects of several cultural factors on leek (Allium porrum L.) seed production. Journal of Horticultural Science 61, 307–313.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Gray, D. and Ward, J. (1987) A comparison of leek (Allium porrum) and onion (Allium cepa) seed development. Annals of Botany 60, 181–187.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Gray, D., Steckel, J.R.A., Dearman, J. and Brocklehurst, P.A. (1988a) Some effects of temperature during seed development on carrot (Daucus carota) seed growth and quality. Annals of Applied Biology, 112, 367–376.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Gray, D., Wurr, D.C.E., Ward, J.A. and Fellows, J.R. (1988b). Influence of post-flowering temperature on seed development and subsequent performance of crisp lettuce. Annals of Applied Biology 113, 391–402.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Gray, D., Tucker, W.G., Hands, L.J. and Steckel, J.R.A. (1989) Some effects of drying leek (Allium porrum L.) seeds harvested at different stages of maturity on seed and seedling performance. Journal of Horticultural Science 64, 455–465.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Gray, D., Steckel, J.R.A., Chrimes, J.R. and Davies, A.C.W. (1991). Density and harvest date effects on leek seed quality. Seed Science & Technology 19, 331–340.Google Scholar
Hatcher, E.S.J. and Purvis, O.N. (1946) On the behaviour in the field of small grain obtained by premature harvesting. Journal of Agricultural Science 35, 177–183.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Hawthorn, L.R. & Pollard, L.H. (1954) Vegetable and flower seed production. New York, The Blakiston Company Inc.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Hyde, E.O.C., McLeavey, M.A. and Harris, G.S. (1959) Seed development in ryegrass and in red and white clover. New Zealand Journal of Agricultural Research 2, 947–952.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
International Seed Testing Association (1985) International rules for seed testing. Rules 1985. Seed Science and Technology 13, 299–355.Google Scholar
Jenner, C.F. (1985) Control of the accumulation of starch and protein in cereal grains. British Plant Growth Regulator Group, Monograph 12, 195–209.Google Scholar
Jones, R.J., Roessler, J. and Ouattar, S. (1985) Thermal environment during endosperm cell division in maize: effects on number of endosperm cells and starch granules. Crop Science 25, 830–834.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Kermode, A.R. and Bewley, J.D. (1989) Developing seeds of Ricinus communis L., when detached and maintained in an atmosphere of high relative humidity, switch to a germinative mode without the requirement for complete desiccation. Plant Physiology 90, 702–707.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Kermode, A.R., Oishi, M. and Bewley, J.D. (1989) Regulatory roles for desiccation and abscisic acid in seed development; a comparison of the evidence from whole seeds and isolated embryos, pp. 23–50 in Stanwood, P.C. and McDonald, M.B. (Eds) Seed maturity. Madison, Wisconsin. Proceedings of the Crop Science Society of America, Special Publication No. 14.Google Scholar
Mead, R. (1988) The design of experiments. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, p. 396.Google Scholar
Miles, D.F., Tekrony, D.M. and Egli, D.B. (1988) Changes in viability, germination and respiration of freshly harvested soybean seed during development. Crop Science 28, 700–704.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Orchard, T.J. (1977) Estimating the parameters of plant seedling emergence. Seed Science & Technology 5, 61–69.Google Scholar
Pieta Filho, C. and Ellis, R.H. (1991) The development of seed quality in spring barley in four environments. I. Germination and longevity. Seed Science Research 1, 163–177.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Siddique, M.A. and Goodwin, P.B. (1980) Seed vigour in bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L. cv. Apollo) as influenced by temperature and water regime during development and maturation. Journal of Experimental Botany 31, 313–323.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Steiner, J.J. and Akintobi, D.C. (1986) Effect of harvest maturity on viability of onion seed. Horticultural Science 5, 1220–1221.Google Scholar
Stoddart, J.L. (1959) A study of seed development and yield in timothy as related to date of harvest. Journal of the British Grassland Society 14, 256–261.CrossRefGoogle Scholar