FACTORS AFFECTING SUBSEQUENT GERMINATION OF CEREAL SEEDS SOWN IN SOILS OF SUBGERMINATION MOISTURE CONTENT

1960 ◽  
Vol 38 (3) ◽  
pp. 287-306 ◽  
Author(s):  
H. A. H. Wallace

Seeds of wheat sown in soils of subgermination moisture content sometimes decay and die. The critical moisture content at which maximum seed decay occurs is at a level approximately equal to one-half the difference between air-dry soil and soil moist enough for seed to germinate. The relationship apparently holds irrespective of soil type, even though the actual moisture percentage of different soil types at the critical level is quite distinct. “Dry” soil as used in these studies refers to air-dry soil with 8% moisture added. The subsequent germination of wheat was reduced after 3 days' incubation in “dry” soil at 30 °C, and 14–20 days at 5 °C. Germinability was reduced in strongly saline soil. Different samples of wheat varied greatly in germinability after incubation in “dry” soil. Sterilizing the “dry” soil did not change its effect on germination of various seed lots.Much of the variation in loss of germinability was correlated with thresher injuries to the seed coat. Wheat, rye, and hull-less varieties of oats and barley, especially with seeds of more than standard weight per bushel, are susceptible to thresher injury. Growth cracks, sprouting, and frost injury all affect germination adversely. Cereal seeds with hulls, or with high moisture content, or below standard weight, or of small size, and wheat without projecting embryos, are less susceptible to thresher injury, and to consequent reduction of germinability.The “field” fungi Alternaria sp. and Helminthosporium spp. grew out of cereal seeds plated on potato-sucrose agar or moistened filter paper and from germinated seeds grown in “moist” soil. After incubation in “dry” soil germinating seeds gave rise to Alternaria, but not to Helminthosporium spp. The non-germinating seeds from “dry” soil were infected by “storage” fungi, e.g. Penicillium, Aspergillus, Rhizopus, and Mucor. The “storage” fungi do not usually infect cereal seeds sown in “moist” soil, but in “dry” soil both sound and injured seed can be infected. The infection of sound seed is slow, permitting the seed to germinate, but injured seed is infected rapidly and does not germinate. The “storage” fungi invade seeds already infected by “field” fungi and inhibit the growth of the latter.All samples of treated and untreated wheat seed sown in “moist” soil gave good germination. After incubation in “dry” soil the germination of treated seed was fair to good, and of untreated seed was poor to good. Treatment with formalin before incubation in “dry” soil doubled the germination; treatment with Ceresan M, Half-ounce Leytosan, and a water soak trebled germination compared with the untreated check. However, the best treatment in “dry” soil gave 31% less germination than the untreated check sown in “moist” soil. Under “dry” soil conditions a sound seed coat appears to provide better protection against seed-decaying organisms than any seed treatment tested.

1975 ◽  
Vol 65 (3) ◽  
pp. 359-372 ◽  
Author(s):  
A. B. S. King

AbstractThe size and occurrence of the first brood of adults of Aeneolamia varia saccharina (Dist.) are examined in relation to the pattern of egg eclosion and rainfall. The proportion of eggs hatching within a month of oviposition in the laboratory (short-period eggs) decreased from over 90% in August to less than 20% in January, but the incubation periods of the remaining, long-period eggs were longest in those laid during October and November. The overall hatching distributions tended to be bimodal with most eggs hatching during the early months of the year under moist conditions at 26°C. Dry soil conditions delay eclosion, and eggs obtained from fields during the dry season and then incubated under moist conditions tended to hatch at the normally expected time of the first rains in May. The numbers of eggs expected to produce the first brood, computed from laboratory hatching data and estimates of the numbers and fecundities of froghoppers during the second, third and fourth broods, were less than the actual numbers sampled just before the first rains. There was a close relationship between the first rainfall of over one inch within 48 h and adult emergence 27 and 34 days later, and 85% of field egg populations in May had hatched and/or died by the week after the first rains. However some variation in the date of their occurrence accounted for non-synchrony of first broods over the region. The numbers of diapause eggs in fields sampled during the dry season failed to give a good predictive relationship with first brood adult populations, probably because of density dependent mortality of eggs or hatchling nymphs.


2013 ◽  
Vol 209 ◽  
pp. 10-13 ◽  
Author(s):  
A.D. Vyas ◽  
Mukesh Vyas ◽  
Vijay Kalla

Complex permittivity (ε', ε'') of soil sample of Western Rajasthan region is measured at 9.385 GHz for various moisture content at a temperature of 200c. The dielectric constant of dry soil is found in good agreement with literature values. The dielectric constant and dielectric loss of moist soil increases with increase in moisture content in soil. The dielectric data is used to calculate ac conductivity and emissivity.


2020 ◽  
pp. 341-350
Author(s):  
Di Wang ◽  
Changbin He ◽  
Haiqing Tian ◽  
Liu Fei ◽  
Zhang Tao ◽  
...  

