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, unsightly fruit eventually develop and remain on the stalks until the end of the season. This unsightliness greatly decreases the ornamental value. Thus, breeding for sterility is attempted to avoid formation and growth of seed stalks, and to improve

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., 2017 ; Lordan et al., 2019 ; Reig et al., 2019 ). Over the past several decades orchards have been turned over and replanted with new, higher density planting systems. A persistent challenge in managing tree health and vigor at the onset of orchard

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Abstract

Lettuce, Lactuca sativa L., plants were grown in soil irrigated at various intervals with nutrient solution and in hydroponics culture. Increased nutrient level added to the soil increased seed yield but did not give a corresponding increase in seedling performance.

Hydroponically propagated seed, although heavier than soil propagated seed, were relatively poor in vigor and germinability. A positive linear correlation was found between N levels (5-15 meq) and seed yield, weight per seed, and seedling vigor. Amounts of amino acids and lipids were not positively correlated with nutrient supply, N level, or seedling vigor. Lettuce seed weight was a useful parameter in predicting seedling vigor only within a seed lot obtained from plants grown under the same environmental and nutritional conditions.

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Hand-harvested and threshed grain amaranth seeds stored for 6.5 years and combine-harvested and threshed seeds (cylinder speed 26.4 m·s-1) stored for 9.5 years were subjected to several osmotic priming treatment. The selected priming treatment (–1.25 MPa polyethylene glycol at 15C for 10 days) increased percent radicle emergence of hand-harvested seeds and mechanically damaged, combine-harvested seeds and resulted in germination rates that were at least as high as those achieved with other priming treatments. In an incubator test, priming increased percent radicle emergence of hand-harvested seeds only at 15C; however, it increased percent radicle emergence of combine-harvested seeds at 15 and 35C. Priming also increased radicle emergence rate, but this response was more pronounced and exerted over a wider temperature range for the older, lower-vigor, combine-harvested seeds than for the younger, higher-vigor, hand-harvested seeds. In a greenhouse test, hand-harvested seeds had a higher percentage of normal seedlings and a lower percentage of abnormal seedlings than combine-harvested seeds. Priming had no effect on these variables. As a result of priming, normal seedling emergence rate and shoot fresh weight were higher from combine-harvested seeds than from hand-harvested seeds, such that values of these variables for primed, combine-harvested seeds were at least equal to those for nonprimed, hand-harvested seeds. Thus, the invigorating effect of priming was more pronounced for the lower-vigor, mechanically damaged, combine-harvested seeds than for the higher-vigor, hand-harvested seeds.

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Several studies with annual crops have shown that large seeds improve percent germination, seedling growth, and uniformity, yield, seedling vigor, and stress tolerance. Little information is available on the influence of seed size on the resulting seedlings of woody plant species. Cercis canadensis L. seeds were divided into large and small seed size fractions and the seeds scarified, stratified, and planted. A larger percentage of large seeds germinated than did small seeds. Seedlings from large seeds had a greater peak and germination value than small seeds, indicating greater vigor and a more rapid germination rate thus more uniform seedlings. Seedlings from large seeds, as indicated by fresh and dry weights, were larger and contained a greater leaf area than those produced by small seed.

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at higher elevations ( Huang, 2016 ). The absence of a plant size response to propagation method suggests that there is no inherent difference in vigor between clonally and seed-propagated kiwifruit plants, at least within this study ( Fig. 5 ). The

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Priming tomato (Lycopersicon esculentum Mill) seeds in aerated -0.5 MPa polyethylene glycol (PEG) enhanced the emergence rate and the extent and percentage of embryo radicles protruding partially or completely through the seed endosperm. The radicles' growth, however, was arrested at the seedcoat. The time course of radicle protrusion through the endosperm of seeds in PEG for the first 24 hours paralleled that of seeds germinating in aerated water; however, radicle protrusion continued through the seedcoats of seeds germinating in water. The radicle of the high-vigor PI-341988 tomato line protruded more rapidly through the endosperm than that of the low-vigor ST-24 line.

