Research Journal of Agricultural Sciences 2011, 2(2): 213-216

Prediction of Storability of Different Seed Size Grades of French bean Varieties through Accelerated Ageing Response
Department of Seed Science and Technology, University of Agricultural Sciences, GKVK, Bangalore - 65, Karnataka, India
e-mail: vishwakoti@gmail.com

K Vishwanath, Pallavi H M, Devraju P J and Prashanth Y

ABSTRACT
Seeds of French bean varieties Arka komal and Burpee stringless were size graded viz Bulk, 4.50mm, 4.75mm and 5.00mm and these grades were aged artificially to evaluate for seed quality after ageing. Seeds of bigger size (5.00mm) showed significantly better seed quality parameters in terms germination, seedling length, seedling vigour index and enzyme activity (dehydrogenase and - amylase) followed by 4.75mm and 4.50mm and were lowest in bulk seeds in both the varieties. Highest electrical conductivity was noticed in small seeds than bigger seeds. However pH did not vary between size grades. Among varieties Burpee stringless showed better seed quality than Arka komal and these results suggesting superiority of bigger seeds. Key words: French bean, Storability, Ageing response, Arka komal, Burpee stringless Seed vigour is component of seed quality along with viability, health, structural soundness and seed size. Among these, seed size also is an important component as it influences the performance, vigour and storability of seeds. The influence of seed size on seedling vigour, crop productivity and storability has drawn attention of researchers since long time (Dhillon and Kler 1976). It is opinion of several workers that plump seeds can be stored for long period (Anonymous 1998, Gontia and Awasthi 1999, Dhillon and Kler 1976. Khare and Satpute 1999) and contradictory results by some researchers (Dhillon and Kler 1976, Khare and Satpute 1999). Proper selection of seed size is essential to achieve better seed quality and long period storability. Information on storability of French bean seed to preserve viability and vigour from harvest to next planting season and carry over or transport purpose is prime importance in any successful seed production programme, therefore study was undertaken to evaluate the seed size influence on seed quality after accelerated ageing in French bean varieties. cent relative humidity was maintained for three days (72h) (Delouche 1965). At end of ageing period the samples were removed and dried back to original moisture content under shade and were set out for germination test using between paper method with 400 seeds in four replications. The ageing response was measured based on normal seedling as germination after accelerated ageing (GAA) (ISTA 1996). After germination count, 10 randomly selected seedlings were measured for seedling length and same seedlings were dried in hot air oven at 855C for period of 8h and seedling dry weight was recorded. Seedling vigour index was computed as a product of germination percentage and seedling length. (AbdulBaki and Anderson 1973). 50 grams of clean seed was soaked in 100 ml of distilled water in three replication for 24h at ambient condition. The supernatant was collected and electrical conductivity (EC) of seed leachate was measured using conductivity bridge, EC of distilled water was taken as control and expressed in dsm-1. 40 seeds were randomly selected from each grade and pre conditioned the seeds by soaking seeds for overnight. Seed coat was removed then sit it for tetrozolium staining (0.05%), 10 seeds in each replication. Farmazon was eluted in screw-capped vials by using 20ml of methoxy ethonol and OD values were red at 480nm wavelength using spectrophotometer. The -amylase activity was estimated semi quantitatively by adapting Bed Rock Model. The pre imbibed seeds were cut in to two halves, halve with embryo intact was placed equidistantly on to a sterilized petriplates containing 2% starch agar media in such a

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Seed of two French bean varieties Arka komal and Burpee stringless were size graded by using different screen sizes viz 4.50, 4.75 and 5.00mm and bulk seeds were taken as control. 100 seeds from each grade in eight replications were weighed and recorded mean test weight for each size. Before accelerated ageing germination of seed were recorded by using standard germination test (ISTA 1996). Seeds from each size grades were subjected to accelerated ageing in an ageing chamber where temperature of 40C and 100 per

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way that embryo portion of seed should come in contact with agar and incubated for 24h at 255C. Then the seeds were removed and iodine solution was poured on to the starch medium. After 30 minutes, the observation on clear halo zone diameter (cm) formed indicating amylase activity was measured. Data collected were statistically analyzed by the analysis of variance techniques by adopting following completely randomized design (CRD) (Panse and Sukhatme 1967). Arcsine square root method was applied for transformation of data, which was applied on those tables in which the values were less than ten or in percentage.

RESULTS AND DISCUSSION

100 seed weight increased gradually as seed size increased from bulk seed (33.54g) to 5.00 mm (39.83g). Among varieties Burpee Stringless showed higher test weight (38.93g) than Arka Komal (33.78g). The varieties used in this experiment showed good germination before accelerated ageing i e 92.08 and 93.50 per cent in Arka komal and Burpee Stringless, respectively. Among seed sizes, bulk seed showed lowest germination (90.54%) and was in increasing trend as increase in size from 4.50 mm (92.11%) to 5.00 mm (95.44%).