Low productivity and high electricity consumption are considered problems of the hammer mill, which is widely used in current feed production. In this paper, the mechanical properties of corn grain ground by a hammer mill were analysed, and the key factors affecting the performance of the hammer mill were determined. The single-factor experiment and three-factor, three-level quadratic regression orthogonal experiment were carried out with the spindle speed, corn grain moisture content and number of hammers as experimental factors and the productivity and electricity consumption per ton as evaluation indexes. The results showed that the order of influence on the productivity was spindle speed > corn grain moisture content > number of hammers and that the order of influence on the electricity consumption per ton was corn grain moisture content > spindle speed > number of hammers. The parameters were optimized based on the response surface method with the following results: the spindle speed was 4306 r/min, the corn grain moisture content was 10%, and the number of hammers was 24. The validation experiment was carried out with the optimal parameters’ combination. The productivity and electricity consumption per ton were 988.12 kg/h and 5.37 kW·h/t, respectively, which were consistent with the predicted results of the model.


2007 ◽  
Vol 55 (6) ◽  
pp. 618 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kim N. Hamilton ◽  
Sarah E. Ashmore ◽  
Rod A. Drew ◽  
Hugh W. Pritchard

Combinational traits of seed size and seed-coat hardness in Citrus garrawayi (F.M.Bailey) (syn. of Microcitrus garrowayi) were investigated as markers for estimation of seed morphological and physiological maturity. Seed size (length) and coat hardness correlated well with changes in seed coat and embryo morphological development, dry-weight accumulation, decreases in moisture content and a significant increase in germinability. Seed moisture content decreased from 82 ± 1% in immature seeds to 40 ± 1% at seed maturation. The outer integument of immature seeds consisted of thin-walled epidermal fibres from which outgrowths of emerging protrusions were observed. In comparison, mature seed coats were characterised by the thickening of the cell walls of the epidermal fibres from which arose numerous protrusions covered by an extensive mucilage layer. Immature seeds, with incomplete embryo and seed-coat histodiffereniation, had a low mean germination percentage of 4 ± 4%. Premature seeds, with a differentiated embryonic axis, were capable of much higher levels of germination (51 ± 10%) before the attainment of mass maturity. Mature seeds, with the most well differentiated embryonic axis and maximum mean dry weight, had the significantly highest level of germination (88 ± 3%).


1951 ◽  
Vol 4 (3) ◽  
pp. 211
Author(s):  
GC Wade

The disease known as white root rot affects raspberries, and to a less extent loganberries, in Victoria. The causal organism is a white, sterile fungus that has not been identified. The disease is favoured by dry soil conditions and high soil temperatures. It spreads externally to the host by means of undifferentiated rhizomorphs; and requires a food base for the establishment of infection. The spread of rhizomorphs through the soil is hindered by high soil moisture content and consequent poor aeration of the soil.


1965 ◽  
Vol 97 (4) ◽  
pp. 401-409 ◽  
Author(s):  
Roy L. Edwards ◽  
Henry T. Epp

Abstract Three different soils – sand, loam and clay – at each of three moisture levels – saturated, intermediate, and dry – were offered to female Melanoplus sanguinipes as oviposition sites. When given a free choice the females preferred moist sand to all other oviposition sites and avoided soil that was completely dry. When no moist soil was available, coarse dry soil was preferred to fine dry soil, but the oviposition rate was reduced. The females would probe and dig at random into any of the soil offered but would withhold their eggs temporarily if the subsurface soil was not moist. Soil water pH appeared to have very little influence on the females' acceptance of an oviposition site as egg pods were deposited in soils with a range of pH from 3.0 to 11.6. It is suggested that although the absence of moisture in the soil may affect the distribution of egg-pods in the microhabitat and may reduce the rate of egg-pod production slightly, the temperature prevailing during the oviposition period is perhaps a more important factor in determining the number of egg-pods deposited.


1991 ◽  
Vol 31 (6) ◽  
pp. 843 ◽  
Author(s):  
IJ Porter ◽  
PR Merriman ◽  
PJ Keane

The effect of solarisation combined with low rates of soil fumigants on the severity of clubroot and yield of cauliflowers was determined at 2 locations in southern Victoria. The effectiveness of treatments was shown to be dependent on location; on the type, water content and temperature of soil; and on the population density of Plasmodiophora brassicae. Yields were reduced depending upon the disease severity, usually within 60 days after transplanting. Propagules of P. brassicae could survive for more than 28 days in ovens at 45�C when in dry soil but died within 14 days at 40�C in moist soil. At Werribee in 1985 on a red brown earth, solarisation combined with dazomet (100 kg dazomet/ha) gave significantly better control than either treatment alone. This treatment reduced P. brassicae in the 0-10 cm layer, reduced the disease rating from 2.7 to 0.9 (0-3), and increased yield from 2.4 to 47 t/ha compared with controls. In 1986, solarisation combined with 98% methyl bromide-2% chloropicrin (100 and 250 kg/ha) reduced the population density of P. brassicae in the 0-10 and 10-20 cm layers of soil, reduced the disease rating from 3 to 1.8, and increased yield from 0 to 22 t/ha. These treatments were more effective than solarisation and dazomet used alone or in combination. At Keysborough in 1985 on a grey sand, separate treatments of solarisation or dazomet (100 and 250 kg dazometha) were as effective as combined treatments and significantly reduced disease and increased yields compared to controls. Solarisation combined with either fumigant significantly reduced the distribution and total number of weeds at all sites and was generally more effective than separate treatments.


