The Design and Development of Test Platform for Wheat Precision Seeding Based on Image Processing Techniques

OpenAIRE

Li , Qing; Lin , Haibo; Xiu , Yu-Feng; Wang , Ruixue; Yi , Chuijie

2009-01-01

International audience; The test platform of wheat precision seeding based on image processing techniques is designed to develop the wheat precision seed metering device with high efficiency and precision. Using image processing techniques, this platform gathers images of seeds (wheat) on the conveyer belt which are falling from seed metering device. Then these data are processed and analyzed to calculate the qualified rate, reseeding rate and leakage sowing rate, etc. This paper introduces t...

Enhanced Single Seed Trait Predictions in Soybean (Glycine max) and Robust Calibration Model Transfer with Near-Infrared Reflectance Spectroscopy.

Science.gov (United States)

Hacisalihoglu, Gokhan; Gustin, Jeffery L; Louisma, Jean; Armstrong, Paul; Peter, Gary F; Walker, Alejandro R; Settles, A Mark

2016-02-10

Single seed near-infrared reflectance (NIR) spectroscopy predicts soybean (Glycine max) seed quality traits of moisture, oil, and protein. We tested the accuracy of transferring calibrations between different single seed NIR analyzers of the same design by collecting NIR spectra and analytical trait data for globally diverse soybean germplasm. X-ray microcomputed tomography (μCT) was used to collect seed density and shape traits to enhance the number of soybean traits that can be predicted from single seed NIR. Partial least-squares (PLS) regression gave accurate predictive models for oil, weight, volume, protein, and maximal cross-sectional area of the seed. PLS models for width, length, and density were not predictive. Although principal component analysis (PCA) of the NIR spectra showed that black seed coat color had significant signal, excluding black seeds from the calibrations did not impact model accuracies. Calibrations for oil and protein developed in this study as well as earlier calibrations for a separate NIR analyzer of the same design were used to test the ability to transfer PLS regressions between platforms. PLS models built from data collected on one NIR analyzer had minimal differences in accuracy when applied to spectra collected from a sister device. Model transfer was more robust when spectra were trimmed from 910 to 1679 nm to 955-1635 nm due to divergence of edge wavelengths between the two devices. The ability to transfer calibrations between similar single seed NIR spectrometers facilitates broader adoption of this high-throughput, nondestructive, seed phenotyping technology.

Evaluation of seed vigor tests for determinig alfalfa seed quality

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

hamidreza tavakoli kakhki

2009-06-01

Full Text Available In order to determine the best seed vigor test in laboratory which may provide high correlation between alfalfa seedling stablishment in the field, two experiment were conducted in field as well as in laboratory. Four alfalfa cultivars Bami, Ghareyonjeh, Hamadani and Yazdi were used. Different seed vigor tests including standard germination, germination in low tempretaure (5c , germination rate, osmotic stress, accelerated ageing and electrical conductivity tests were laid out in a randomized completely design (RCD with four replications in laboratory experiment‌. The second experiment was carried out in a randomized completely block design (RCBD and each treatment replicated four times‌. Results revealed significant differences (p≤ 0.01 among different cultivars for establishment percentage and rate. Results also showed that there were significant correlations between electrical conductivity test and establishment percentage (r= -0.65 , p ≤ 0.01 as well as establishment rate (r= -0.80 , p ≤ 0.01. Correlation coefficients for rate and emergence percentage were significant and positive (r= 0.91, p ≤ 0.01 . Stepwise method disclosed that the regression model (y=165.23 – 0.15 x r2=0.64 , (p ≤ 0.01 for predicting rate of emergence could be recommended. In this model x (dependent variable is value of electrical conductivity and y (independent variable is rate of emergence.

Participatory innovation through user-designed knowledge sharing and Web2.0 in the Danish seed industry

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Tveden-Nyborg, Svend; Boelt, Birte; Misfeldt, Morten

their previous experience. A second workshop will focus on hands-on user experience based on a prototype predesigned from the preliminary research findings. The final workshop will build up a common knowledge discourse among its participants, and work towards an overall requirement specification for a preferred...... seed scientists from Aarhus University will work together with seed growers and seed company consultants in designing a collaborative knowledge platform to optimise the diffusion of innovation between them. The aim of the Ph.D. project is to look at the processes within the three communities...... of practice in their participatory efforts to design and select technologies that will improve their knowledge dissemination through a shared understanding of learning and innovation within the Danish seed industry. The research questions are: •What boundary objects emerge between and within the collaborating...

Design of a boiling water reactor core based on an integrated blanket-seed thorium-uranium concept

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nunez-Carrera, Alejandro; Francois, Juan Luis; Martin-del-Campo, Cecilia; Espinosa-Paredes, Gilberto

2005-01-01

This paper is concerned with the design of a boiling water reactor (BWR) equilibrium core using thorium as a nuclear material in an integrated blanket-seed (BS) assembly. The integrated BS concept comes from the fact that the blanket and the seed rods are located in the same assembly, and are burned out in a once-through cycle. The idea behind the lattice design is to use the thorium conversion capability in a BWR spectrum, taking advantage of the 233 U build-up. A core design was developed to achieve an equilibrium cycle of 365 effective full power days in a standard BWR with a reload of 104 fuel assemblies designed with an average 235 U enrichment of 7.5 w/o in the seed sub-lattice. The main operating parameters, like power, linear heat generation rate and void distributions were obtained as well as the shutdown margin. It was observed that the analyzed parameters behave like those obtained in a standard BWR. The shutdown margin design criterion was fulfilled by addition of a burnable poison region in the fuel assembly

Simulation Experiments in Practice : Statistical Design and Regression Analysis

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Kleijnen, J.P.C.

2007-01-01

In practice, simulation analysts often change only one factor at a time, and use graphical analysis of the resulting Input/Output (I/O) data. Statistical theory proves that more information is obtained when applying Design Of Experiments (DOE) and linear regression analysis. Unfortunately, classic

A regression-based Kansei engineering system based on form feature lines for product form design

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Yan Xiong

2016-06-01

Full Text Available When developing new products, it is important for a designer to understand users’ perceptions and develop product form with the corresponding perceptions. In order to establish the mapping between users’ perceptions and product design features effectively, in this study, we presented a regression-based Kansei engineering system based on form feature lines for product form design. First according to the characteristics of design concept representation, product form features–product form feature lines were defined. Second, Kansei words were chosen to describe image perceptions toward product samples. Then, multiple linear regression and support vector regression were used to construct the models, respectively, that predicted users’ image perceptions. Using mobile phones as experimental samples, Kansei prediction models were established based on the front view form feature lines of the samples. From the experimental results, these two predict models were of good adaptability. But in contrast to multiple linear regression, the predict performance of support vector regression model was better, and support vector regression is more suitable for form regression prediction. The results of the case showed that the proposed method provided an effective means for designers to manipulate product features as a whole, and it can optimize Kansei model and improve practical values.

Strengthening the Regression Discontinuity Design Using Additional Design Elements: A Within-Study Comparison

Science.gov (United States)

Wing, Coady; Cook, Thomas D.

2013-01-01

The sharp regression discontinuity design (RDD) has three key weaknesses compared to the randomized clinical trial (RCT). It has lower statistical power, it is more dependent on statistical modeling assumptions, and its treatment effect estimates are limited to the narrow subpopulation of cases immediately around the cutoff, which is rarely of…

A brief introduction to regression designs and mixed-effects modelling by a recent convert

OpenAIRE

Balling, Laura Winther

2008-01-01

This article discusses the advantages of multiple regression designs over the factorial designs traditionally used in many psycholinguistic experiments. It is shown that regression designs are typically more informative, statistically more powerful and better suited to the analysis of naturalistic tasks. The advantages of including both fixed and random effects are demonstrated with reference to linear mixed-effects models, and problems of collinearity, variable distribution and variable sele...

A binary logistic regression model with complex sampling design of ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

2017-09-03

Sep 3, 2017 ... Bi-variable and multi-variable binary logistic regression model with complex sampling design was fitted. .... Data was entered into STATA-12 and analyzed using. SPSS-21. .... lack of access/too far or costs too much. 35. 1.2.

Relationship Between Seed Yield And Some of Fruit Traits in Iranian Squash (Cucurbita pepo L. Accissions

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

R. Barzegar

2016-02-01

Full Text Available In order to evaluation of squash (Cucurbita pepo seed yield per fruit and its relations with other characteristics of fruit include: length, diameter, length: diameter ratio (fruit shape, flesh thickness, thousand seed weight and fruit weight, an experiment was conducted using 24 accessions of squash as a randomized complete-block design with three replications. Morphological traits were evaluated according to UPOV descriptor and UPGMA clustering algorithm clustered the accessions in 4 groups (predominantly on the basis of fruit shape. Correlation, regression and path analysis were done for mentioned characteristics in 4 type-fruit groups. There was negative correlation between seed yield of individual fruit and its length and fruit length: diameter ratio. But fruit weight, fruit diameter, and thousand seeds weight had positive correlation with seed yield. Seed weight: fruit weight ratio had negative relationship with fruit weight. Therefore small size fruit is more suitable for seed yield per area. Path analysis was showed fruit weight had the most positive direct effect on seed yield per fruit in all groups.

Seed-borne pathogens and electrical conductivity of soybean seeds

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Adriana Luiza Wain-Tassi

2012-02-01

Full Text Available Adequate procedures to evaluate seed vigor are important. Regarding the electrical conductivity test (EC, the interference in the test results caused by seed-borne pathogens has not been clarified. This research was carried out to study the influence of Phomopsis sojae (Leh. and Colletotrichum dematium (Pers. ex Fr. Grove var. truncata (Schw. Arx. fungi on EC results. Soybean seeds (Glycine max L. were inoculated with those fungi using potato, agar and dextrose (PDA medium with manitol (-1.0 MPa and incubated for 20 h at 25 °C. The colony diameter, index of mycelial growth, seed water content, occurrence of seed-borne pathogens, physiological potential of the seeds, measured by germination and vigor tests (seed germination index, cold test, accelerated aging and electrical conductivity, and seedling field emergence were determined. The contents of K+, Ca2+, and Mg2+ in the seed and in the soaking solution were also determined. A complete 2 × 4 factorial design with two seed sizes (5.5 and 6.5 mm and four treatments (control, seeds incubated without fungi, seeds incubated with Phomopsis and seeds incubated with Colletotrichum were used with eight (5.5 mm large seeds and six (6.5 mm large seeds replications. All seeds submitted to PDA medium had their germination reduced in comparison to the control seeds. This reduction was also observed when seed vigor and leached ions were considered. The presence of Phomopsis sojae fungus in soybean seed samples submitted to the EC test may be the cause of misleading results.

Efficient logistic regression designs under an imperfect population identifier.

Science.gov (United States)

Albert, Paul S; Liu, Aiyi; Nansel, Tonja

2014-03-01

Motivated by actual study designs, this article considers efficient logistic regression designs where the population is identified with a binary test that is subject to diagnostic error. We consider the case where the imperfect test is obtained on all participants, while the gold standard test is measured on a small chosen subsample. Under maximum-likelihood estimation, we evaluate the optimal design in terms of sample selection as well as verification. We show that there may be substantial efficiency gains by choosing a small percentage of individuals who test negative on the imperfect test for inclusion in the sample (e.g., verifying 90% test-positive cases). We also show that a two-stage design may be a good practical alternative to a fixed design in some situations. Under optimal and nearly optimal designs, we compare maximum-likelihood and semi-parametric efficient estimators under correct and misspecified models with simulations. The methodology is illustrated with an analysis from a diabetes behavioral intervention trial. © 2013, The International Biometric Society.

A brief introduction to regression designs and mixed-effects modelling by a recent convert

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Balling, Laura Winther

2008-01-01

This article discusses the advantages of multiple regression designs over the factorial designs traditionally used in many psycholinguistic experiments. It is shown that regression designs are typically more informative, statistically more powerful and better suited to the analysis of naturalistic...... tasks. The advantages of including both fixed and random effects are demonstrated with reference to linear mixed-effects models, and problems of collinearity, variable distribution and variable selection are discussed. The advantages of these techniques are exemplified in an analysis of a word...

Drying on the germination and vigor of Crataeva tapia L. seeds

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Edna Ursulino Alves

Full Text Available ABSTRACT: Crataeva tapia L. is a fruit native to the Brazilian savanna, the Caatinga, and is used in the production of soft drinks and other beverages. Given the importance of this species and the lack of knowledge about its seeds, this research aimed to evaluate the physiological quality of C. tapia L. seeds subjected to different environments and drying periods. Seeds were dried for the following time periods: 0 (no drying, 24, 48, 72, 96, and 120 hours, in the laboratory environment (25°C and 90% RH and in a greenhouse (30°C and 80% RH. After the drying period, seeds from each of the treatments were used for determining the water content, germination, and vigor (using tests for emergence, first count of germination and emergence, rate of germination and emergence, length, and seedling dry weight. The experimental design was completely randomized and a factorial 2×6 scheme (local environment × drying periods was used with four replicate sets of seeds. The data were subjected to analysis of variance and polynomial regression using quadratic models. The germination and seed vigor reduced as the drying periods increased. For optimum results, the seeds of C. tapia L. must be dried in the laboratory for a period of 48 hours. In addition, their desiccation resistance was classified as intermediate.

Chickpea seeds germination rational parameters optimization

Science.gov (United States)

Safonova, Yu A.; Ivliev, M. N.; Lemeshkin, A. V.

2018-05-01

The paper presents the influence of chickpea seeds bioactivation parameters on their enzymatic activity experimental results. Optimal bioactivation process modes were obtained by regression-factor analysis: process temperature - 13.6 °C, process duration - 71.5 h. It was found that in the germination process, the proteolytic, amylolytic and lipolytic enzymes activity increased, and the urease enzyme activity is reduced. The dependences of enzyme activity on chickpea seeds germination conditions were obtained by mathematical processing of experimental data. The calculated data are in good agreement with the experimental ones. This confirms the optimization efficiency based on experiments mathematical planning in order to determine the enzymatic activity of chickpea seeds germination optimal parameters of bioactivated seeds.

OPTIMIZATION OF SESAME SEEDS OIL EXTRACTION OPERATING CONDITIONS USING THE RESPONSE SURFACE DESIGN METHODOLOGY

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

HAITHAM OSMAN

2016-12-01

Full Text Available This paper applies Response Surface Design (RSD to model the experimental data obtained from the extraction of sesame seeds oil using n-hexane, chloroform and acetone as solvents under different operating conditions. The results obtained revealed that n-hexane outperformed the extraction obtained using chloroform and acetone. The developed model predicted that n-hexane with a rotational speed of 547 rpm and a contact time between the solvent and seeds of 19.46 hours with solvent: seeds ratio of 4.93, yields the optimum oil extracted of 37.03 %, outperforming chloroform and acetone models that gave prediction for 4.75 and 4.21 respectively. While the maximum predictions yield for chloroform is 6.73 %, under the operating conditions of 602 rpm, and 24 hours contact time, with a ratio of solvent: seeds of 1.74. On the other hand the acetone maximum prediction is only 4.37 %, with operational conditions of 467 rpm, and 6.00 hours contact time, with a ratio of solvent: seeds of 1. It is has been found that the maximum oil extraction yield obtained from the chloroform (6.73 % and Acetone (4.37 % is much lower than that predicted by n-hexane 37.03 %.

Heat recovery and seed recovery development project: preliminary design report (PDR)

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Arkett, A. H.; Alexander, K. C.; Bolek, A. D.; Blackman, B. K.; Kurrle, P. E.; Tram, S. V.; Warren, A. M.; Ziobrowski, A. J.

1981-06-01

The preliminary design and performance characteristics are described of the 20 MWt heat recovery and seed recovery (HRSR) system to be fabricated, installed, and evaluated to provide a technological basis for the design of commercial size HRSR systems for coal-fired open-cycle MHD power plants. The system description and heat and material balances, equipment description and functional requirements, controls, interfacing systems, and operation and maintenance are detailed. Appendices include: (1) recommended environmental requirements for compliance with federal and state of Tennessee regulations, (2) channel and diffuser simulator, (3) equipment arrangement drawings, and (4) channel and diffuser simulator barrel drawings. (WHK)

Agricultural robot designed for seeding mechanism

Science.gov (United States)

Sunitha, K. A., Dr.; Suraj, G. S. G. S.; Sowrya, CH P. N.; Atchyut Sriram, G.; Shreyas, D.; Srinivas, T.

2017-05-01

In the field of agriculture, plantation begins with ploughing the land and sowing seeds. The old traditional method plough attached to an OX and tractors needs human involvement to carry the process. The driving force behind this work is to reduce the human interference in the field of agriculture and to make it cost effective. In this work, apart of the land is taken into consideration and the robot introduced localizes the path and can navigate itself without human action. For ploughing, this robot is provided with tentacles attached with saw blades. The sowing mechanism initiates with long toothed gears actuated with motors. The complete body is divided into two parts the tail part acts as a container for seeds. The successor holds on all the electronics used for automating and actuation. The locomotion is provided with wheels covered under conveyor belts. Gears at the back of the robot rotate in equal speed with respect to each other with the saw blades. For each rotation every tooth on gear will take seeds and will drop them on field. Camera at the front end tracks the path for every fixed distance and at the minimum distance it takes the path pre-programmed.