Table 3 Seed enzymes activity as influence by seed size after accelerated ageing in French bean varieties Seed size (S) Total Dehydrogenase (OD value) Amylase (Halo-zone diameter (mm)) V1 V2 Mean V1 V2 Mean Bulk seed 20.2 18.3 19.25 2.6 2.7 2.8 4.50mm 22.0 25.5 23.7 3.1 2.9 3.0 4.75mm 25.1 28.7 26.9 3.2 3.0 3.1 5.00mm 31.5 28.8 30.1 3.2 3.4 3.3 Mean 24.7 25.3 24.9 3.0 3.2 3.1 S. Em CD (0.05P) S. Em CD (0.05P) Seed size (S) 0.68 2.00 0.082 0.24 Varieties (V) 0.50 1.41 0.060 0.17 SV 1.00 2.83 0.12 0.35 Germination after accelerated ageing (GAA) was gradually increased with increase in seed size from 4.50 mm (74.79%) to 5.00 mm (84.08%) and it was lowest in bulk seeds (68.12%). Higher germination after accelerated ageing in large seeds compared to small seeds also noticed by several researchers (Duode 1984, Malarkodi et al.1998). Higher GAA in large seeds might be due to higher storage food reserves and higher enzyme activity (Table 2). The influence of seed size also evident by the more loss of germination after accelerated ageing in bulk and small (4.50mm) seeds, in other words least loss in 4.75 and 5.00mm seed, respectively. The net loss of germination for bulk seed was 24.7 per, 4.50 mm was18.8 per cent, while it was 16.2 and 11.9 per cent in 4.75 and 5.00mm size seeds. The variety Burpee Stringless recorded higher GAA (77.89%) then Arka komal irrespective of seed sizes. Lower GAA in Arka komal is due to higher mycoflora load (recorded) and its lower test weight resulted in faster degradation of food reserves their by lower amount of food reserves available for mobilization and such varietal differences for germination after storage was observed by earlier researchers. Increase in GAA in Arka komal with increase in screen size from 4.5mm (65.58%) to 5.00mm (83.41%) accounts for 6.92 and 17.83 per cent increased GAA, respectively over ungraded seeds (65.58%). Seed retained on 4.75mm screen size recorded 84.00 per cent germination which was 11.08 per cent higher GAA over ungraded seeds. In case of Burpee stringless 4.5 mm (77.68%), 4.75mm (79.08%) and 5.00mm (84.75%) screen sizes vary among each other for GAA which had 6.42, 8.42 and 14.09 per cent increased GAA over ungraded seeds (70.66%). Better GAA in large seed might be due to higher enzyme activity which is require for food reserves mobilization and higher food reserves even few of that degraded during ageing process and remaining huge amount for plume and radical growth by higher enzymatic biosynthesis. Several researchers have observed higher GAA in bigger seeds than smaller seeds (Malarkodi et al.1998). Seedling length, seedling dry weight and vigour index were increased with increse in seed size from 4.50 to 5.00mm and these parameters are least in ungraded seeds. In case of Arka komal seedling length, seedling dry weight and vigour index were increased with increase in seed size from 4.50 to 5.00mm and lowest in ungraded seeds. In Burpee Stringless all aforesaid quality parameters vary distinctly among seeds retained on 4.50, 4.75, 5.00mm and bulk seeds. Reduced quality attributes after accelerated in Arka Komal was mainly due to higher seed mycoflora lode (recorded) and lower test weight and lower food reserves, which are mobilized during germination (Bhor et al.1988). Electrical conductivity was highest in bulk seeds (1056) followed by 4.50mm (965) and was reduced to 798 as increase in seed size to 5.00mm. However it was not vary distinctly between varieties. pH of seed lechate also did not vary much between seed size and varieties. Enzymes activity viz dehydrogenase and -amylase increased with increase in seed size.