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Poor emergence and low seedling vigor are characteristics of many supersweet sweet corn (Zea mays L.) cultivars carrying the shrunken-2 (sh2) gene. Four sh2 sweet corn cultivar seeds [`How Sweet It Is' (HSII), `Crisp N' Sweet 711' (CNS-711), `Sweet Belle' (SB), and `Dazzle' (DZ)] were solid-matrix-primed (SMP), SMP with sodium hypochlorite (SMPcl), treated with a fungicide combination (F) (Imazalil + Captan + Apron + Thiram), or primed with the aforementioned fungicides (SMPf). The seed treatments were tested in the laboratory and the field. Seed imbibition and leachate electrical conductivity were lower in SMP seeds than in nonprimed seeds. In the field, emergence percentage and rate of CNS-711 and SB (high-vigor seeds) were not improved by the seed treatments compared to the nontreated seeds. Emergence percentage and rate of HSII and DZ (considered low-vigor seeds) were improved as a result of SMPcl, SMPf, or F treatments compared to nonprimed seeds. Compared to the F treatment, the SMPcl presowing treatment increased DZ seedling emergence rate and percentage. The combined SMP and seed disinfection via NaOCl seems to be a promising fungicide seed-treatment substitute that improves the stand establishment and seedling vigor of sh2 sweet corn cultivars. Chemical names used: 1-[2-(2,4-dichlorophenyl)-2-(2-propenyloxy)ethyl]-1 H imidazole (Imazalil); N-[(trichloromethyl)thio]-4-cyclohexene-1,2-dicarboximide(Captan); N- (2,6-dimethylphenyl)- N -(methoxyacetyl)alanine methyl ester (Apron); tetramethylthiuram disulfide (Thiram).

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In a test to overcome poor seed germination and seedling vigor of sweet corn (Zea mays L.) seeds carrying the shrunken-2 (sh2) mutant endosperm, primed seeds of two sh2 sweet corn cultivars—Crisp N'Sweet 711 (CNS-711) and How Sweet It Is (HSII)—were redried at 15, 20, 30, or 40C and 25% relative humidity after solid matrix priming (SMP). The dehydration rate was significantly lower in `CNS-711' than `HSII' at all temperatures. In both cultivars, the drying temperature after SMP was critical for seed performance. Primed seeds with a higher dehydration rate (dried at 30 or 40C) had better seed vigor, greater field emergence and seedling vigor, lower leachate conductivity and imbibition rate, and a higher respiration rate and glutamic acid decarboxylase activity than primed seeds redried at the lower temperatures or control seeds. Increased incidence of pathogen growth was observed on seeds dried at 15 and 20C relative to those dried at 30 or 40C, probably as a consequence of greater leakage from the seeds at a lower redrying temperatures. Lack of tolerance to dehydration at 15 and 20C was another factor adversely affecting the seeds redried at low temperature. A more rapid dehydration rate at a higher temperature after priming sh2 sweet corn improved many of the physiological characteristics used to measure seed quality and the subsequent emergence and vigor of the seedlings under field conditions.

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Germination was evaluated in six seed lots of purple coneflower purchased from four different seed companies. Standard germination percent ranged from 28% to 90% depending on the seed lot. For seed collected in 1989, seed size and stage of development of the seed at harvest could not account for the wide variability in seed germination observed in the purchased seed lots. preconditioning the seed with either cold stratification (10°C for 10 days) or osmotic priming (PEG or salt solution at -5 bars for 5 days) increased the rate of germination and the overall percent germination for all seed lots and dramatically improved germination in the poor germinating seed lots. Preconditioning appears to overcome either a shallow physiological dormancy or compensates for seeds with poor vigor or quality. In either case, seed preconditioning drastically improved seed germination (rate and percent) in greenhouse and field tests for purple coneflower.

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