Distribuição longitudinal de sementes de milho com dosador de disco horizontal operando com uma ou duas saídas de sementes Longitudinal distribution of maize seeds in the disk plate seed meter operating one or two seed ejection points

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Sandro Silva Teixeira

2009-11-01

Full Text Available O objetivo deste trabalho foi comparar os efeitos da utilização de dosador de sementes do tipo disco horizontal com orifícios circulares, operando com uma ou duas saídas de sementes sobre a precisão de distribuição longitudinal de sementes de milho. Para tanto, avaliou-se o dosador, em laboratório, com uma e duas saídas de sementes, em relação a 10 velocidades periféricas (0,03 a 0,30m s-1. O delineamento foi o inteiramente casualizado, com quatro repetições, totalizando 80 ensaios. O fator quantitativo referente à velocidade periférica do disco dosador foi estimado por meio de regressão polinomial de 2ª ordem. O comportamento do disco dosador operando com uma ou duas saídas foi semelhante, e a porcentagem de espaçamentos aceitáveis apresentou diferença significativa somente nas velocidades periféricas de 0,06 e 0,09m s-1.This study had the objective of comparing the effect of using the disk plate seed meter with circular holes operating with one or two seed ejection points in relation to the longitudinal precision of the maize seeds distribution. For the evaluation of this effect, the meter was tested in laboratory with one and two seed exits in ten peripheral disk plate speeds (0.03 to 0.30m s-1. It was employed a complete randomized design with four replications, summing up 80 experimental plots. The peripheral speed quantitative factor was estimated through a 2nd order polynomial regression. The behavior of the seed meter operating with one or two ejection points was similar, with significant difference only in peripherical speeds of 0.06 and 0.09m s-1.

Temperature and substrate on Plukenetia volubilis L. seed germination

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Givanildo Z. da Silva

Full Text Available ABSTRACT The objective of this work was to evaluate the effect of temperature and substrate on the germination of P. volubilis seeds. Seeds harvested from 25 matrix plants were submitted, in two studies, to conditions of (i sowing in rolled paper towel at the temperatures of 10, 15, 20, 25, 30, 35, 40, and 45 °C, for the evaluation of germination, first count of germination, germination speed index and mean time for germination, and (ii sowing in the substrates paper towel, sand, Bioplant®, Bioplant® and micron, superfine, fine, medium and coarse vermiculite. The same evaluations mentioned in the first study were conducted at the temperature of 30 oC, as well as plant growth. The treatment replicates were distributed in a completely randomized block design and the effects of temperature were compared by polynomial regression analysis. The substrates were compared by the Scott-Knott test at 0.05 probability level. The data show that the ideal range of temperature for the germination of P. volubilis is between 25 and 30 °C. The temperature of 20 °C is the minimum for germination and those above 35 °C are lethal to these seeds. The most favorable substrate for P. volubilis seed germination is micron or fine vermiculite.

Genetics and Forest Seed Handling

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Schmidt, Lars Holger

2016-01-01

High genetic quality seed is obtained from seed sources that match the planting site, have a good outcrossing rate, and are superior in some desirable characters. Non-degraded natural forests and plantations may be used as untested seed sources, which can sometimes be managed to promote outbreeding...... and increase seed production. Planted seed orchards aim at capturing large genetic variation and are planted in a design that facilitates genetic evaluation and promotes outbred seed production. Good seed production relies upon success of the whole range of reproductive events from flower differentiation...

Proceedings of Synthetic Biology: Engineering, Evolution and Design (SEED) Conference 2015

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Silver, Pamela [Harvard Univ., Cambridge, MA (United States); SEED 2015 Conference Chair; Flach, Evan [American Institute of Chemical Engineers; SEED 2015 Conference Organizer

2016-10-27

Synthetic Biology is an emerging discipline that seeks to accelerate the process of engineering biology. As such, the tools are broadly applicable to application areas, including chemicals and biofuels, materials, medicine and agriculture. A characteristic of the field is to look holistically at cellular design, from sensing and genetic circuitry to the manipulation of cellular processes and actuators, to controlling metabolism, to programming multicellular behaviors. Further, the types of cells that are manipulated are broad, from in vitro systems to microbes and fungi to mammalian and plant cells and living animals. Many of the projects in synthetic biology seek to move biochemical functions across organisms. The field is highly interdisciplinary with faculty and students spread across departments that focus on engineering (biological, chemical, electrical, mechanical, civil, computer science) and basic science (biology and systems biology, chemistry, physics). While there have been many one-off workshops and meeting on synthetic biology, the 2014 Synthetic Biology: Engineering, Evolution and Design (SEED) was the first of an annual conference series that serves as a reliable place to pull together the involved disciplines in order to organize and exchange advances in the science and technology in the field. Further, the SEED conferences have a strong focus on industry, with many companies represented and actively participating. A number of these companies have started major efforts in synthetic biology including large companies (e.g., Pfizer, Novartis, Dow, Dupont, BP, Total), smaller companies have recently gone public (e.g., Amyris, Gevo, Intrexon), and many start-ups (e.g., Teslagen, Refactored Materials, Pivot, Genomatica). There are a number of loosely affiliated Synthetic Biology Centers, including ones at MIT, Boston University, UCSD, UCSF, UC-Berkeley, Imperial College, Oxford, and ETH. SEED 2015 will serve as the primary meeting at which international

Evaluating an Organizational-Level Occupational Health Intervention in a Combined Regression Discontinuity and Randomized Control Design.

Science.gov (United States)

Sørensen, By Ole H

2016-10-01

Organizational-level occupational health interventions have great potential to improve employees' health and well-being. However, they often compare unfavourably to individual-level interventions. This calls for improving methods for designing, implementing and evaluating organizational interventions. This paper presents and discusses the regression discontinuity design because, like the randomized control trial, it is a strong summative experimental design, but it typically fits organizational-level interventions better. The paper explores advantages and disadvantages of a regression discontinuity design with an embedded randomized control trial. It provides an example from an intervention study focusing on reducing sickness absence in 196 preschools. The paper demonstrates that such a design fits the organizational context, because it allows management to focus on organizations or workgroups with the most salient problems. In addition, organizations may accept an embedded randomized design because the organizations or groups with most salient needs receive obligatory treatment as part of the regression discontinuity design. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Determination of Some Mechanical Properties of Almond Seed Related to Design of Food Processing Machines

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M. O. Sunmonu

2015-06-01

Full Text Available In this study, some selected mechanical properties of red and white varieties of Almond seeds grown in Nigeria were determined using Testometric M500 – 100AT machine. The fracture force, compressive strength, deformation at yield for red varieties were 2679.40 ± 580.29 N, 408.70 ± 41.90 N/mm2 and 7.03 ± 0.65 mm respectively. The values obtained for the white varieties were 2843.90 ± 330.22 N, 396.20 ± 49.40 N/mm2, and 7.27 ± 0.46 mm. The determined engineering properties are vital for the design of postharvest handling and processing systems for Almond seeds as statistical test showed that there are significant differences (at 5% level between the engineering properties of the two seeds studied.

Plasticity of seed weight compensates reductions in seed number of oilseed rape in response to shading at flowering

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Labra Fernandez, Marcelo; Struik, Paul C.; Evers, Jochem B.; Calderini, Daniel F.

2017-01-01

Understanding the response of the number of seeds and seed weight to the availability of assimilates is crucial for designing breeding strategies aimed to increase seed and oil yield in oilseed rape. This study aims to answer the questions: i) do seed number and seed weight in oilseed rape differ

Size, physiological quality, and green seed occurrence influenced by seeding rate in soybeans

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

André Sampaio Ferreira

2017-05-01

Full Text Available The seeding rate influences the intraspecific competition, which might affect the development and quality of seeds in soybean. However, the impact of seeding rate on the physical and physiological qualities of soybean seeds needs to be better elucidated. This study aimed to evaluate the effects of soybean plant density on the seed size as well as the effects of the interaction between the plant density and seed size on the seed mass, green seed occurence, and physiological seed quality. The experiments were carried out in the growing seasons of the years 2013/14 and 2014/15 in a Latossolo Vermelho distroférrico, under a randomized complete block design, using the NK 7059 RR cultivar with six replications. Four plant densities (150, 300, 440, and 560 thousand viable seeds ha–1 were evaluated. After the classification of seeds into four sizes, using a set of sieves, a 4 ×4 factorial scheme was used for the statistical analysis of the four plant densities and four seed sizes. The seed samples were evaluated for the seed mass, green seed percentage, germination, and vigor. Under thermal and water stress during seed development, an increase in the seeding rate led to a reduction in the green seed occurrence and an increase in the seed size and mass. However, in the absence of thermal and water stress, the seed size and mass were not altered by the seeding rate and, there was no occurrence of green seeds.

Estimating HIES Data through Ratio and Regression Methods for Different Sampling Designs

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Faqir Muhammad

2007-01-01

Full Text Available In this study, comparison has been made for different sampling designs, using the HIES data of North West Frontier Province (NWFP for 2001-02 and 1998-99 collected from the Federal Bureau of Statistics, Statistical Division, Government of Pakistan, Islamabad. The performance of the estimators has also been considered using bootstrap and Jacknife. A two-stage stratified random sample design is adopted by HIES. In the first stage, enumeration blocks and villages are treated as the first stage Primary Sampling Units (PSU. The sample PSU’s are selected with probability proportional to size. Secondary Sampling Units (SSU i.e., households are selected by systematic sampling with a random start. They have used a single study variable. We have compared the HIES technique with some other designs, which are: Stratified Simple Random Sampling. Stratified Systematic Sampling. Stratified Ranked Set Sampling. Stratified Two Phase Sampling. Ratio and Regression methods were applied with two study variables, which are: Income (y and Household sizes (x. Jacknife and Bootstrap are used for variance replication. Simple Random Sampling with sample size (462 to 561 gave moderate variances both by Jacknife and Bootstrap. By applying Systematic Sampling, we received moderate variance with sample size (467. In Jacknife with Systematic Sampling, we obtained variance of regression estimator greater than that of ratio estimator for a sample size (467 to 631. At a sample size (952 variance of ratio estimator gets greater than that of regression estimator. The most efficient design comes out to be Ranked set sampling compared with other designs. The Ranked set sampling with jackknife and bootstrap, gives minimum variance even with the smallest sample size (467. Two Phase sampling gave poor performance. Multi-stage sampling applied by HIES gave large variances especially if used with a single study variable.

Seed yield and quality of okra as influenced by sowing dates

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Administrator

2011-06-20

Jun 20, 2011 ... and quality seed of okra over four consecutive years having seven sowing times at fortnight interval ..... Figures in parentheses are angular transformed values. ... Table 6. Step-wise regression model on seed yield of okra with ...

Design and optimization of the grating monochromator for soft X-ray self-seeding FELs

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Serkez, Svitozar

2015-10-15

The emergence of Free Electron Lasers (FEL) as a fourth generation of light sources is a breakthrough. FELs operating in the X-ray range (XFEL) allow one to carry out completely new experiments that probably most of the natural sciences would benefit. Self-amplified spontaneous emission (SASE) is the baseline FEL operation mode: the radiation pulse starts as a spontaneous emission from the electron bunch and is being amplified during an FEL process until it reaches saturation. The SASE FEL radiation usually has poor properties in terms of a spectral bandwidth or, on the other side, longitudinal coherence. Self-seeding is a promising approach to narrow the SASE bandwidth of XFELs significantly in order to produce nearly transformlimited pulses. It is achieved by the radiation pulse monochromatization in the middle of an FEL amplification process. Following the successful demonstration of the self-seeding setup in the hard X-ray range at the LCLS, there is a need for a self-seeding extension into the soft X-ray range. Here a numerical method to simulate the soft X-ray self seeding (SXRSS) monochromator performance is presented. It allows one to perform start-to-end self-seeded FEL simulations along with (in our case) GENESIS simulation code. Based on this method, the performance of the LCLS self-seeded operation was simulated showing a good agreement with an experiment. Also the SXRSS monochromator design developed in SLAC was adapted for the SASE3 type undulator beamline at the European XFEL. The optical system was studied using Gaussian beam optics, wave optics propagation method and ray tracing to evaluate the performance of the monochromator itself. Wave optics analysis takes into account the actual beam wavefront of the radiation from the coherent FEL source, third order aberrations and height errors from each optical element. The monochromator design is based on a toroidal VLS grating working at a fixed incidence angle mounting without both entrance and exit

Design and optimization of the grating monochromator for soft X-ray self-seeding FELs

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Serkez, Svitozar

2015-10-01

The emergence of Free Electron Lasers (FEL) as a fourth generation of light sources is a breakthrough. FELs operating in the X-ray range (XFEL) allow one to carry out completely new experiments that probably most of the natural sciences would benefit. Self-amplified spontaneous emission (SASE) is the baseline FEL operation mode: the radiation pulse starts as a spontaneous emission from the electron bunch and is being amplified during an FEL process until it reaches saturation. The SASE FEL radiation usually has poor properties in terms of a spectral bandwidth or, on the other side, longitudinal coherence. Self-seeding is a promising approach to narrow the SASE bandwidth of XFELs significantly in order to produce nearly transformlimited pulses. It is achieved by the radiation pulse monochromatization in the middle of an FEL amplification process. Following the successful demonstration of the self-seeding setup in the hard X-ray range at the LCLS, there is a need for a self-seeding extension into the soft X-ray range. Here a numerical method to simulate the soft X-ray self seeding (SXRSS) monochromator performance is presented. It allows one to perform start-to-end self-seeded FEL simulations along with (in our case) GENESIS simulation code. Based on this method, the performance of the LCLS self-seeded operation was simulated showing a good agreement with an experiment. Also the SXRSS monochromator design developed in SLAC was adapted for the SASE3 type undulator beamline at the European XFEL. The optical system was studied using Gaussian beam optics, wave optics propagation method and ray tracing to evaluate the performance of the monochromator itself. Wave optics analysis takes into account the actual beam wavefront of the radiation from the coherent FEL source, third order aberrations and height errors from each optical element. The monochromator design is based on a toroidal VLS grating working at a fixed incidence angle mounting without both entrance and exit

Hybrid ICA-Seed-Based Methods for fMRI Functional Connectivity Assessment: A Feasibility Study

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Robert E. Kelly

2010-01-01

Full Text Available Brain functional connectivity (FC is often assessed from fMRI data using seed-based methods, such as those of detecting temporal correlation between a predefined region (seed and all other regions in the brain; or using multivariate methods, such as independent component analysis (ICA. ICA is a useful data-driven tool, but reproducibility issues complicate group inferences based on FC maps derived with ICA. These reproducibility issues can be circumvented with hybrid methods that use information from ICA-derived spatial maps as seeds to produce seed-based FC maps. We report results from five experiments to demonstrate the potential advantages of hybrid ICA-seed-based FC methods, comparing results from regressing fMRI data against task-related a priori time courses, with “back-reconstruction” from a group ICA, and with five hybrid ICA-seed-based FC methods: ROI-based with (1 single-voxel, (2 few-voxel, and (3 many-voxel seed; and dual-regression-based with (4 single ICA map and (5 multiple ICA map seed.

Efeito do beneficiamento na qualidade fisiológica e sanitária de sementes do algodoeiro herbáceo Effects of seed processing on physiological and sanitary qualities of seeds of herbaceous cotton

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Kilson P. Lopes

2006-06-01

Full Text Available Sementes de algodoeiro cvs. CNPA Precoce 2 e CNPA 7H, produzidas em campos irrigados do município de Touros, RN, safra 1998/99, foram submetidas, distintamente, ao descaroçamento, deslintamento mecânico e químico e, depois, acondicionadas em sacos de papel multifoliado, armazenadas em ambiente não controlado e em câmara seca, por 360 dias. Durante o armazenamento e em intervalos de 90 dias, realizaram-se avaliações da qualidade fisiológica e sanitária. O delineamento experimental foi inteiramente casualizado em parcela sub-subdividida, com quatro repetições, além de realizada a análise de variância e regressão polinomial. As sementes de ambas as cultivares, deslintadas quimicamente e mantidas em câmara seca preservaram suas qualidades fisiológicas pelo tempo de 270 dias de armazenamento. A maior preservação das sementes da cv. CNPA Precoce 2, descaroçadas, e as deslintadas mecanicamente, verificou-se em câmara seca; para as sementes da cv. CNPA 7H, isto se verificou no material mantido em ambiente não controlado. A micoflora foi constituída pelos fungos do gênero Aspergillus.Seeds of cotton cvs. CNPA Precoce 2 and CNPA 7H, produced under irrigated conditions in Touros Rio Grande do Norte State Brazil during the 1998/99 growing season were submitted to deseeding, mechanical or chemical delintering and then, packed in multi-layered paper bags and stored in a dry chamber or under room conditions during 360 days. Every 90 days, data on physiological and sanitary conditions of seeds were collected. The split plot design was employed, with four replications for each whole plot treatment arranged according to a completely randomized design. Collected data were analyzed by variance analysis and polynomial regression techniques. Chemically delinted seeds from both varieties, stored in dry chamber, preserved their physiological qualities until 270 days of storage. cv. CNPA Precoce 2 deseeded or mechanically delinted seeds kept

Predicting seed yield in perennial ryegrass using repeated canopy reflectance measurements and PLSR

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Gislum, René; Deleuran, Lise Christina; Boelt, Birte

2009-01-01

with first year seed crops using three sowing rates and three spring nitrogen (N) application rates. PLSR models were developed for each year and showed correlation coefficients of 0.71, 0.76, and 0.92, respectively. Regression coefficients showed in these experiments that the optimum time for canopy...... reflectance measurements was from approximately 600 cumulative growing degree-days (CGDD) to approximately 900 CGDD. This is the period just before and at heading of the seed crop. Furthermore, regression coefficients showed that information about N and water is important. The results support the development......Repeated canopy reflectance measurements together with partial least-squares regression (PLSR) were used to predict seed yield in perennial ryegrass (Lolium perenne L.). The measurements were performed during the spring and summer growing seasons of 2001 to 2003 in three field experiments...