1997 ◽  
Vol 36 (6-7) ◽  
pp. 493-500 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. J. Lay ◽  
Y. Y. Li ◽  
T. Noike ◽  
J. Endo ◽  
S. Ishimoto

A simple model developed from the Gompertz equation was used to describe the cumulative methane production curve in the batch culture. By using this model, three key parameters, namely methane production rate, potential and lagphase time, in a cumulative methane production curve were exactly estimated based on the experimental data. The results indicate that each gram of dry organic waste of a sludge cake, meat, carrot, rice, potato and cabbage had a methane production potential of 450, 424, 269, 214, 203 and 96 mL, respectively. The methanogenic activity of these digesters decreased with a decrease in the moisture content. The moisture content threshold limit, at which the methanogenic activity dropped to zero, was found to be 56.6% for the sludge cake, but greater than 80% for meat, carrot and cabbage. In the high-solids sludge digestion, the relative methanogenic activity dropped from 100% to 53% when the moisture content decreased from 96% to 90%. The rate of methane production at moisture contents of 90% to 96% functioned in a pH range between 6.6 and 7.8, but optimally at pH 6.8, and the process may fail if the pH was lower than 6.1 or higher than 8.3. On the other hand, the methanogenic activity was dependent on the level of ammonium, NH4+, but not free ammonia, NH3, indicating that the NH4+ was the more significant factor rather than the NH3 in affecting the methanogenic activity of a well-acclimatized bacterial system. In the wide pH range of 6.5 to 8.5, the methanogenic activity decreased with the increase in the NH4+; dropped 10% at the NH4+-N concentration of 1670-3720 mg·L−1, 50% at 4090-5550 mg·L−1 and dropped to zero at 5880-6600 mg·L−1. However, the lagphase time was dependent on the NH3 level, but not on NH4+, and when NH3-N was higher than 500 mg·L−1, a notable shock was observed. This suggests that the NH3 level was the more sensitive factor than the NH4+ level for an unacclimatized bacterial system.


Author(s):  
Y. A. Unguwanrimi ◽  
A. M. Sada ◽  
G. N. Ugama ◽  
H. S. Garuba ◽  
A. Ugoani

Draft requirements of two animal – drawn (IAR) weeders operating on loam soil were determined in the study. The implements include a straddle row weeder and an emcot attached rotary weeder evaluated under the same soil conditions, using a pair of white Fulani breed of oxen. The animal draft requirement was first estimated from the animal ergonomics measurements. Using area of 0.054 hectare as experimental plot for each implement the draft requirement of each implement was investigated after taking soil samples for soil moisture content and bulk density determinations. The implements tested showed variation in their average draft requirement. The straddle row weeder had the highest value of 338.15 N respectively while the emcot attached rotary weeder had the lowest value of 188.12 N with 47.03%, respectively. The average soil moisture contents and bulk density were 13.0% and 1.46%/cm3, respectively.


2013 ◽  
Vol 353-356 ◽  
pp. 911-917 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mohd Hazreek Zainal Abidin ◽  
Fauziah Ahmad ◽  
Devapriya Chitral Wijeyesekera ◽  
Rosli Saad ◽  
Mohamad Faizal Tajul Baharuddin

In the past, most of the soil electrical resistivity charts were developed based on stand-alone geomaterial classification with minimal contribution to its relationship to some of geotechnical parameters. Furthermore, the values cited a very wide range of resistivity with sometimes overlapping values and having little significance to specific soil condition. As a result, it created some ambiguities during the interpretation of observations which were traditionally based on qualitative anomaly judgments of experts and experienced people. Hence, this study presents soil resistivity values based on laboratory experiment with a view to predict the soil moisture content and density in loose and dense soils. This study used a soil box and a resistivity meter to test a clayey silt soil, increasing its water usage from 1-3% based on 1500 gram of dry soil. All the moisture contents and density data were observed concurrently with 25 electrical soil resistance observations being made on the soil. All testing and formula used were in accordance with that specified in BS1377 (1990). It was apparent that the soil resistivity value was different under loose (L) and compact (C) condition with moisture content (w) and density (ρbulk) correlations being established as follows; ρbulk(C) = 2.5991ρ-0.037, ρbulk (L) = -0.111 ln (ρ) + 1.7605, w(L) = 109.98ρ-0.268, and w(C) = 121.88ρ-0.363 with determination coefficients, R2 that ranged between 0.69 0.89. This research therefore contributes a means of predicting these geotechnical parameters by related persons such as geophysicist, engineers and geologist who use these resistivity techniques in ground exploration.


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