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Table 1 Seed quality parameters as influence by seed size after accelerated ageing in French bean varieties Seed size (S) Bulk seed 4.50mm 4.75mm 5.00mm Mean 100 seed weight (g) V1 29.55 32.00 34.56 39.01 33.78 S.Em Seed size (S) Varieties (V) SV 0.44 0.30 0.62 V2 37.52 38.34 39.24 40.65 38.93 Mean 33.54 35.17 36.90 39.83 36.36 Germination (%) V1 89.75 91.66 92.83 96.80 92.08 S.Em 0.75 0.55 1.08 V2 91.33 92.56 93.25 94.08 93.50 Mean 90.54 92.11 93.04 95.44 92.73 V1 65.58 72.50 76.66 83.41 74.54 S.Em 0.30 0.24 0.48 GAA (%) V2 70.66 77.08 79.08 84.75 77.89 Mean 68.12 74.79 77.89 84.04 76.21 Seedling length (cm) V1 16.08 17.03 17.82 19.03 17.49 S.Em 2.20 1.56 3.12 V2 18.19 18.93 19.90 20.96 19.49 Mean 17.13 17.98 18.86 19.99 18.49 Storability of Different Seed Size Grades of French bean Varieties

CD (0.05P) 1.28 0.86 2.46

CD (0.05P) 2.25 1.50 3.00

CD (0.05P) 0.90 0.66 NS

CD (0.05P) 6.22 4.40 NS

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Table 2 Seed quality parameters as influenced by seed size after accelerated ageing in French bean varieties Seed Size (S) Seedling dry weight (mg) V1 Bulk seed 4.50mm 4.75mm 5.00mm Mean 107.4 107.4 115.4 126.4 137.3 S. Em Seed Size (S) Varieties (V) SV 2.20 1.56 3.12 V2 127.2 127.2 130.5 139.8 154.5 Mean 117.3 117.3 123.0 133.1 145.9 V1 1071 1071 1261 1385 1598 S. Em 190 130 260 Vigour index V2 1297 1297 1479 1562 1772 Mean 1184 1184 1370 1483 1685 Electrical Conductivity (dsm-1) V1 1103 1103 969 916 812 S. Em 12.6 9.0 18.0 V2 1010 1010 961 912 798 Mean 1056 1056 965 915 805 V1 6.38 6.38 6.50 6.47 6.27 S. Em 1.24 0.86 2.46 pH V2 6.31 6.31 6.57 6.40 6.20 Mean 6.34 6.34 6.53 6.43 6.23

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CD (0.05P) 6.22 4.40 NS 66 46 92

CD (0.05P) 2.20 1.56 3.12 6.22 4.40 NS

CD (0.05P) 36.0 52 42.1 0.44 0.30 0.62

CD (0.05P) 12.6 9.0 18.0 36.0 52 42.1

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Higher dehydrogenase in large seeds (5.00mm) is evident by higher OD values and decreased as seed size decrease from bulk (19.2) to 5.00mm (30.1). Same trend was also observed in -amylase activity and evident by its higher halo zone width (3.3cm) in 5.00mm and lower in bulk seeds (2.8cm). Among varieties Arka komal had lower activity of dehydrogenase and - amylase than that of Burpee stringless. Higher enzyme activity in big seeds is due to

resist of seed to ageing process, in other words small seed proven to rapid deterioration process resulted in death of cells and stopping of some hydrolytic enzymes activity ( Kannababu and Karivartharaju 2001) In conclusion, large seeds (>5.00 mm) performed better in all respect of seed quality after accelerated ageing showing its higher vigour and storability. It is require selecting large seeds for carry over storage in French bean.

LITERATURE CITED
Abdul-Baki A A and Anderson, V D. 1973. Vigour determination in soybean seed by multiple criteria. Crop Science 13: 630-633. Anonymous. 1998. Recommended sieve sizes for grading of crops, constraints and prospects. Seed Technology News 28(4): 76-77. Bhor S B, Thete R Y, Patil R B and Bharud R W. 1988. Effect of seed size on growth, yield, and yield attributes and seed quality on gram. Seed Research 16(2): 143-147. Delouche J C. 1965. An accelerated ageing technique for predicting relative storability of Crimson Clover and Falfescne seed lots. Agronomy Abstracts pp40. Dhillon G S and Kler D S. 1976. Crop production in relation to seed size. Seed Research 4: 143-155. Douode S D. 1984. Effect of seed size on longevity of seeds in French bean (P. vulgaris). Singapore Journal Primary Industries 12(1): 62-69. Gontia A S and Awasthi 1999. Effect of seed grading by size on various seed vigour attributes morphological characters and seed yield in soybean (Glycine max (L.) Merrill) genotypes. Seed Research 27(1): 25-30. Kannababu N and Karivaratharaju T V. 2001. Glutamate dehydrogenase activity in seedling organs of sunflower. Seed Research 29(2): 167-170. Khare D and Satpute R G. 1999. Influence of days to maturity and seed size on germination and seedling vigour in pigeonpea. Seed Research 27(2): 170-173. Malarkodi K, Srimathi P and Parameshwari K. 1998. Influence of size grading on seed quality of yam bean seeds. Seed Technology News 28(4): 22. Panse V S and Sukhatme P V. 1967. Statistical Methods for Agricultural workers. Indian Council of Agricultural Research Publication, New Delhi.

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