Evaluating disease management programme effectiveness: an introduction to the regression discontinuity design.

Science.gov (United States)

Linden, Ariel; Adams, John L; Roberts, Nancy

2006-04-01

Although disease management (DM) has been in existence for over a decade, there is still much uncertainty as to its effectiveness in improving health status and reducing medical cost. The main reason is that most programme evaluations typically follow weak observational study designs that are subject to bias, most notably selection bias and regression to the mean. The regression discontinuity (RD) design may be the best alternative to randomized studies for evaluating DM programme effectiveness. The most crucial element of the RD design is its use of a 'cut-off' score on a pre-test measure to determine assignment to intervention or control. A valuable feature of this technique is that the pre-test measure does not have to be the same as the outcome measure, thus maximizing the programme's ability to use research-based practice guidelines, survey instruments and other tools to identify those individuals in greatest need of the programme intervention. Similarly, the cut-off score can be based on clinical understanding of the disease process, empirically derived, or resource-based. In the RD design, programme effectiveness is determined by a change in the pre-post relationship at the cut-off point. While the RD design is uniquely suitable for DM programme evaluation, its success will depend, in large part, on fundamental changes being made in the way DM programmes identify and assign individuals to the programme intervention.

White Noise Assumptions Revisited : Regression Models and Statistical Designs for Simulation Practice

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Kleijnen, J.P.C.

2006-01-01

Classic linear regression models and their concomitant statistical designs assume a univariate response and white noise.By definition, white noise is normally, independently, and identically distributed with zero mean.This survey tries to answer the following questions: (i) How realistic are these

Physical properties of neem (Azadirachta indica seeds and kernels relevant in the design of processing machineries

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

A. A. Balami

2014-08-01

Full Text Available This study was undertaken to determine some physical properties of neem seeds and kernels such as axial dimensions, true density, bulk density, surface area, sphericity, moisture content, coefficient of friction, angle of repose and porosity that are relevant in the design of processing machineries. Results shows that the seeds and kernels have major, intermediate and minor diameter values of 13.641.15 mm, 6.800.41 mm and 5.540.44 mm and 9.321.13 mm, 4.320.63 mm and 3.380.35 mm respectively. The true density, bulk density, surface areas and the sphericity determined were 379.0015.16 kg/m3, 39.2930.001 kg/m3, 169.9331.15 mm2, 0.640.043 for the seed while for the kernel were 930.038.53 kg/m3, 534.8910.99 kg/m3, 70.6313.98 mm2, 0.610.044 respectively at an average moisture content of 13.80 % for the seed and 11.9 % for the kernel on wet basis. The coefficient of friction determined on three different structural surfaces namely plywood, glass and mild steel for the seeds were 0.38, 0.42 and 0.33 respectively at an angle of repose of 34.52o while that of the kernels were 0.49, 0.56 and 0.43 respectively at an angle of repose of 42.47°. The mean porosity obtained for the seed and kernel were 89.62 % and 42.47 % respectively.

Estimating Unbiased Treatment Effects in Education Using a Regression Discontinuity Design

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William C. Smith

2014-08-01

Full Text Available The ability of regression discontinuity (RD designs to provide an unbiased treatment effect while overcoming the ethical concerns plagued by Random Control Trials (RCTs make it a valuable and useful approach in education evaluation. RD is the only explicitly recognized quasi-experimental approach identified by the Institute of Education Statistics to meet the prerequisites of a causal relationship. Unfortunately, the statistical complexity of the RD design has limited its application in education research. This article provides a less technical introduction to RD for education researchers and practitioners. Using visual analysis to aide conceptual understanding, the article walks readers through the essential steps of a Sharp RD design using hypothetical, but realistic, district intervention data and provides additional resources for further exploration.

Rapid evaluation of seed vigor by the absolute content of protein in seed within the same crop.

Science.gov (United States)

Wen, Daxing; Hou, Hongcun; Meng, Aiju; Meng, Jie; Xie, Liuyong; Zhang, Chunqing

2018-04-03

Seed vigor, an important index of seed quality, determines the potential for rapid and uniform emergence of plants. The objective of this study was to explore a rapid method for evaluating seed vigor. To analyze the correlation of seed traits and seedling traits related to seed vigor, we designed five experiments including nitrogen fertilizer, irrigation and seed sorting treatments in wheat. The results showed that only the absolute content of protein (ACP) in wheat seed was significantly correlated with plant dry weight in five experiments. Subsequently, another experiment including 30 wheat seed lots was used to validate the above results. Although 100-grain weight was also correlated with plant dry weight (R = 0.799, p vigor and could potentially be used for processing and screening high vigor seeds.

Super Energy Efficiency Design (S.E.E.D.) Home Evaluation

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

German, A.; Dakin, B.; Backman, C.; Weitzel, E.; Springer, D.

2012-12-01

This report describes the results of evaluation by the Alliance for Residential Building Innovation (ARBI) Building America team of the 'Super Energy Efficient Design' (S.E.E.D) home, a 1,935 sq. ft., single-story spec home located in Tucson, AZ. This prototype design was developed with the goal of providing an exceptionally energy efficient yet affordable home and includes numerous aggressive energy features intended to significantly reduce heating and cooling loads such as structural insulated panel (SIP) walls and roof, high performance windows, an ERV, an air-to-water heat pump with mixed-mode radiant and forced air delivery, solar water heating, and rooftop PV. Source energy savings are estimated at 45% over the Building America B10 Benchmark. System commissioning, short term testing, long term monitoring and detailed analysis of results was conducted to identify the performance attributes and cost effectiveness of the whole house measure package.

Optimization of natural lipstick formulation based on pitaya (Hylocereus polyrhizus) seed oil using D-optimal mixture experimental design.

Science.gov (United States)

Kamairudin, Norsuhaili; Gani, Siti Salwa Abd; Masoumi, Hamid Reza Fard; Hashim, Puziah

2014-10-16

The D-optimal mixture experimental design was employed to optimize the melting point of natural lipstick based on pitaya (Hylocereus polyrhizus) seed oil. The influence of the main lipstick components-pitaya seed oil (10%-25% w/w), virgin coconut oil (25%-45% w/w), beeswax (5%-25% w/w), candelilla wax (1%-5% w/w) and carnauba wax (1%-5% w/w)-were investigated with respect to the melting point properties of the lipstick formulation. The D-optimal mixture experimental design was applied to optimize the properties of lipstick by focusing on the melting point with respect to the above influencing components. The D-optimal mixture design analysis showed that the variation in the response (melting point) could be depicted as a quadratic function of the main components of the lipstick. The best combination of each significant factor determined by the D-optimal mixture design was established to be pitaya seed oil (25% w/w), virgin coconut oil (37% w/w), beeswax (17% w/w), candelilla wax (2% w/w) and carnauba wax (2% w/w). With respect to these factors, the 46.0 °C melting point property was observed experimentally, similar to the theoretical prediction of 46.5 °C. Carnauba wax is the most influential factor on this response (melting point) with its function being with respect to heat endurance. The quadratic polynomial model sufficiently fit the experimental data.

Optimization of Natural Lipstick Formulation Based on Pitaya (Hylocereus polyrhizus Seed Oil Using D-Optimal Mixture Experimental Design

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Norsuhaili Kamairudin

2014-10-01

Full Text Available The D-optimal mixture experimental design was employed to optimize the melting point of natural lipstick based on pitaya (Hylocereus polyrhizus seed oil. The influence of the main lipstick components—pitaya seed oil (10%–25% w/w, virgin coconut oil (25%–45% w/w, beeswax (5%–25% w/w, candelilla wax (1%–5% w/w and carnauba wax (1%–5% w/w—were investigated with respect to the melting point properties of the lipstick formulation. The D-optimal mixture experimental design was applied to optimize the properties of lipstick by focusing on the melting point with respect to the above influencing components. The D-optimal mixture design analysis showed that the variation in the response (melting point could be depicted as a quadratic function of the main components of the lipstick. The best combination of each significant factor determined by the D-optimal mixture design was established to be pitaya seed oil (25% w/w, virgin coconut oil (37% w/w, beeswax (17% w/w, candelilla wax (2% w/w and carnauba wax (2% w/w. With respect to these factors, the 46.0 °C melting point property was observed experimentally, similar to the theoretical prediction of 46.5 °C. Carnauba wax is the most influential factor on this response (melting point with its function being with respect to heat endurance. The quadratic polynomial model sufficiently fit the experimental data.

Effect of storage in overcoming seed dormancy of Annona coriacea Mart. seeds

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

DAIANE M. DRESCH

2014-12-01

Full Text Available The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of pre-treatments on overcoming dormancy of A. coriacea seeds. Seeds were processed and stored in polyethylene bags at temperatures of at -18°C (42% RH, 5°C (34% RH, 15°C (60% RH and 25°C (34% RH, during 0, 30, 60, 90, 120 and 150 days. After storage, seeds were immersed in 350 mg.L−1 gibberellic acid for 144 hours. Sowing was carried out in plastic bags containing Red Latosol + Bioplant®. Moisture content, emergence percentage, emergence speed index, length and dry mass of seedlings, were evaluated. The experimental design was completely randomized in a factorial with four replications of 50 seeds each. The seed storage at 5°C and subsequent immersion in gibberellic acid was efficient to reach high percentage, emergence speed and plant growth. A. coriacea seeds showed non-deep simple morphophysiological dormancy wherein the physiological component can be overcome after the seeds are storage at 5°C for a maximum period of 53 days and subsequent immersed in exogenous GA (350 mg.L−1 for 144 hours.

Effect of storage in overcoming seed dormancy of Annona coriacea Mart. seeds.

Science.gov (United States)

Dresch, Daiane M; Scalon, Silvana P Q; Masetto, Tathiana E

2014-12-01

The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of pre-treatments on overcoming dormancy of A. coriacea seeds. Seeds were processed and stored in polyethylene bags at temperatures of at -18°C (42% RH), 5°C (34% RH), 15°C (60% RH) and 25°C (34% RH), during 0, 30, 60, 90, 120 and 150 days. After storage, seeds were immersed in 350 mg.L-1 gibberellic acid for 144 hours. Sowing was carried out in plastic bags containing Red Latosol + Bioplant®. Moisture content, emergence percentage, emergence speed index, length and dry mass of seedlings, were evaluated. The experimental design was completely randomized in a factorial with four replications of 50 seeds each. The seed storage at 5°C and subsequent immersion in gibberellic acid was efficient to reach high percentage, emergence speed and plant growth. A. coriacea seeds showed non-deep simple morphophysiological dormancy wherein the physiological component can be overcome after the seeds are storage at 5°C for a maximum period of 53 days and subsequent immersed in exogenous GA (350 mg.L-1 for 144 hours).

A comparison of Cox and logistic regression for use in genome-wide association studies of cohort and case-cohort design.

Science.gov (United States)

Staley, James R; Jones, Edmund; Kaptoge, Stephen; Butterworth, Adam S; Sweeting, Michael J; Wood, Angela M; Howson, Joanna M M

2017-06-01

Logistic regression is often used instead of Cox regression to analyse genome-wide association studies (GWAS) of single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) and disease outcomes with cohort and case-cohort designs, as it is less computationally expensive. Although Cox and logistic regression models have been compared previously in cohort studies, this work does not completely cover the GWAS setting nor extend to the case-cohort study design. Here, we evaluated Cox and logistic regression applied to cohort and case-cohort genetic association studies using simulated data and genetic data from the EPIC-CVD study. In the cohort setting, there was a modest improvement in power to detect SNP-disease associations using Cox regression compared with logistic regression, which increased as the disease incidence increased. In contrast, logistic regression had more power than (Prentice weighted) Cox regression in the case-cohort setting. Logistic regression yielded inflated effect estimates (assuming the hazard ratio is the underlying measure of association) for both study designs, especially for SNPs with greater effect on disease. Given logistic regression is substantially more computationally efficient than Cox regression in both settings, we propose a two-step approach to GWAS in cohort and case-cohort studies. First to analyse all SNPs with logistic regression to identify associated variants below a pre-defined P-value threshold, and second to fit Cox regression (appropriately weighted in case-cohort studies) to those identified SNPs to ensure accurate estimation of association with disease.

Design of a Spoon Wheel Type Seed Metering Device and Simulation of Soybean Seeds By Discrete Element Method%勺轮式排种器设计与大豆种子离散元法排种仿真

Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China (English)

袁桂珍; 张涛; 刘月琴

2017-01-01

Seed metering device as a key component of the seeding machine, its working performance and reliability directly affect the overall quality of the seeding machine.Mechanical sowing machine has the advantages of simple structure, low cost, convenient maintenance.The wheel metering device as a mechanical metering device of a widely used seeding with regular shape and hardness seeds.In this paper,the Solidworks software is used to design a spoon wheel type seed metering device, and the discrete element method is used to simulate the seed sowing seeds of the seed metering device, and the working conditions of the seed metering device are obtained.Simulation results are obtained by the discrete element software: the whole working performance of the seed metering device was better when the wheel rotation speed was 10~13 r/min;the number of seeds in the seed room was 1800~2100.And appropriate vibration can improve the performance of the designed device.This paper provides a method for the design and optimization of the spoon wheel type seed metering device.%排种器作为播种机关键部件,其工作性能与可靠性直接影响播种机整体作业质量.机械式排种器具有结构简单、价格低廉、维修方便等优点,勺轮式排种器作为机械式排种器的一种,在硬度较大、较规则种子播种作业中得到广泛应用.为此,应用SolidWorks软件设计了一种勺轮式排种器,应用离散元软件对排种器排种大豆种子进行了计算机数值模拟,得到了排种器工作性能较好的工作参数.由离散元软件计算机数值模拟结果得到:勺轮组合转速为10~13r/min,排种器种子室内种子数量在1800~2100粒时,排种器整体工作性能较好;且适当的振动可提高本设计的排种器的工作性能.该研究为勺轮式排种器的设计与优化提供了一种方法.

Seed quality in informal seed systems

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Biemond, P.C.

2013-01-01

Keywords: informal seed systems, seed recycling, seed quality, germination, seed pathology, seed health, seed-borne diseases, mycotoxigenic fungi, Fusarium verticillioides, mycotoxins, Vigna unguiculata, Zea mays, Nigeria.

Seed is a crucial input for agricultural production.

MODELING POLLINATION FACTORS THAT INFLUENCE ALFALFA SEED YIELD IN NORTH-CENTRAL NEVADA

OpenAIRE

BREAZEALE, Don; FERNANDEZ, George; NARAYANAN, Rangesan

2008-01-01

The relative importance of both environmental and management factors on alfalfa seed yield was investigated on North–Central Nevada farms. Multiple linear regression models using 2002-2003 data revealed that cumulative tripped fl owers increased seed yield in both years. Field location does not appear to make a difference in the observed variation in tripped fl ower production. The results suggest that seed yield can be increased by (a) by placing bee shelters closer and (b) cultural practice...

Activity uniformity of Ir-192 seeds

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ling, C.C.; Gromadzki, Z.C.

1981-01-01

A simple device that uses materials and apparatus commonly available in a radiotherapy department has been designed, fabricated and used in routine quality control relative to the activity uniformity of clinical Ir-192 seeds in ribbons. Detailed evaluation indicated that this system is easy to use and can yield relative activity measurements of individual Ir-192 seeds accurate to within 2%. With this device, activity uniformity of commercial Ir-192 seeds from two manufacturers has been assessed. For the seven shipments of Ir-192 seeds studied, the root mean square variations of individual seed strength from the average of each shipment ranged from 3.4 to 7.1%. Variation in seed activity by more than +- 10% from the average is not uncommon

Influence of Rice Seeding Rate on Efficacies of Neonicotinoid and Anthranilic Diamide Seed Treatments against Rice Water Weevil

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jason Hamm

2014-12-01

Full Text Available Rice in the U.S. is frequently seeded at low rates and treated before sowing with neonicotinoid or anthranilic diamide insecticides to target the rice water weevil. A previous study of the influence of seeding rate on rice water weevil densities showed an inverse relationship between seeding rates and immature weevil densities. This study investigated interactive effects of seeding rate and seed treatment on weevil densities and rice yields; in particular, experiments were designed to determine whether seed treatments were less effective at low seeding rates. Four experiments were conducted over three years by varying seeding rates of rice treated at constant per seed rates of insecticide. Larval suppression by chlorantraniliprole was superior to thiamethoxam or clothianidin, and infestations at low seeding rates were up to 47% higher than at high seeding rates. Little evidence was found for the hypothesis that seed treatments are less effective at low seeding rates; in only one of four experiments was the reduction in weevil densities by thiamethoxam greater at high than at low seeding rates. However, suppression of larvae by neonicotinoid seed treatments in plots seeded at low rates was generally poor, and caution must be exercised when using the neonicotioids at low seeding rates.

Pre-sowing Seed Treatment with 24-Epibrassinolide Ameliorates Pesticide Stress in Brassica juncea L. through the Modulation of Stress Markers

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Parvaiz Ahmad

2016-11-01

Full Text Available The present experiment was designed to assess the effects of seed soaking with 24-epibrassinolide (EBR on the physiology of Brassica juncea L. seedlings grown under imidacloprid (IMI toxicity. Application of EBR increased the length of seedlings, dry weight, and pigment contents, polyphenols, total phenols and organic acids under IMI toxicity. The expression of genes coding key enzymes of pigment, phenols, polyphenols and organic acid biosynthetic pathways was also studied including CHLASE (chlorophyllase, PSY (phytoene synthase, CHS (chalcone synthase and PAL (phenylalanine ammonialyase, CS (citrate synthase, SUCLG1 (succinyl Co-A ligase,, SDH (succinate dehydrogenase, FH (fumarate hydratase, MS (malate synthase. Multiple linear regression analysis revealed that IMI application regressed negatively on seedling length, dry weight and total chlorophyll content. However, EBR seed treatment regressed positively on all of the parameters studied. Moreover, interaction between IMI and EBR showed positive regression for growth parameters, content of pigments, total polyphenol, total phenol and malate, and expression of PSY and PAL. Negative interactions were noticed for the contents of fumarate, succinate and citrate, and expression of CHS and all genes studied related to organic acid metabolism. In conclusion, EBR enhanced the growth and contents of all studied metabolites by regulating the gene expression of B. juncea seedlings under IMI stress.

TIME REDUCTION FOR SURINAM GRASS SEED GERMINATION TEST

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Camila de Aquino Tomaz

2015-10-01

Full Text Available ABSTRACTThe period for the germination test of Surinam grass seeds established by the Rules for Seeds Testing is 28 days, considered too lengthy by producers, venders, and seed analysis laboratories. So, the objective of this research was to evaluate the possibility of reducing the time for the germination test of Surinam grass seeds and to establish a method for dormancy breaking and the ideal temperature. Ten seed lots were submitted to the following treatments to overcome seed dormancy: control; substrate moistening with 0.2% KNO3; and scarification with sulfuric acid (98% 36 N for 15 minutes. After the treatments, the lots were submitted to seed water content, germination and tetrazolium tests. During the germination test, conducted with four replicates of 100 seeds per treatment for 28 days, two conditions of alternating temperatures (20-35 °C and 15-35 °C with 8 hours of light were tested. Attempting to determine the test end date, daily counts of the number of normal seedlings were made and for each lot, treatment, and temperature, a growth curve for the evaluation of germination was adjusted. The segmented regression model parameter estimations were calculated for each treatment. The germination test of Braquiaria decumbensseeds may be evaluated in 12 days after sowing using alternating temperatures of 20-35 °C and without any treatment to overcome dormancy.

An investigation of the speeding-related crash designation through crash narrative reviews sampled via logistic regression.

Science.gov (United States)

Fitzpatrick, Cole D; Rakasi, Saritha; Knodler, Michael A

2017-01-01

Speed is one of the most important factors in traffic safety as higher speeds are linked to increased crash risk and higher injury severities. Nearly a third of fatal crashes in the United States are designated as "speeding-related", which is defined as either "the driver behavior of exceeding the posted speed limit or driving too fast for conditions." While many studies have utilized the speeding-related designation in safety analyses, no studies have examined the underlying accuracy of this designation. Herein, we investigate the speeding-related crash designation through the development of a series of logistic regression models that were derived from the established speeding-related crash typologies and validated using a blind review, by multiple researchers, of 604 crash narratives. The developed logistic regression model accurately identified crashes which were not originally designated as speeding-related but had crash narratives that suggested speeding as a causative factor. Only 53.4% of crashes designated as speeding-related contained narratives which described speeding as a causative factor. Further investigation of these crashes revealed that the driver contributing code (DCC) of "driving too fast for conditions" was being used in three separate situations. Additionally, this DCC was also incorrectly used when "exceeding the posted speed limit" would likely have been a more appropriate designation. Finally, it was determined that the responding officer only utilized one DCC in 82% of crashes not designated as speeding-related but contained a narrative indicating speed as a contributing causal factor. The use of logistic regression models based upon speeding-related crash typologies offers a promising method by which all possible speeding-related crashes could be identified. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

Seed regulations and local seed systems

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Louwaars, N.

2000-01-01

Seed regulations have been introduced in most countries based on the development of formal seed production. Concerns about seed quality and about the varietal identity of the seeds have commonly led to seed laws. However, formal regulations are often inappropriate for informal seed systems, which

Methods for overcoming dormancy in Stryphnodendron pulcherrimum seeds

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Adriano Gonçalves Pereira

2016-09-01

Full Text Available Seed dormancy is a phenomenon observed in several tropical species. This condition causes low and non-uniform germination. The present study was designed to identify an efficient method of breaking seed dormancy in Stryphnodendron pulcherrimum. Seeds of four mother plants were subjected to the following treatments: immersion in sulfuric acid for 2, 4, 6, 8, 10 and 12 min and scarification on 150-grit sandpaper. Seeds were sown on substrate containing sand and sawdust (1:1. It was evaluate the days to onset seedlings emergence, seedlings emergence (SE, emergence speed index (ESI, germination (G, hard seeds (HS, dead seeds (DS, dormant seeds (DMS, abnormal seedlings (AS and dry mass of aerial part (DMAP and roots (DMR. The experimental design was completely randomized with four replications of 25 seeds for each treatment. Data were subjected to analysis of variance and means compared by Tukey’s test (p < 0.05. Significant differences among treatments were observed for ESI, SE, G, HS, DMAP and DMR. Highest HS was observed in control treatment (85%. Highest G was observed in seeds scarified with sulfuric acid for 10 min (82% and 12 min (74%. These treatments also showed highest ESI, DMAP and DMR, indicating that these scarification treatments were the most efficient in overcoming dormancy.

Scientific designs of pine seeds and pine cones for species conservation

Science.gov (United States)

Song, Kahye; Yeom, Eunseop; Kim, Hyejeong; Lee, Sang Joon

2015-11-01

Reproduction and propagation of species are the most important missions of every living organism. For effective species propagation, pine cones fold their scales under wet condition to prevent seeds from short-distance dispersal. They open and release their embedded seeds on dry and windy days. In this study, the micro-/macro-scale structural characteristics of pine cones and pine seeds are studied using various imaging modalities. Since the scales of pine cones consist of dead cells, the folding motion is deeply related to structural changes. The scales of pine cones consist of three layers. Among them, bract scales are only involved in collecting water. This makes pine cones reduce the amount of water and minimize the time spent on structural changes. These systems also involve in drying and recovery of pine cones. In addition, pine cones and pine seeds have advantageous structures for long-distance dispersal and response to natural disaster. Owing to these structural features, pine seeds can be released safely and efficiently, and these types of structural advantages could be mimicked for practical applications. This research was financially supported by the Creative Research Initiative of the Ministry of Science, ICT and Future Planning (MSIP) and the National Research Foundation (NRF) of Korea (Contract grant number: 2008-0061991).

Wavefront propagation through the beamline designed for seeding the DESY XUV FEL

CERN Document Server

Reininger, R; Gürtler, P; Bahrdt, J

2001-01-01

A beamline designed to reduce the spectral bandwidth of the DESY XUV FEL is described. The beamline is intended to cover the wavelength range from 6.4 to 50 nm with three variable line spacing gratings. A plane mirror in front of the grating is used to maintain constant magnification in the dispersion direction. The electric field generated by the first undulator at three wavelengths, 6.4, 13, and 25 nm, is propagated through the beamline. The results show that the beamline has the resolution and imaging properties required for seeding the second undulator at these wavelengths.

Effect of planting dates on seed yield and seed quality of Stylosanthes guianensis CIAT 184

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Chureerat Satjipanon

2005-11-01

Full Text Available The objective of this experiment was to investigate the effect of planting dates on seed yield and quality of Stylosanthes guianensis CIAT 184 at Khon Kaen Animal Nutrition Research and Development Center, during May 2003 to February 2004. A randomized complete block design with four replications was used. Experimental treatments consisted of four planting dates spaced at about 30-day intervals from 23 May to 23 August 2003.The results revealed that planting date had a significant effect on seed yields and pure germinable seed yields (PGSY of S. guianensis CIAT 184. Plots planted on 23 July produced the highest seed yield and PGSY of 630 and 601 kg/ha, respectively followed by plots planted on 23 June and 23 May (514 and 501; 443 and 421 kg/ha, respectively. Plots planted on 23 August produced the lowest seed yield and PGSY of 269 and 262 kg/ha, respectively. There were no significant differences in seed purity percentage, germination percentage and 1000-seed weight among planting dates. Based on this research, it was concluded that late- July was the optimum planting date for S. guianensis CIAT 184 cultivation for seed production in Northeast Thailand.

A new approach to nuclear reactor design optimization using genetic algorithms and regression analysis

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kumar, Akansha; Tsvetkov, Pavel V.

2015-01-01

Highlights: • This paper presents a new method useful for the optimization of complex dynamic systems. • The method uses the strengths of; genetic algorithms (GA), and regression splines. • The method is applied to the design of a gas cooled fast breeder reactor design. • Tools like Java, R, and codes like MCNP, Matlab are used in this research. - Abstract: A module based optimization method using genetic algorithms (GA), and multivariate regression analysis has been developed to optimize a set of parameters in the design of a nuclear reactor. GA simulates natural evolution to perform optimization, and is widely used in recent times by the scientific community. The GA fits a population of random solutions to the optimized solution of a specific problem. In this work, we have developed a genetic algorithm to determine the values for a set of nuclear reactor parameters to design a gas cooled fast breeder reactor core including a basis thermal–hydraulics analysis, and energy transfer. Multivariate regression is implemented using regression splines (RS). Reactor designs are usually complex and a simulation needs a significantly large amount of time to execute, hence the implementation of GA or any other global optimization techniques is not feasible, therefore we present a new method of using RS in conjunction with GA. Due to using RS, we do not necessarily need to run the neutronics simulation for all the inputs generated from the GA module rather, run the simulations for a predefined set of inputs, build a multivariate regression fit to the input and the output parameters, and then use this fit to predict the output parameters for the inputs generated by GA. The reactor parameters are given by the, radius of a fuel pin cell, isotopic enrichment of the fissile material in the fuel, mass flow rate of the coolant, and temperature of the coolant at the core inlet. And, the optimization objectives for the reactor core are, high breeding of U-233 and Pu-239 in

Seed propagation of Allanblackia floribunda by mechanical pre ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Mechanical pre-germination treatments were given to the viable seeds: total removal of seed coat, sand-paper scarification and laceration. These were sown in forest topsoil and washed river sand media respectively in completely Randomized Design in the Nursery. Seeds with testa totally removed and sown in forest ...

Distributed collaborative probabilistic design for turbine blade-tip radial running clearance using support vector machine of regression

Science.gov (United States)

Fei, Cheng-Wei; Bai, Guang-Chen

2014-12-01

To improve the computational precision and efficiency of probabilistic design for mechanical dynamic assembly like the blade-tip radial running clearance (BTRRC) of gas turbine, a distribution collaborative probabilistic design method-based support vector machine of regression (SR)(called as DCSRM) is proposed by integrating distribution collaborative response surface method and support vector machine regression model. The mathematical model of DCSRM is established and the probabilistic design idea of DCSRM is introduced. The dynamic assembly probabilistic design of aeroengine high-pressure turbine (HPT) BTRRC is accomplished to verify the proposed DCSRM. The analysis results reveal that the optimal static blade-tip clearance of HPT is gained for designing BTRRC, and improving the performance and reliability of aeroengine. The comparison of methods shows that the DCSRM has high computational accuracy and high computational efficiency in BTRRC probabilistic analysis. The present research offers an effective way for the reliability design of mechanical dynamic assembly and enriches mechanical reliability theory and method.

Effect of Time and Burial Depth on Breaking Seed dormancy and Germination of Weed Seeds

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marzie mazhari

2016-02-01

order to evaluate the effects of time and burial depth on breaking seed dormancy and percentage of germination of 27 dominants weed in Shahrekord region, an experiment was conducted at the research field at Shahrekord University in 2013. The experimental design set as factorial based on completely randomized design with three replications. Treatments consisted of three burial time levels (1, 2 and 3 months and 4 burial depth (0, 5, 15 and 25 cm from surface soil layer after 1, 2 and 3 months of burial. Results and Discussion: Results showed that the time and the depth of burial treatments had significant effect on breaking seed dormancy and germination percentage. Seeds retrieved from the soil surface showed highest dormancy percentage and breaking dormancy with increasing the depth and time of seed burial. The results showed that the effects of three burial times, burial depth and interaction of burial time and burial depth had significant effects on dormancy breaking and germination of weed seeds. The bitter herbs of expression and parsnip, the highest percentage of seed dormancy breaking. Germination of Geobelia alopecuoides and Anthriscus sylvestris was observed from seed burial depth of 15 cm. However, the germination percentage, between two and three seed burial months, did not show any significant difference. In this study, Convolvulus arvensies, Rumex acetisella and, Avena fatua in the highest depth (25 cm had the maximum seed germination. Tillage would bury weed seeds and may help to preserve some seeds, because the seeds on the soil surface or near it, are prone to hunting or decay that eventually, their number is reduced in the soil seed bank. Weed seeds of Centurea cyanus, Geobelia alopecuoides, Turgeniala tifolia, Tragopogon collinus, Bromus dantoniae and Anthriscus sylvestris had more germination percentage with increasing depth to 15 cm, but beyond this depth due to the negative impacts of increased depth, seed germination declined sharply. In fact, the

Talisia esculenta seed quality in function of drying temperatures and times

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Edson Almeida Cardoso

2015-02-01

Full Text Available Talisia esculenta Radlk is a species of the Sapindaceae family native to the Amazon region. Its fruits are principally obtained by collecting in natura; its propagation is by seeds, which are of the recalcitrant type, with low longevity and sensitivity to dehydration. We evaluated the effects of different drying times and temperatures on T. esculenta seeds. The seeds were dried in a forced-air oven at 40, 45, and 50°C for periods of 0, 6, 12, 24, 30, and36 hours, using four replications of 25 seeds each. Tests were conducted to determine seed quality: moisture contents, emergence percentage, first counts, emergence speed index and the length and dry weight of the seedlings. The data was submitted to analysis of variance and polynomial regression, at a 5% level of probability. T. esculenta seeds should be dried at 40 or 45°C for no more than six hours for best initial seedling growth.

Testing of Two Varieties of Lupin Seeds as Substitutes for Soya Extracted Meal in Vegetable Diets Designed for Young Broilers

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P. Suchý

2006-01-01

Full Text Available The main aim of this experiment was to verify the suitability of two Polish varieties of dehulled lupin seed (the low-protein SONET variety and the high-protein JUNO variety as protein components to replace 50% of soya extract meal in feeding mixtures designed for the feeding of young broilers. The results of this experiment demonstrate that suitable treatment of lupin seed (dehulling may significantly increase its nutritional value. Dehulling provides a product (core in which the level of nitrogen-containing substances is by 27% higher than that in the original seed, providing an important protein component to be added in feeding mixtures for chickens. The experiment has also shown that production performance depends on the particular Lupinus variety used. Chickens fed on the JUNO variety seed (Group E1 reached a live weight of 2.332 kg on Day 40, which is comparable with the control group of chickens (2.337 kg; Group C. However, chickens in Group E2 fed on the SONET variety seed had a conclusively lower average weight (2.280 kg (P Lupinus genus is a major source of the amino acid arginine, which is often deficient in the feeding mixtures.

The effect of altitude on breaking seed dormancy and stimulation of seed germination of Persian hogweed (Heracleum persicum).

Science.gov (United States)

Salehani, M Khajavi; Mahmoudi, J; Mahdavi, S Kh; Habibzadeh, R

2013-01-01

Persian hogweed is a perennial herb and aromatic plant which has pharmaceutical and fodder values, and the main propagation method of this species is seed. The goal of this study was to investigate the effect of altitude on breaking dormancy and stimulate seed germination of this species. The study was designed and carried out using the test of seed analysis. For our purpose, seeds were collected from three different altitudes (1700, 2200, 2700 masl) in Kojoor area. After initial purification, germination percent (GP) and speed (GS) of each elevation were determined by cold stratification compared to control. According to results, control seeds did not germinate, showing that the seeds of this species need to be treated. Statistical analysis of results showed that there are significant differences between GP and GS of each elevation, as seeds of higher elevation had slower and less germination in longer periods. So, changes in elevation are an effective factor on seed germination characteristics of this species and this factor has to be considered in seed preparation and restoration with this species.

The Variability of Seed Viability and Seed Vigour of Mindi (Melia azedarachlinn. from Several Populations in The Community Forest of West Java

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Yulianti Bramasto

2016-12-01

Full Text Available The procurement of good quality seeds for the development of mindi (Melia azedarach L. in the community forest is absolutely necessary. The purpose of this research is to investigate the diversity of the viability and seedling vigor of mindi from different populations with various treatments of dormancy breaking. The sample materials were mindi seeds that were collected from 6 locations (6 seed lots or seed sources which were located in the community forest of West Java. There are 10 treatments of dormancy breaking that were applied in this study. The experiment design was Randomized Complete Design (RAL. The breaking dormancy  was focused to the delignification of hard seed coat.  Results showed that the most effective dormancy breaking for mindi seed was soaking in consentrated Sulfuric Acid (H2SO4 as long as 30 to 45 minutes. The first count for germination of mindi was on the 16 day and the final count was on the 31 day.The average value of germination percentage (DB for all seed sources was 40 %, while the highest which is 60% was mindi from Sumedang seed source. The highest value of germination rate that is 6,543%/etmal was seed  from Sumedangand seed from Gambung was the lowest (1,400 %/etmal. Keywords : community forest, Melia azedarach L., variation, viability, vigor.

Effect of seed coat on the seed germination and seedling development of Calophyllum brasiliense Cambess. (Clusiaceae

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Valquíria Aparecida Mendes de Jesus

2014-10-01

Full Text Available This work aimed to study the effect of the Calophyllum brasiliense seed coat on the seed germination process. To this end, three experiments were conducted in laboratory, greenhouse and screenhouse. From a total of six treatments, five are related to the seed coat (mechanical scarification; mechanical scarification followed by 2 hours in water, chemical scarification, hot water immersion and complete seed coat removal and one control. Laboratory and greenhouse experiments were conducted in a completely randomized design (CRD. Screenhouse experiment was conducted in a completely randomized block design (RBD. We evaluated the total percentage, the speed index and the average time of germination or emergence. Data were subjected to analysis of variance and means compared by LSD test, at 5%. Under the conditions of this work, it was possible to infer that, in laboratory, mechanical scarification followed by 2 hours in water increases the proportion and germination speed index (GSI, in the greenhouse, the complete seed coat removal increases the percentage and emergence speed index (ESI, and in the screenhouse, mechanical scarification followed by 2 hours in water and chemical scarification presented the best results. The average germination time was not significantly different in the three experiments evaluated.

Effects of different methods of breaking dormancy and seed ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Seed dormancy in palms, date palm inclusive have continued to be challenging especially when cultivating through seeds. This study evaluated different methods of breaking dormancy and seed germination rate in P. dactylifera. Using Completely Randomize Design, two varieties of P. dactylifera were treated with three ...

Seed germination, seedling traits, and seed bank of the tree Moringa peregrina (Moringaceae) in a hyper-arid environment.

Science.gov (United States)

Gomaa, Nasr H; Picó, F Xavier

2011-06-01

Water-limited hot environments are good examples of hyper-aridity. Trees are scarce in these environments but some manage to survive, such as the tree Moringa peregrina. Understanding how trees maintain viable populations in extremely arid environments may provide insight into the adaptive mechanisms by which trees cope with extremely arid weather conditions. This understanding is relevant to the current increasing aridity in several regions of the world. Seed germination experiments were conducted to assess variation in seed mass, seed germination, and seedling traits of Moringa peregrina plants and the correlations among these traits. A seed burial experiment was also designed to study the fate of M. peregrina seeds buried at two depths in the soil for two time periods. On average, seeds germinated in three days and seedling shoots grew 0.7 cm per day over three weeks. Larger seeds decreased germination time and increased seedling growth rates relative to smaller seeds. Seeds remained quiescent in the soil and germination was very high at both depths and burial times. The after-ripening time of Moringa peregrina seeds is short and seeds germinate quickly after imbibition. Plants of M. peregrina may increase in hyper-arid environments from seeds with larger mass, shorter germination times, and faster seedling growth rates. The results also illustrate the adjustment in allocation to seed biomass and correlations among seed and seedling traits that allows M. peregrina to be successful in coping with aridity in its environment.

Effect of cutting height and time on seed yield and seed quality of Stylosanthes guianensis CIAT 184

OpenAIRE

Pimpaporn Pholsen; Chureerat Satjipanon; Krailas Kiyothong

2002-01-01

The objectives of this experiment were to study the effect of cutting height and time on seed yield and seed quality of Stylosanthes guianensis CIAT 184 in Korat soil series at Khon Kaen Animal Nutrition Research Center, during April 2000 - May 2001. The experimental design was 2 × 4 factorial in randomized complete block design with 4 replications. The treatment consisted of 2 factors: - 1) Two levels of cutting height viz. 20 and 30 cm above ground; 2) Four periods of cutting time viz. at 6...

Gender inequality in predispersal seed predation contributes to female seed set advantage in a gynodioecious species.

Science.gov (United States)

Clarke, Gretel L; Brody, Alison K

2015-05-01

Most flowering plants are hermaphrodites. However, in gynodioecious species, some members of the population are male-sterile and reproduce only by setting seed, while others gain fitness through both male and female function. How females compensate for the loss of male function remains unresolved for most gynodioecious species. Here, as with many plants, fitness differences may be influenced by interactions with multiple species. However, whether multiple species interactions result in gender-specific fitness differences remains unknown. Using observational data from 2009-2010, we quantified seed set of the two sex morphs of Polemonium foliosissimu and asked how it is affected by pollination, and seed predation from a dipteran predispersal seed predator (Anthomyiidae: Hylemya sp.). We assessed seed production and losses to predation in 27 populations for one year and in six populations for a second year. Females set significantly more seed than did hermaphrodites in both years. Of the fitness components we assessed, including the number of flowers per plant, fruit set, seeds/fruit, and proportion of fruits destroyed by Hylemya, only fruit destruction differed significantly between the sexes. In one year, seeds/fruit and predation had a stronger effect on seed set for hermaphrodites than for females. Because predispersal seed predators do not pollinate flowers, their effects may depend on successful pollination of flowers on which they oviposit. To examine if genders differed in pollen limitation and seed predation and/or their interactive effects, in 2011 we hand-pollinated flowers and removed seed predator eggs in a fully factorial design. Both sexes were pollen limited, but their degree of pollen limitation did not differ. However, predation reduced.seed set more for hermaphrodites than for females. We found no significant interaction between hand pollen and seed predation, and no interaction between hand pollination and gender. Our results suggest that while

Radioactive seed immobilization techniques for interstitial brachytherapy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yan, K.; Podder, T.; Buzurovic, I.; Hu, Y.; Dicker, A.; Valicenti, R.; Yu, Y.; Messing, E.; Rubens, D.; Sarkar, N.; Ng, W.

2008-01-01

In prostate brachytherapy, seeds can detach from their deposited sites and move locally in the pelvis or migrate to distant sites including the pulmonary and cardiac regions. Undesirable consequences of seed migration include inadequate dose coverage of the prostate and tissue irradiation effects at the site of migration. Thus, it is clinically important to develop seed immobilization techniques. We first analyze the possible causes for seed movement, and propose three potential techniques for seed immobilization: (1) surgical glue, (2) laser coagulation and (3) diathermy coagulation. The feasibility of each method is explored. Experiments were carried out using fresh bovine livers to investigate the efficacy of seed immobilization using surgical glue. Results have shown that the surgical glue can effectively immobilize the seeds. Evaluation of the radiation dose distribution revealed that the non-immobilized seed movement would change the planned isodose distribution considerably; while by using surgical glue method to immobilize the seeds, the changes were negligible. Prostate brachytherapy seed immobilization is necessary and three alternative mechanisms are promising for addressing this issue. Experiments for exploring the efficacy of the other two proposed methods are ongoing. Devices compatible with the brachytherapy procedure will be designed in future. (orig.)

Super Energy Efficient Design (S.E.E.D.) Home Evaluation

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

German, A. [Alliance for Residential Building Innovation (ARBI), Davis, CA (United States); Dakin, B. [Alliance for Residential Building Innovation (ARBI), Davis, CA (United States); Backman, C. [Alliance for Residential Building Innovation (ARBI), Davis, CA (United States); Weitzel, E. [Alliance for Residential Building Innovation (ARBI), Davis, CA (United States); Springer, D. [Alliance for Residential Building Innovation (ARBI), Davis, CA (United States)

2012-12-01

This report describes the results of evaluation by the Alliance for Residential Building Innovation (ARBI) Building America team of the “Super Energy Efficient Design” (S.E.E.D) home, a 1,935 sq. ft., single-story spec home located in Tucson, AZ. This prototype design was developed with the goal of providing an exceptionally energy efficient yet affordable home and includes numerous aggressive energy features intended to significantly reduce heating and cooling loads such as structural insulated panel (SIP) walls and roof, high performance windows, an ERV, an air-to-water heat pump with mixed-mode radiant and forced air delivery, solar water heating, and rooftop PV. Source energy savings are estimated at 45% over the Building America B10 Benchmark. System commissioning, short term testing, long term monitoring and detailed analysis of results was conducted to identify the performance attributes and cost effectiveness of the whole house measure package.

Feasibility study of a cosmetic cream added with aqueous extract and oil from date (Phoenix dactylifera L.) fruit seed using experimental design.

Science.gov (United States)

Lecheb, Fatma; Benamara, Salem

2015-01-01

This article reports on the feasibility study of a cosmetic cream added with aqueous extract and oil from date (Phoenix dactylifera L.) fruit seed using experimental design. First, the mixture design was applied to optimize the cosmetic formula. The responses (dependent variables) were the spreadability (YSp) and viscosity (YVis), the factors (independent variables) being the weight proportions of the fatty phase (X1), the aqueous date seed extract (X2), and the beeswax (X3). Second, the cosmetic stability study was conducted by applying a full factorial design. Here, three responses were considered [spreadability (Sp), viscosity (Vis), and peroxide index (PI)], the independent variables being the concentration of the date seed oil (DSO) (x1), storage temperature (x2), and storage time (x3). Results showed that in the case of mixture design, the second-order polynomial equations correctly described experimental data. Globally, results show that there is a relatively wide composition range to ensure a suitable cosmetic cream from the point of view of Sp and Vis. Regarding the cosmetic stability, the storage time was found to be the most influential factor on both Vis and PI, which are considered here as indicators of physical and chemical stability of the emulsion, respectively. Finally, the elaborated and commercial cosmetics were compared in terms of pH, Sp, and centrifugation test (Ct).

Pollen- and seed-mediated transgene flow in commercial cotton seed production fields.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Shannon Heuberger

Full Text Available BACKGROUND: Characterizing the spatial patterns of gene flow from transgenic crops is challenging, making it difficult to design containment strategies for markets that regulate the adventitious presence of transgenes. Insecticidal Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt cotton is planted on millions of hectares annually and is a potential source of transgene flow. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: Here we monitored 15 non-Bt cotton (Gossypium hirsutum, L. seed production fields (some transgenic for herbicide resistance, some not for gene flow of the Bt cotton cry1Ac transgene. We investigated seed-mediated gene flow, which yields adventitious Bt cotton plants, and pollen-mediated gene flow, which generates outcrossed seeds. A spatially-explicit statistical analysis was used to quantify the effects of nearby Bt and non-Bt cotton fields at various spatial scales, along with the effects of pollinator abundance and adventitious Bt plants in fields, on pollen-mediated gene flow. Adventitious Bt cotton plants, resulting from seed bags and planting error, comprised over 15% of plants sampled from the edges of three seed production fields. In contrast, pollen-mediated gene flow affected less than 1% of the seed sampled from field edges. Variation in outcrossing was better explained by the area of Bt cotton fields within 750 m of the seed production fields than by the area of Bt cotton within larger or smaller spatial scales. Variation in outcrossing was also positively associated with the abundance of honey bees. CONCLUSIONS/SIGNIFICANCE: A comparison of statistical methods showed that our spatially-explicit analysis was more powerful for understanding the effects of surrounding fields than customary models based on distance. Given the low rates of pollen-mediated gene flow observed in this study, we conclude that careful planting and screening of seeds could be more important than field spacing for limiting gene flow.

Seed counting system evaluation using arduino microcontroller

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Paulo Fernando Escobar Paim

2018-01-01

Full Text Available The development of automated systems has been highlighted in the most diverse productive sectors, among them, the agricultural sector. These systems aim to optimize activities by increasing operational efficiency and quality of work. In this sense, the present work has the objective of evaluating a prototype developed for seed count in laboratory, using Arduino microcontroller. The prototype of the system for seed counting was built using a dosing mechanism commonly used in seeders, electric motor, Arduino Uno, light dependent resistor and light emitting diode. To test the prototype, a completely randomized design (CRD was used in a two-factorial scheme composed of three groups defined according to the number of seeds (500, 1000 and 1500 seeds tested, three speeds of the dosing disc that allowed the distribution in 17, 21 and 32 seeds per second, with 40 repetitions evaluating the seed counting prototype performance in different speeds. The prototype of the bench counter showed a moderate variability of seed number of counted within the nine tests and a high precision in the seed count on the distribution speeds of 17 and 21 seeds per second (s-1 up to 1500 seeds tested. Therefore, based on the observed results, the developed prototype presents itself as an excellent tool for counting seeds in laboratory.

Sensitivity analysis and optimization of system dynamics models : Regression analysis and statistical design of experiments

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Kleijnen, J.P.C.

1995-01-01

This tutorial discusses what-if analysis and optimization of System Dynamics models. These problems are solved, using the statistical techniques of regression analysis and design of experiments (DOE). These issues are illustrated by applying the statistical techniques to a System Dynamics model for

Storage of sunflower seeds

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Denise de Castro Lima

Full Text Available The sunflower is among the top five crops in the world for the production of edible vegetable oil. The species displays rustic behavior, with an excellent edaphic and climatic adaptability index, being able to be cultivated throughout Brazil. Seed quality is the key to increasing production and productivity in the sunflower. The objective of this work was to monitor the viability of sunflower seeds with a view to their conservation when stored in different environments and packaging. The seeds were packed in paper bags, multilayered paper, black polyethylene and PET bottles; and stored for a period of twelve months in the following environments: dry cold room (10 ºC and 55% RH, the ambient conditions of Fortaleza, Ceará, Brazil (30-32 ºC and 75% RH, refrigerator (4 ºC and 38-43% RH and freezer (-20 ºC. Every three months, the water content of the seeds was determined and germination, accelerated ageing, speed of emergence index, and seedling dry weight were evaluated. The experimental design was completely randomized, in a scheme of split-lots, with four replications. It can be concluded that the natural environment is not suitable for the storage of sunflower seeds. Sunflower seeds remain viable for 12 months when stored in a dry cold room, refrigerator or freezer, irrespective of the type of packaging used.

Improve germination of caper (Capparis Spinosa l. seeds by different induction treatments of seed dormancy breaking

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M. R. Labbafi

2018-03-01

Full Text Available Seed dormancy is a common phase of the plant life cycle; different treatments can be used for breaking dormancy. The aim of this study was to find the best treatment for breaking dormancy and improve germination of caper (Capparis spinosa L.. This study based on the completely randomized design (CRD with 3 replications was done at research Laboratory of Medicinal Plants Institute, ACECR, Karaj, Iran. After different induction treatments containing different levels of potassium nitrate (KNO3, GA3, soaking and soaking with runner water, sulfuric acid, thidiazuron, and benzyl amino-purine, seeds were placed in Petri-dishes and incubated in two temperature regimes, first at fixed 20 ͦC, and second, alternate between 20 and 30 ͦC. The result showed that the germination percentage and germination rate of caper increased up to 75% and 1.35 respectively when the seeds treated with sulfuric acid for 15 min, and 2000 ppm GA3 under alternate 20-30 ͦC temperatures. Caper seed dormancy is mainly due to the inhibitors and hard seed coat that it prevents seed germination.

Irradiation effect on the seed vigor, SOD activity and MDA content in germinating seeds of yellow-seeded and black-seeded rape seed (Brassica napus L.)

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Han Jixiang; Hu Danhong; Liu Houli

1993-01-01

Seeds of a set of near-isogenic lines (Brassica napus L.) with different seed coat color from yellow to black were irradiated by 60 Co γ-rays of 150 krad. Seed vigor, superoxide dismutase (SOD) and malondialdehyde (MDA) in germinating seeds were analysed. In these characters, no significant difference between yellow-seeded lines (YLs) and black-seeded lines (BLs) showed before irradiation. But after irradiation, SOD activity in YLs was lower than that in BLs. While MDA content in YLs was obviously higher that that in DLs. As a result of irradiation, seed vigor of YLs was lower than that in BLs. these results indicated that the irradiation resistance of rape seed was related to the level of SOD as well as protective structure or substances in seed coat and that the radiosensitivity of YLs was higher than that of DLs

A methodology for the design of experiments in computational intelligence with multiple regression models.

Science.gov (United States)

Fernandez-Lozano, Carlos; Gestal, Marcos; Munteanu, Cristian R; Dorado, Julian; Pazos, Alejandro

2016-01-01

The design of experiments and the validation of the results achieved with them are vital in any research study. This paper focuses on the use of different Machine Learning approaches for regression tasks in the field of Computational Intelligence and especially on a correct comparison between the different results provided for different methods, as those techniques are complex systems that require further study to be fully understood. A methodology commonly accepted in Computational intelligence is implemented in an R package called RRegrs. This package includes ten simple and complex regression models to carry out predictive modeling using Machine Learning and well-known regression algorithms. The framework for experimental design presented herein is evaluated and validated against RRegrs. Our results are different for three out of five state-of-the-art simple datasets and it can be stated that the selection of the best model according to our proposal is statistically significant and relevant. It is of relevance to use a statistical approach to indicate whether the differences are statistically significant using this kind of algorithms. Furthermore, our results with three real complex datasets report different best models than with the previously published methodology. Our final goal is to provide a complete methodology for the use of different steps in order to compare the results obtained in Computational Intelligence problems, as well as from other fields, such as for bioinformatics, cheminformatics, etc., given that our proposal is open and modifiable.

A methodology for the design of experiments in computational intelligence with multiple regression models

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Carlos Fernandez-Lozano

2016-12-01

Full Text Available The design of experiments and the validation of the results achieved with them are vital in any research study. This paper focuses on the use of different Machine Learning approaches for regression tasks in the field of Computational Intelligence and especially on a correct comparison between the different results provided for different methods, as those techniques are complex systems that require further study to be fully understood. A methodology commonly accepted in Computational intelligence is implemented in an R package called RRegrs. This package includes ten simple and complex regression models to carry out predictive modeling using Machine Learning and well-known regression algorithms. The framework for experimental design presented herein is evaluated and validated against RRegrs. Our results are different for three out of five state-of-the-art simple datasets and it can be stated that the selection of the best model according to our proposal is statistically significant and relevant. It is of relevance to use a statistical approach to indicate whether the differences are statistically significant using this kind of algorithms. Furthermore, our results with three real complex datasets report different best models than with the previously published methodology. Our final goal is to provide a complete methodology for the use of different steps in order to compare the results obtained in Computational Intelligence problems, as well as from other fields, such as for bioinformatics, cheminformatics, etc., given that our proposal is open and modifiable.

Application of seeding and automatic differentiation in a large scale ocean circulation model

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Frode Martinsen

2005-07-01

Full Text Available Computation of the Jacobian in a 3-dimensional general ocean circulation model is considered in this paper. The Jacobian matrix considered in this paper is square, large and sparse. When a large and sparse Jacobian is being computed, proper seeding is essential to reduce computational times. This paper presents a manually designed seeding motivated by the Arakawa-C staggered grid, and gives results for the manually designed seeding as compated to identity seeding and optimal seeding. Finite differences are computed for reference.

立式浅盆型复合种盘大豆排种器结构设计与参数优化%Design and Parameter Optimization on Vertical Shallow-basin Type Composites Seed-plate Soybean Seed-metering Devices

Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China (English)

刘宏新; 徐晓萌; 付露露; 王晨

2016-01-01

为满足机械式精密排种器高速作业的要求，以增加充填力的方式对立式圆盘排种器进行改进，设计了一种利用重力与离心力以及种子间相互作用力作为复合力进行充种的双腔立式浅盆型复合种盘机械式精密排种器，并对排种盘的特征参数进行了优化.利用离散元仿真分析软件 EDEM对立式浅盆型种盘进行了以排种盘直径、折边倾角、作业速度为影响因素，充填率为性能指标的三因素五水平二次正交旋转组合仿真设计，并运用Design-expert 8．0软件对数据进行了处理，获得了排种盘最优的结构参数组合，同时利用物理样机试验进行了验证.研究结果表明：立式浅盆型种盘的最佳结构参数组合为排种盘直径234 mm、折边倾角68°，在8~12 km/h高速作业时，合格率均能达到90％以上.研究结果为产品定型提供了定量的依据.%To meet the working requirements of mechanical precision seed-metering device at high speed,a vertical shallow basin-type composite seed-plate seed-metering device with double cavity was designed,the seed-metering device might utilize gravity,centrifugal force and interaction force among the seeds to increase the filling force,improve the filling performance of seed-metering device at high speed.And in order to obtain the structure parameters of seed-metering devices to further improve the quality of precision seeding,the software of EDEM was utilized to make the three factors and five lev-els of all factors rotational quadratic orthogonal experiments which took the diameter of seed-plate, folding angle,working speed as the influence factors,and filling rate as the performance index,the experimental scheme was designed.And Design-expert 8.0 software was used to deal with the simula-tion data,the optimal structural parameters of the seed plate were obtained,the physical prototype test was made to verify the values of simulation.The experimental

Screening Test of Greenhouse Seeding Exercise Matrix for Tissue Culture Seeding of Dendrobium Officinale Kimura et Migo

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Zhou Yuan

2015-01-01

Full Text Available The Dendrobium officinale Kimura et Migo has a high demand on planting matrix, while its tissue culture seeding has much more demands on planting matrix. To find out a seeding exercise matrix to enhance the survival rate of tissue culture seeding of Dendrobium officinale Kimura et Migo more efficiently, this article carries out a screening test of greenhouse seeding exercise matrix material for tissue culture seeding of Dendrobium officinale Kimura et Migo. The test adopts full random test design, mainly for screening test of five matrix materials, namely pine bark, camphor tree bark, fern root, peanut shell and longan bark. Compare the impact of prepared seeding exercise matrix on the survival rate and growth trend (including plant height, growth rate and bud growth rate. The test result shows that: The seeding exercise matrix prepared by fern root is the most efficient, and the survival rate, plant height, growth rate and bud growth rate have achieved 100%, 4.5cm, 43.67% and 54.33% respectively. The main reason may be that the seeding exercise matrix C prepared by fern root is fairly loose and has a great water permeability, which is conducive to the growth of Dendrobium officinale Kimura et Migo.

Development and Performance Evaluation of Fluted Pumpkin Seed Dehulling Machine

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M. M. Odewole

2017-08-01

Full Text Available A machine for dehulling fluted pumpkin seed (Telfairia occidentalis was developed. The main objective of developing the machine was to provide a better substitute to traditional methods of dehulling the seed which contains edible oil of high medicinal and nutritional values. Traditional methods are full of drudgery, slow, injury prone and would lead to low and poor outputs in terms of quantity and quality of dehulled products. The machine is made of five major parts: the feed hopper (for holding the seeds to be dehulled before getting into the dehulling chamber, dehulling chamber (the part of the machine that impacts forces on seeds thereby causing fractures and opening of seeds coats for the delivery of the oily kernels, discharge unit (exit for oily kernels and seed coats after dehulling, the frame (for structural support and stability of all parts of the machine and electric motor (power source of the machine.The development process involved design of major components (shaft diameter (20 mm, machine velocity (7.59 m/s, power requirement (3hp single phase electric motor and structural support of mild steel angle iron, selection of construction materials and fabrication. ANSYS R14.5 machine design computer software was used to design the shaft and structural support; while other components were designed with conventional design method of using design equations. The machine works on the principle of centrifugal and impact forces. Performance evaluation was carried out after fabrication and 87.26%, 2.83g/s, 8.9% and 3.84%were obtained for dehulling efficiency, throughput capacity, percentage partially dehulled and percentage undehulled respectively.

Organic leek seed production - securing seed quality

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Deleuran, Lise Christina; Boelt, Birte

2011-01-01

To maintain integrity in organic farming, availability of organically produced GM-free seed of varieties adapted to organic production systems is of vital impor-tance. Despite recent achievements, organic seed supply for a number of vegetable species is insufficient. Still, in many countries...... seeds. Tunnel production is a means of securing seed of high genetic purity and quality, and organic leek (Allium porrum L.) seed production was tested in tunnels in Denmark. The present trial focused on steckling size and in all years large stecklings had a positive effect on both seed yield...

Organic Leek Seed Production - Securing Seed Quality

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Deleuran, L C; Boelt, B

2011-01-01

To maintain integrity in organic farming, availability of organically produced GM-free seed of varieties adapted to organic production systems is of vital impor-tance. Despite recent achievements, organic seed supply for a number of vegetable species is insufficient. Still, in many countries...... seeds. Tunnel production is a means of securing seed of high genetic purity and quality, and organic leek (Allium porrum L.) seed production was tested in tunnels in Denmark. The present trial focused on steckling size and in all years large stecklings had a positive effect on both seed yield...

Autoradiography for iodine-125 seeds

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Alberti, W.; Divoux, S.; Pothmann, B.; Tabor, P.; Hermann, K.P.; Harder, D.

1993-01-01

To study the interior design of model 6702 and 6711 iodine-125 seeds, contact autoradiographs were performed using mammography film. Improved resolution was obtained using a pin-hole camera with a hole of 0.1 mm x 0.1 mm. With these techniques, qualitative determination of the relative activity distribution within each seed was possible. The number of the activated resin spheres and the positions of the centers of these spheres can be exactly determined. A model calculation shows that variations in the arrangement of the activated spheres within a seed have a moderate influence on the dose distribution at source distances below 10 mm. Knowing the exact source configuration may be useful when comparing dose calculations with measured data for model 6702 125 I seeds which are currently employed in ophthalmic plaque and implant therapy of other tumors. 16 refs., 5 figs., 2 tabs

Soil Seed Bank Responses to Postfire Herbicide and Native Seeding Treatments Designed to Control Bromus tectorum in a Pinyon–Juniper Woodland at Zion National Park, USA

Science.gov (United States)

Brooks, Matthew L.; Hondo Brisbin, graduate student; Andrea Thode, Associate Professor; Karen Weber, graduate student

2013-01-01

The continued threat of an invasive, annual brome (Bromus) species in the western United States has created the need for integrated approaches to postfire restoration. Additionally, the high germination rate, high seed production, and seed bank carryover of annual bromes points to the need to assay soil seed banks as part of monitoring programs. We sampled the soil seed bank to help assess the effectiveness of treatments utilizing the herbicide Plateau® (imazapic) and a perennial native seed mix to control annual Bromus species and enhance perennial native plant establishment following a wildfire in Zion National Park, Utah. This study is one of few that have monitored the effects of imazapic and native seeding on a soil seed bank community and the only one that we know of that has done so in a pinyon–juniper woodland. The study made use of untreated, replicated controls, which is not common for seed bank studies. One year posttreatment, Bromus was significantly reduced in plots sprayed with herbicide. By the second year posttreatment, the effects of imazapic were less evident and convergence with the controls was evident. Emergence of seeded species was low for the duration of the study. Dry conditions and possible interactions with imazapic probably contributed to the lack of emergence of seeded native species. The perennial grass sand dropseed outperformed the other species included in the seed mix. We also examined how the treatments affected the soil seed bank community as a whole. We found evidence that the herbicide was reducing several native annual forbs and one nonnative annual forb. However, overall effects on the community were not significant. The results of our study were similar to what others have found in that imazapic is effective in providing a short-term reduction in Bromus density, although it can impact emergence of nontarget species.

Empty seeds are not always bad: simultaneous effect of seed emptiness and masting on animal seed predation.

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Ramón Perea

Full Text Available Seed masting and production of empty seeds have often been considered independently as different strategies to reduce seed predation by animals. Here, we integrate both phenomena within the whole assemblage of seed predators (both pre and post-dispersal and in two contrasting microsites (open vs. sheltered to improve our understanding of the factors controlling seed predation in a wind-dispersed tree (Ulmus laevis. In years with larger crop sizes more avian seed predators were attracted with an increase in the proportion of full seeds predated on the ground. However, for abundant crops, the presence of empty seeds decreased the proportion of full seeds predated. Empty seeds remained for a very long period in the tree, making location of full seeds more difficult for pre-dispersal predators and expanding the overall seed drop period at a very low cost (in dry biomass and allocation of C, N and P. Parthenocarpy (non-fertilized seeds was the main cause of seed emptiness whereas seed abortion was produced in low quantity. These aborted seeds fell prematurely and, thus, could not work as deceptive seeds. A proportion of 50% empty seeds significantly reduced ground seed predation by 26%. However, a high rate of parthenocarpy (beyond 50% empty seeds did not significantly reduce seed predation in comparison to 50% empty seeds. We also found a high variability and unpredictability in the production of empty seeds, both at tree and population level, making predator deception more effective. Open areas were especially important to facilitate seed survival since rodents (the main post-dispersal predators consumed seeds mostly under shrub cover. In elm trees parthenocarpy is a common event that might work as an adaptive strategy to reduce seed predation. Masting per se did not apparently reduce the overall proportion of seeds predated in this wind-dispersed tree, but kept great numbers of seeds unconsumed.

Evaluation of different methods to overcome in vitro seed dormancy ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

SAM

2014-09-03

Sep 3, 2014 ... Seeds from yellow passion fruit (Passiflora edulis Sims) present dormancy imposed by the seed-coat. The present study aimed to evaluate some methods to overcome dormancy of seeds from P. edulis grown under in vitro conditions. The experimental design was completely randomized in factorial scheme ...

Modelling of seed yield and its components in tall fescue (Festuca ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

AJL

2011-10-03

Oct 3, 2011 ... Ridge regression analysis was used to derive a steady algorithmic .... included three replicates [3 × 6 = 18 plots (treatments), stochastic ..... The parameter estimates of the five seed yield components of a total of 327 samples.

The Effect of Salicylic Acid and Gibberellin on Seed Reserve Utilization, Germination and Enzyme Activity of Sorghum (Sorghum bicolor L. Seeds Under Drought Stress

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Roghayyeh Sheykhbaglou

2014-03-01

Full Text Available Seed priming methods have been used to increases germination characteristics under stress conditions. The study aimed was to determine the effect of salicylic acid and gibberellin on seed reserve utilization, germination and enzyme activity of sorghum (Sorghum bicolor L. seeds under drought stress. Factorial experiment was carried out in completely randomized design with three replications. The first factor was the seed treatments (unpriming, salicylic acid and gibberellin and the second factor was drought stress (0, -4, -8 and -12 bar. The results indicated that for these traits: germination percentage, germination index, weight of utilized (mobilized seed, seed reserve utilization efficiency, seedling dry weight and seed reserve depletion percentage was a significant treatment Ч drought interaction. Thus priming improved study traits in Sorghum (Sorghum bicolor L. seeds under drought stress. Also, priming improves enzyme activity as compared to the unprimed seeds.

Effect of dates of closing cut on seed yield and seed quality of Stylosanthes guianensis CIAT 184

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Ramphrai Namsilee

2005-09-01

Full Text Available The aim of this field research was to investigate the effect of dates of closing cut on seed yield and seed quality of Stylosanthes guianensis CIAT 184 at Khon Kaen Animal Nutrition Research and Development Center, during May 2003 to February 2004. A randomized complete block design with four replications was used. Experimental treatments consisted of five dates of closing cut spaced at about 14-day intervals (27 August, 10 September, 24 September, 8 October 2003 and uncut.The results showed that date of closing cut had a significant effect on seed yields and pure germinable seed yields (PGSY of S. guianensis CIAT 184. Plots closed on 10 September produced the highest seed yield and PGSY (P<0.05 of 564 and 553 kg/ha, followed by plots closed on 24 September and 27 August (422 and 406; 405 and 391 kg/ha. Uncut plots produced low yield and plots closed on 8 October produced the lowest seed yield and PGSY (401 and 388; 365 and 356 kg/ha. There were no significant differences in seed purity percentage, germination percentage and 1000-seed weight among treatments. Among the dates of closing cut studied, forage DM yield and CP yield were subsequently increased as date of closing cut was delayed. Based on this research, it was concluded that early-September was the optimum date of closing cut for S. guianensis CIAT 184 cultivation for seed production in Northeast Thailand.

Distributed collaborative probabilistic design of multi-failure structure with fluid-structure interaction using fuzzy neural network of regression

Science.gov (United States)

Song, Lu-Kai; Wen, Jie; Fei, Cheng-Wei; Bai, Guang-Chen

2018-05-01

To improve the computing efficiency and precision of probabilistic design for multi-failure structure, a distributed collaborative probabilistic design method-based fuzzy neural network of regression (FR) (called as DCFRM) is proposed with the integration of distributed collaborative response surface method and fuzzy neural network regression model. The mathematical model of DCFRM is established and the probabilistic design idea with DCFRM is introduced. The probabilistic analysis of turbine blisk involving multi-failure modes (deformation failure, stress failure and strain failure) was investigated by considering fluid-structure interaction with the proposed method. The distribution characteristics, reliability degree, and sensitivity degree of each failure mode and overall failure mode on turbine blisk are obtained, which provides a useful reference for improving the performance and reliability of aeroengine. Through the comparison of methods shows that the DCFRM reshapes the probability of probabilistic analysis for multi-failure structure and improves the computing efficiency while keeping acceptable computational precision. Moreover, the proposed method offers a useful insight for reliability-based design optimization of multi-failure structure and thereby also enriches the theory and method of mechanical reliability design.

An investigation of radiosensitivity of selected stored seed and seed borne fungi

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Maity, Jyoti Prakash; Chatterjee, S.; Mishra, D.; Chakraborty, A.; Saha, A.; Santra, S.C.; Chanda, S.

2004-01-01

Spoilage of nutritional value of the grains by the microbes, especially those producing mycotoxins, is a worldwide economic problem. The decontamination method, using gamma ray or fast electrons, is receiving growing attention. The present investigation was designed to determine an appropriate dose-range of gamma radiation for the stored grains to reduce levels of pathogenic fungi with minimal loss in viability, food value and/or germinating potential of the selected seeds. Further the study also aimed at assessing response of specific fungus to gamma irradiation in isolated condition and when attached to seeds to discern host-specific interaction if any, of the concerned fungi

Effect of free and symbiotic nitrogen fixing bacterial co-inoculation on seed and seedling of soybean seeds produced under deficit water condition

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Hamed Hadi

2016-04-01

Full Text Available Effect of free and symbiotic nitrogen fixing bacteria on seed and seedling produced seeds under deficit irrigation was conducted in laboratory and field experiments in 2006. In laboratory of karaj’s Seed and Plant Research and Certificate Institute an experiment was conducted based on factorial in form of completely randomized design with four replications and in field’s of Islamic Azad University, Varamin Branch were split factorial in form of randomized completely block design with three replications. Treatments included water stress [Irrigation after 50 (Normal irrigation, 100 (Middle stress, 150 (Severe stress mm evaporation from pan class A], Cultivar [Manokin & Williams and SRF×T3 Line] and inoculation [Inoculation with Bradyrhizobium japonicum, Bradyrhizobium japonicum co-inoculated with Azotobacter chroococcum, No seed inoculation]. Results showed that drought stress decreased the uniformity and germination speed and seedling emergence. Bacteria increased leaf dry weight, stem dry weight, leaf area and seedling vigor index but had no effect on emergence. In irrigation levels inoculated treatments had higher seedling length, leaf, stem, seedling dry weight and seedling vigor. Severs stress seeds inoculated with Bradyrhizobium japonicum had higher root dry weight than control. Therefore in seeds which were produced under deficit irrigation conditions, bacteria increased seedlings vigor.

Design and construction of a prototype for the continuous extraction of Sacha Inchi seed oil with a cold pressing process

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Nelson Ramiro Gutiérrez Suquillo

2017-03-01

Full Text Available This work presents the design of an oil extractor from the Sacha Inchi seed with an extruder screw mechanism allows a maximum yield of 34% through a continuous cold extraction process at working temperatures below 45 ° C. The temperature is a critical parameter because when it exceeds 50 ° C, the oil decreases its nutritional value by the loss of its most important properties such as: Omega 3 (48%, Omega 6 (36%, Omega 9 (8%, digestibility (96%, vitamin A and E. The methodology used for the development of the work was the concurrent and simultaneous design according to the recommendations of National Instruments. The prototype consists of the extruder screw, pressure chamber, feed chamber, sieve and filter. The advantage of modular design is the flexibility it offers, so that when changing certain components it is possible to use the prototype to extract oil of different types and sizes of seeds. The products obtained from this mechanism are: 33.34% of oil and the solid residue known as Cake in 66.66% which has many applications in the field of human food and pets. Due to the processing of a food product, the requirements of ISO 22005 were applied for the design and implementation of the prototype.

Drying and osmotic conditioning in Hancornia speciosa Gomes seeds

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Tathiana Elisa Masetto

Full Text Available Hancornia speciosa is a native tree species of the Brazilian Cerrado whose seeds are desiccation sensitive. In this study, we aimed to evaluate drying and osmotic conditioning in H. speciosa seeds. We used fresh seeds with 48% moisture content, which were slowly dried until they attained contents of 20%, 15%, 10% and 5%. To evaluate osmotic conditioning, the seeds were imbibed in 12 mL osmotic solutions at 0.0; -0.2; -0.4 and -0.6 MPa for two days. After that, they were dehydrated until their original moisture content. The experiments were carried out in a completely randomized design with four repetitions with 50 seeds each. Reduction in moisture content from 20% to 5% decreased the physiological potential of seeds. H. speciosa seeds do not require osmotic priming with PEG solutions, because imbibition of seeds in osmotic solutions of up to -0.6 MPa results in reduction of germination rate and seedling length.

Amino acid composition of soybean seeds as affected by climatic variables

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Constanza Soledad Carrera

2011-12-01

Full Text Available The objective of this work was to perform a quantitative analysis of the amino acid composition of soybean seeds as affected by climatic variables during seed filling. Amino acids were determined from seed samples taken at harvest in 31 multi-environment field trials carried out in Argentina. Total amino acids ranged from 31.69 to 49.14%, and total essential and nonessential amino acids varied from 12.83 to 19.02% and from 18.86 to 31.15%, respectively. Variance components expressed as the percentage of total variation showed that the environment was the most important source of variation for all traits, followed by the genotype x environment interaction. Significant explanatory linear regressions were detected for amino acid content regarding: average daily mean air temperature and cumulative solar radiation, during seed filling; precipitation minus potential evapotranspiration, during the whole reproductive period; and the combinations of these climatic variables. Each amino acid behaves differently according to environmental conditions, indicating compensatory effects among them.

Improving the seed germination of little bluestem with selection

Science.gov (United States)

Rapid seed germination is an important characteristic when it comes to plant stand establishment under variable environmental conditions. This research was designed to improve the seed germination of six experimental Syn-0 lines of little bluestem [Schizachyrium scoparium (Michx.) Nash]. Two cycle...

Responses of quinoa (Chenopodium quinoa Willd. seeds stored under different germination temperatures

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Andressa Strenske

2017-01-01

Full Text Available In this experiment, we assessed the germination and vigor of quinoa seeds packed in paper bags and stored at room temperature for 36, 85, 119, 146, 177 and 270 days. The seeds were harvested under experimental conditions in Marechal Candido Rondon, Paraná, during the 2012/13 growing seasons. Four replicates of 100 seeds each were established for each storage time, and the seeds were evaluated, on paper, based on the BOD under the following experimental temperature conditions: alternating temperatures of 20 and 30°C and a constant temperature of 25°C. The seeds from both treatments were subject to seven-hour photoperiods and 25°C under continuous darkness. The germinated seeds were counted daily for eight days after sowing, and we evaluated the percentages of normal and abnormal seedlings and the germination index. The experimental design was completely randomized using a split-plot design. Increasing the storage time decreased the percentage of germinated seeds and seed vigor due to the increased number of abnormal seedlings. Over the 430-day study period, quinoa seed germination completely declined under the experimental conditions. The final number of germinating seeds should be evaluated 7 days after the beginning of the germination test.

Does the informal seed system threaten cowpea seed health?

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Biemond, P.C.; Oguntade, O.; Lava Kumar, P.; Stomph, T.J.; Termorshuizen, A.J.; Struik, P.C.

2013-01-01

Most smallholder farmers in developing countries depend on an informal Seed System (SS) for their seed. The informal SS is often criticized because farmer-produced seed samples are not tested for seed health, thus accepting the risk of planting infected seeds. Here we aimed at assessing the quality

Spaced Seed Data Structures for De Novo Assembly

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Inanç Birol

2015-01-01

Full Text Available De novo assembly of the genome of a species is essential in the absence of a reference genome sequence. Many scalable assembly algorithms use the de Bruijn graph (DBG paradigm to reconstruct genomes, where a table of subsequences of a certain length is derived from the reads, and their overlaps are analyzed to assemble sequences. Despite longer subsequences unlocking longer genomic features for assembly, associated increase in compute resources limits the practicability of DBG over other assembly archetypes already designed for longer reads. Here, we revisit the DBG paradigm to adapt it to the changing sequencing technology landscape and introduce three data structure designs for spaced seeds in the form of paired subsequences. These data structures address memory and run time constraints imposed by longer reads. We observe that when a fixed distance separates seed pairs, it provides increased sequence specificity with increased gap length. Further, we note that Bloom filters would be suitable to implicitly store spaced seeds and be tolerant to sequencing errors. Building on this concept, we describe a data structure for tracking the frequencies of observed spaced seeds. These data structure designs will have applications in genome, transcriptome and metagenome assemblies, and read error correction.

Biomimetics on seed dispersal: survey and insights for space exploration

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Pandolfi, Camilla; Izzo, Dario

2013-01-01

Seeds provide the vital genetic link and dispersal agent between successive generations of plants. Without seed dispersal as a means of reproduction, many plants would quickly die out. Because plants lack any sort of mobility and remain in the same spot for their entire lives, they rely on seed dispersal to transport their offspring throughout the environment. This can be accomplished either collectively or individually; in any case as seeds ultimately abdicate their movement, they are at the mercy of environmental factors. Thus, seed dispersal strategies are characterized by robustness, adaptability, intelligence (both behavioral and morphological), and mass and energy efficiency (including the ability to utilize environmental sources of energy available): all qualities that advanced engineering systems aim at in general, and in particular those that need to enable complex endeavors such as space exploration. Plants evolved and adapted their strategy according to their environment, and taken together, they enclose many desirable characteristics that a space mission needs to have. Understanding in detail how plants control the development of seeds, fabricate structural components for their dispersal, build molecular machineries to keep seeds dormant up to the right moment and monitor the environment to release them at the right time could provide several solutions impacting current space mission design practices. It can lead to miniaturization, higher integration and packing efficiency, energy efficiency and higher autonomy and robustness. Consequently, there would appear to be good reasons for considering biomimetic solutions from plant kingdom when designing space missions, especially to other celestial bodies, where solid and liquid surfaces, atmosphere, etc constitute and are obviously parallel with the terrestrial environment where plants evolved. In this paper, we review the current state of biomimetics on seed dispersal to improve space mission design

Application of simplex-centroid mixture design to optimize stabilizer combinations for ice cream manufacture.

Science.gov (United States)

BahramParvar, Maryam; Tehrani, Mostafa Mazaheri; Razavi, Seyed M A; Koocheki, Arash

2015-03-01

This study aimed to obtain the optimum formulation for stabilizers in ice cream that could contest with blends presented nowadays. Thus, different mixtures of three stabilizers, i.e. basil seed gum, carboxymethyl cellulose, and guar gum, at two concentrations (0.15 % & 0.35 %) were studied using mixture design methodology. The influence of these mixtures on some properties of ice cream and the regression models for them were also determined. Generally, high ratios of basil seed gum in mixture developed the apparent viscosity of ice cream mixes and decreased the melting rate. Increasing proportion of this stabilizer as well as guar gum in the mixtures at concentration of 0.15 % enhanced the overrun of samples. Based on the optimization criteria, the most excellent combination was 84.43 % basil seed gum and 15.57 % guar gum at concentration of 0.15 %. This research proved the capability of basil seed gum as a novel stabilizer in ice cream stabilization.

Efficiency of alfalfa seed processing with different seed purity

OpenAIRE

Đokić, Dragoslav; Stanisavljević, Rade; Terzić, Dragan; Milenković, Jasmina; Radivojević, Gordana; Koprivica, Ranko; Štrbanović, Ratibor

2015-01-01

The work was carried out analysis of the impact of the initial purity of raw alfalfa seed on the resulting amount of processed seed in the processing. Alfalfa is very important perennial forage legume which is used for fodder and seed production. Alfalfa seed is possible to achieve high yields and very good financial effects. To obtain the seed material with good characteristics complex machines for cleaning and sorting seeds are used. In the processing center of the Institute for forage crop...

Changes in seed rain across Atlantic Forest fragments in Northeast Brazil

Science.gov (United States)

Freitas, Cíntia Gomes; Dambros, Cristian; Camargo, José Luís Campana

2013-11-01

The objectives of this study were to characterize the distribution of seeds in remnant fragments of the Atlantic Coastal Forest and to determine whether the species diversity, seed weight, and species composition of plant communities are altered by forest fragmentation. A transect of 100 m was established in the core of each of nine fragments of Atlantic Coastal Forest in a private sugarcane plantation in the state of Alagoas, NE Brazil, and ten seed-traps were distributed at intervals of 10 m each along the transects. For 12 consecutive months seeds were collected, dried, counted, weighed, and identified to species. Seeds were assigned to categories according to their size, dispersal mode, and shade tolerance. Multiple regression models and Mantel correlation tests were used to detect the effects of fragment size, percent forest cover nearby, distance from the source area, and distance from the nearest fragment on species diversity, mean seed weight, and species similarity. Analyses were carried out for all species and for subsets corresponding to each seed category. A total of 21,985 diaspores of 190 species were collected. Most seeds were small, shade-intolerant, and zoochoric, which corroborates other studies of fragmented forest landscapes and reflects the high disturbance levels in isolated forest remnants. Our data indicate that fragmentation processes such as habitat loss can alter species diversity and species composition by reducing habitat availability and increasing fragment isolation. We also found that large-seeded species are more affected by fragment isolation, possibly because their seed dispersers rarely cross non-forested areas between fragments, while zoochoric species are more strongly affected by fragment size and apparently more strongly associated with local edaphic conditions than with distance from seed sources.

Condutividade elétrica em função do teor de água inicial de sementes de amendoim Electrical conductivity and water content in peanut seeds

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Rafael Marani Barbosa

2012-01-01

subsequently the seed water content was adjusted to 5, 7, 9, 11, 13 and 15% by the method of controlled atmosphere. A completely randomized design with treatments arranged in a 4×6 factorial design (seed lots × seed water content levels for each cultivar and four replications were used. The results for the factor seed water content were subjected to the analysis regression. The higher relationship of electrical conductivity and seed vigor occurred when the seed lots presents seed moisture content varying from 9 to 15%. Seeds with 5-7% moisture should not be subjected to electrical conductivity test, because lots express high standard germination and vigor. The electrical conductivity of peanut seeds is influenced by the seed moisture content and the stabilization of the results occurs when the seeds have moisture content between 10 and 14%.

Viability and Biochemical Content Changes in Seed Storage of Jabon Putih (Anthocephalus Cadamba (Roxb Miq.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Naning Yuniarti

2015-08-01

Full Text Available Seed deterioration is the process of deteriorated seed in view of viability that changed the physiological and chemical content. The aim of this research is to find out the effect of moisture content and storage on viability and biochemical content of jabon putih seed. Completely Randomized Design was used for decreasing moisture content based on seed drying time for 0, 24, 48, 72, 96, 120 hours, and Completely Randomized Factorial Design was used for the combination of moisture content (drying time for 0, 24, 48, 72, 96, 120 hours and room storage (ambient room, air-conditioned room, refrigerator. The results of this research are: (1 seed drying time and seed storage affected the change of seed viability and biochemical content, (2 seed drying time and seed storage influence significantly the value of moisture content, germination percentage, and biochemical content (lipid, carbohydrate, protein, (3 The longer time of seed drying and seed storage has decreased the seed moisture content, germination percentage, and the carbohydrate content, but it has increased the content of lipid and protein, and (4 the seeds were stored in refrigerator has better viability compared to dry cold storage and ambient room.

Design of Soybean Seed Selecting Machine and Its Improvement%大豆种子清选机的设计及改进

Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China (English)

张军

2015-01-01

在简介国内外大豆清选技术的基础上，设计3LD－ZP型大豆种子清选机。介绍大豆种子清选机的结构组成、工作过程及主要影响因素，提出结构改进方案，为提高大豆种子的分选质量提供适用机具。%In the article, it designed type 3LD-ZP soybean seed selecting machine on the basis of briefly introducing the technology of soybean selecting at home and abroad. It introduced structure components, operating process and main influence factors of soybean seed selecting machine, raised improvement plan for the structure, in order to provide suitable machinery for increasing selecting quality of soybean seed.

[Reason for dormancy of Cuscuta chinensis seed and solving method].

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Xuemin; He, Jiaqing; Cai, Jing; Dong, Zhenguo

2010-02-01

To study the reason for the deep dormancy of the aged Cuscuta chinensis seed and find the solving method. The separated and combined treatments were applied in the orthogonal designed experiments. The aged seed had well water-absorbency; the water and ethanol extracts of the seeds showed an inhibition effect on germination capacity of the seeds. The main reason for the deep dormancy of aged C. chinensis seed is the inhibitors existed in seed. There are two methods to solve the problem. The seeds is immersed in 98% of H2SO4 for 2 min followed by 500 mg x L(-1) of GA3 treatment for 60 min, or in 100 mg x L(-1) of NaOH for 20 min followed by 500 mg x L(-1) of GA3 treatment for 120 min.

Effects of Accelerated Aging on Soybean Seed Germination Indexes at Laboratory Conditions

OpenAIRE

Zahra RASTEGAR; Mohammad SEDGHI; Saeid KHOMARI

2011-01-01

Reduction of seedling growth is a consequence of seed deterioration. An experiment was conducted to evaluate the effects of duration of seed aging on soybean seed germination characteristics. Experiment conducted as completely randomized design with 4 replications. The seeds of �DPX� line of soybean with 15-16% moisture were incubated for 3, 7, 10, 14, 17 day at 40�C in sealed containers for ageing treatment and non aged seeds were considered as control. Results showed that rapid aging treatm...

Exploration of Shorea robusta (Sal seeds, kernels and its oil

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Shashi Kumar C.

2016-12-01

Full Text Available Physical, mechanical, and chemical properties of Shorea robusta seed with wing, seed without wing, and kernel were investigated in the present work. The physico-chemical composition of sal oil was also analyzed. The physico-mechanical properties and proximate composition of seed with wing, seed without wing, and kernel at three moisture contents of 9.50% (w.b, 9.54% (w.b, and 12.14% (w.b, respectively, were studied. The results show that the moisture content of the kernel was highest as compared to seed with wing and seed without wing. The sphericity of the kernel was closer to that of a sphere as compared to seed with wing and seed without wing. The hardness of the seed with wing (32.32, N/mm and seed without wing (42.49, N/mm was lower than the kernels (72.14, N/mm. The proximate composition such as moisture, protein, carbohydrates, oil, crude fiber, and ash content were also determined. The kernel (30.20%, w/w contains higher oil percentage as compared to seed with wing and seed without wing. The scientific data from this work are important for designing of equipment and processes for post-harvest value addition of sal seeds.

The impact of global signal regression on resting state correlations: are anti-correlated networks introduced?

Science.gov (United States)

Murphy, Kevin; Birn, Rasmus M; Handwerker, Daniel A; Jones, Tyler B; Bandettini, Peter A

2009-02-01

Low-frequency fluctuations in fMRI signal have been used to map several consistent resting state networks in the brain. Using the posterior cingulate cortex as a seed region, functional connectivity analyses have found not only positive correlations in the default mode network but negative correlations in another resting state network related to attentional processes. The interpretation is that the human brain is intrinsically organized into dynamic, anti-correlated functional networks. Global variations of the BOLD signal are often considered nuisance effects and are commonly removed using a general linear model (GLM) technique. This global signal regression method has been shown to introduce negative activation measures in standard fMRI analyses. The topic of this paper is whether such a correction technique could be the cause of anti-correlated resting state networks in functional connectivity analyses. Here we show that, after global signal regression, correlation values to a seed voxel must sum to a negative value. Simulations also show that small phase differences between regions can lead to spurious negative correlation values. A combination breath holding and visual task demonstrates that the relative phase of global and local signals can affect connectivity measures and that, experimentally, global signal regression leads to bell-shaped correlation value distributions, centred on zero. Finally, analyses of negatively correlated networks in resting state data show that global signal regression is most likely the cause of anti-correlations. These results call into question the interpretation of negatively correlated regions in the brain when using global signal regression as an initial processing step.

Physiological quality and seed respiration of primed Jatropha curcas seeds

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Micheli Angelica Horbach

2017-11-01

Full Text Available ABSTRACT Seed deterioration is a natural and irreversible process. Nevertheless, seed priming with water and antioxidants can minimize oxidative damage in oilseeds, resulting in attenuation of seed deterioration. The objective of this assay was to evaluate seed priming on respiratory activity of Jatropha curcas submitted to accelerated aging. Seeds from two provenances (Janauba and Pedro J. Caballero were submitted to three priming treatments (control, immersion in deionized water, and with 750 µmol L-1 of ascorbic acid and treated for accelerated aging at 41 °C for 72 h. The results showed that the priming of J. curcas seeds promoted tolerance to accelerated aging. Primed seeds, with ascorbic acid from Janauba and deionized water from Pedro J. Caballero, resulted in a higher percentage of normal seedlings, and increased germination speed index and seed respiration. The decline of physiological quality of J. curcas seeds after accelerated aging is directly associated with a reduction in respiratory activity that is related to seed moisture content.

Stress Regression Analysis of Asphalt Concrete Deck Pavement Based on Orthogonal Experimental Design and Interlayer Contact

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Xuntao; Feng, Jianhu; Wang, Hu; Hong, Shidi; Zheng, Supei

2018-03-01

A three-dimensional finite element box girder bridge and its asphalt concrete deck pavement were established by ANSYS software, and the interlayer bonding condition of asphalt concrete deck pavement was assumed to be contact bonding condition. Orthogonal experimental design is used to arrange the testing plans of material parameters, and an evaluation of the effect of different material parameters in the mechanical response of asphalt concrete surface layer was conducted by multiple linear regression model and using the results from the finite element analysis. Results indicated that stress regression equations can well predict the stress of the asphalt concrete surface layer, and elastic modulus of waterproof layer has a significant influence on stress values of asphalt concrete surface layer.

Adaptation of electrical conductivity test for Moringa oleifera seeds

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Maria Luiza de Souza Medeiros

2017-09-01

Full Text Available This study aimed to adapt and test the efficiency of electrical conductivity methodology test in quality evaluation of Moringa oleifera Lam seeds. For physiological characterization four seed sets were evaluated by tests of germination, seedlings emergency, speed of emergency index, emergency first count, seedlings length and dry mass and cold test. The electrical conductivity test was carried out at 25 °C for 4, 8, 12, 16 and 24 h of immersion in 75 or 125 mL of distilled water using 25 or 50 seeds. A completely randomized design was used. The best results were obtained when using 50 seeds immersed in 75 mL or 125 mL of distilled water for 4 h. The electrical conductivity test adapted to moringa seeds was efficient in ranking sets of different vigor levels. The test may be efficiently used for physiological quality evaluation of moringa seeds.

Price Sensitivity of Demand for Prescription Drugs: Exploiting a Regression Kink Design

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Simonsen, Marianne; Skipper, Lars; Skipper, Niels

This paper investigates price sensitivity of demand for prescription drugs using drug purchase records for at 20% random sample of the Danish population. We identify price responsiveness by exploiting exogenous variation in prices caused by kinked reimbursement schemes and implement a regression ...... education and income are, however, more responsive to the price. Also, essential drugs that prevent deterioration in health and prolong life have lower associated average price sensitivity....... kink design. Thus, within a unifying framework we uncover price sensitivity for different subpopulations and types of drugs. The results suggest low average price responsiveness with corresponding price elasticities ranging from -0.08 to -0.25, implying that demand is inelastic. Individuals with lower...

Evaluation of Wheat (Triticum aestivum, L. Seed Quality of Certified Seed and Farm-Saved Seed in Three Provinces of Iran

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Khazaei Fardin

2016-06-01

Full Text Available The objective of this study was to study the seed quality aspects of wheat (Triticum aestivum L. and the extent of weed seed contamination present in wheat seeds produced in different regions of Iran. Four districts (cities, each including 12 fields (six certified seed fields and six farm-saved seed fields, were selected in each regions (provinces. One kilogram of the wheat seed sample was collected from each field for analysis in the laboratory. Wheat seeding was commonly done by farm-saved seed sourced from within the farm due to the high costs of certified seeds purchased from outside sources, followed by the low seed quality. The use of a farm-saved seed resulted in a higher germination rate and a lower mean time to germination compared with another system. The more positive temperatures experienced by mother plants could decrease the number of normal seedling and seedling length vigor index. Generally there was virtually no difference about physiological quality between certified seed and farm-saved seed sector that is related to lower quality of certified seed. The certified produced seeds had the lower number of weed seed, species and genus before and after cleaning. The highest seed purity and 1000 seed weight was obtained from the certified seed production system. The need for cleaning the farm-saved seed samples before sowing is one of the important findings of this survey.

Seed dormancy and seed longevity: from genetic variation to gene identification

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Nguyen, T.P.

2014-01-01

Seed dormancy and seed longevity are the most important survival traits in the soil seed bank. Both traits are induced during seed maturation and evolved to assure seed survival during environmental conditions that cannot support the regular course of life. Seed dormancy is related to the timing of

Influence of Fungicides Application and Seed Processing on Sunflower Seed Quality

OpenAIRE

Šimić, Branimir; Svitlica, Brankica; Ćosić, Jasenka; Andrić, Luka; Rozman, Vlatka; Postić, Jelena; Liović, Ivica

2009-01-01

The aim of the research was to determine influence of methods of seed processing and application of fungicides on mass of 1000 seeds, intergrowth energy and seed germination of sunflower hybrids ‘Favorit’ and ‘Apolon’ in 2005 and 2006. Selected untreated seeds of both sunflower hybrids (control) had a minimal mass of 1000 seeds (55-59 g), intergrowth energy (18-37 %) and seed germination (39-52 %). In both years of research maximal seed quality, mass of 1000 seeds (67-69 g), intergrowth energ...

Sowing seasons and quality of soybean seeds

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ávila Marizangela Rizzatti

2003-01-01

Full Text Available Considering the difficulties of producing high quality soybean [Glycine max (L. Merrill] seeds during the traditional cropping period in some areas of the State of Paraná, Brazil, a research project was carried out with the objective of evaluating the influence of sowing dates on the physiological and sanitary quality of seeds, during the 1998/99 and 1999/00 cropping seasons, in Maringá, PR, Brazil. The experiment consisted of five cultivar competition assays, arranged in a completely randomized block design, with each assay sown at different dates (10/15, 10/30, 11/15, 11/30 and 12/15 for each cropping season. The evaluated cultivars were BRS 132 (early, BRS 133 (semi-early, BR 16 (semi-early, BRS 134 (intermediate and FT- Estrela (late. Seeds obtained at the sowing dates were evaluated in the laboratory by germination, accelerated aging, and health tests. Sowing in November resulted in seeds with superior physiological and health quality. Cultivar BRS 133 showed the greatest stability in seed production with better quality for the different sowing dates. Cultivars BRS 134 and BRS 133, which were sown during the period from 10/15 to 11/30, produced seeds that had higher percentages of normal seedlings in the germination and accelerated aging tests. Advancing or delaying sowing dates had adverse effects on soybean seed production with regard to their sanitary quality.

Farmer’s seed sources and seed quality: 2. seed health

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Bishaw, Z.; Struik, P.C.; Gastel, van A.J.G.

2013-01-01

The study assessed the health quality of wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) and barley (Hordeum vulgare L.) seed samples collected from formal and informal sector in Ethiopia and Syria. In Ethiopia, several seed-borne fungi were found on wheat samples: Cochliobolus sativum, Fusarium avenaceum, F.

Pollen Morphology and Viability Relates to Seed Production in Hybrid Roses

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Nadeem Muhammad

2014-10-01

Full Text Available Fertility of hybrid tea roses is often reduced due to their interspesific origin but also to intensive inbreeding. New genotypes used as pollen donors represent an economic risk for a breeding program, as their influence on seed production is unknown. In this study 9 garden rose genotypes were selected from a company database as high fertile or low fertile male parents, according to the number of seeds per hybridization. Pollen morphology and in vitro germination of the selected genotypes were characterized. Pollen was either small (mean diameter = 30 urn, shrunken, and irregular (abnormal, or large (mean diameter = 30 urn, elliptical and crossed by furrows (normal. High correlations were found between the number of seeds produced per hybridization and the pollen diameter (r = 0.94 or the percentage of normal pollen (r = 0.96. In order to evaluate the predictive power of the models, we conducted regression analyses and performed a validation experiment on genotypes not present in the database and without background information on fertility. Pollen diameter and percentage of normal pollen were characterized and fitted in the regression models for seed set predictions. Validation with an independent dataset gave a good prediction for 83.3% of the data. This indicates that using either the mean pollen diameter or the percentage of normal pollen resulted in effective fertility prediction. Moreover cluster analysis of the data classified all the cultivars into various groups with varying fertility. This tool could enhance the genetic variability in crossings between hybrid tea roses, thus creating possibilities for less economically risky exploitation of new tetraploid genotypes as male parents.

Germination of guatambu seeds subjected to two light regimes

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Karina Guollo

2015-09-01

Full Text Available Guatambu (Aspidosperma parvifolium A. DC. is a species that faces extinction in different regions of Brazil. The aim of this study was to evaluate the influence of photoperiod on germination of guatambu seeds at 25°C. The statistical procedure used was factorial design with two factors. Factor A was seed lots (Mother tree A, B, and C and factor B was photoperiod (dark and 12 h of photoperiod. Guatambu seeds are not affected by photoperiod condition during the germination process.

[Dynamics of seed rain of Tripterygium hypoglaucum and soil seed bank].

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, Zhi-Wei; Wei, Yong-Sheng; Liu, Xiang; Su, Shu; Qu, Xian-You; Wang, Chang-Hua

2017-11-01

Tripterygium hypoglaucum is an endangered species in arid areas of Xiannvshan Chongqing, China. The dynamic characteristics of seed rain and soil seed bank of T. hypoglaucum were studied in this paper．Results showed that T. hypoglaucum years of mature seeds distribution number up to October; the seed rain occurred from the last ten-day of September to in the first ten-day of November and the peak of scattered seed rain concentrated in the October．The numbers of soil seed bank at 2-5 cm soil layer,mainly concentrated in the 1.5-3.5 m range. T. hypoglaucum seeds to the wind as a force for transmission, the transmission ability is strong, but in the process of natural reproduction, full mature seed rate is low, the soil seed bank seeds seed short-lived factors these were unfavorable for the natural reproduction of T. hypoglaucum population. Copyright© by the Chinese Pharmaceutical Association.

[Procedure of seed quality testing and seed grading standard of Prunus humilis].

Science.gov (United States)

Wen, Hao; Ren, Guang-Xi; Gao, Ya; Luo, Jun; Liu, Chun-Sheng; Li, Wei-Dong

2014-11-01

So far there exists no corresponding quality test procedures and grading standards for the seed of Prunus humilis, which is one of the important source of base of semen pruni. Therefor we set up test procedures that are adapt to characteristics of the P. humilis seed through the study of the test of sampling, seed purity, thousand-grain weight, seed moisture, seed viability and germination percentage. 50 cases of seed specimens of P. humilis tested. The related data were analyzed by cluster analysis. Through this research, the seed quality test procedure was developed, and the seed quality grading standard was formulated. The seed quality of each grade should meet the following requirements: for first grade seeds, germination percentage ≥ 68%, thousand-grain weight 383 g, purity ≥ 93%, seed moisture ≤ 5%; for second grade seeds, germination percentage ≥ 26%, thousand-grain weight ≥ 266 g, purity ≥ 73%, seed moisture ≤9%; for third grade seeds, germination percentage ≥ 10%, purity ≥ 50%, thousand-grain weight ≥ 08 g, seed moisture ≤ 13%.

Performance of seeds Crambe exposed to pre-germination treatments

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rocha Cardoso, Rebeca; Costa Nobre, Danubia Aparecida; Santos de Souza David, Andreia Marcia; Ribeiro Amaro, Hugo Tiago; Borghetti, Renato Antonio; Costa, Marcia Regina

2014-01-01

Encouraging the production and use of biodiesel, seeds of crambe today constitute one of the best options for the supply of raw material, is also an excellent alternative for autumn-winter crop rotation order. The aim of this study was to evaluate the efficiency of combined pre-germination treatments on the seed behavior of Crambe. From a seed sample of FMS Brilhante cultivar, an experimental design completely randomized with a 2 x 5 factorial arrangement was performed. it was formed from combination of two structural conditions, seeds with or without pericarp, and treatments with or without giberelic acid, being: control (no treatment); seeds pre-soaked in distilled water for 24 hours as control; and seeds pre-soaked in gibberellic acid at 4 % at different concentrations (400, 500 and 600 mg.L"-1). Water content, first count germination, germination, seedling emergence and emergence rate index were determined. From these results it is concluded that removal of the pericarp in seed of Crambe, cultivar FMS brilhante, accelerated the germination rate, however, decreased your final percentage. The pre-soaking in gibberellic acid (400, 500 and 600 mg L"-1) for 24 hours, increased the germination and seed vigor crambe with pericarp.

Evaluation of the soil-seed environment through computerized tomography

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Modolo, Alcir Jose; Fernandes, Haroldo Carlos; Schaefer, Carlos Ernesto G.R.; Santos, Nerilson Terra; Silveira, Joao Cleber Modernel da

2008-01-01

The physical conditioning of the soil around seeds is of great importance for an adequate initial development of a crop, ensuring a healthy plant population. A suitable soil-seed contact is a prerequisite for a fast crop germination and good establishment. In this study, computerized tomography of millimeter resolution was used to determine the soil-seed environment in a no tillage system, immediately after soybean planting. A split plot design was used, in which the plots consisted of three contents of soil water, corresponding to 0.27; 0,31 and 0.36 kg kg -1 , respectively, and the split plots of four load levels applied by the compaction wheel, corresponding to 0, 50, 90 and 140 N, respectively. It was used a random block design, with four replications. The medium soil density in the seed area and the medium density profile in the sowing furrow were evaluated. According to the results, it may be concluded that: the loads applied by the compaction wheel increased soil density at the vertical planting level beneath planting depth as compared with values obtained before planting, and; the combination of wheel loads and soil water contents did not influence the mean soil density in the seed area. (author)

Regeneration of Russian wildrye foundation seed and its effect on genetic diversity and linkage disequilibrium

Science.gov (United States)

Maintaining the genetic integrity and performance of released cultivars over multiple generations of seed increase continues to be of concern in cross-pollinating grasses. It is not an uncommon practice when seed supplies are low or foundation seed is not available to designate registered seed as f...

How best to quantify soil seed banks in arid rangelands of the Nama Karoo?

Science.gov (United States)

Dreber, Niels

2011-02-01

Sampling design and three sample treatments prior the application of the seedling emergence method were tested in order to find the best method for seed bank quantification in arid Nama Karoo rangelands. I analyzed species composition and seed densities by contrasting undercanopy and open-matrix samples from two soil depths and by comparing the effects of cold-, heat-, and no stratification on germination rates of species in a greenhouse setting. The soil seed bank showed minimal similarity to the standing vegetation, with only 20 plant species germinated. Spatial distribution of seeds was highly heterogeneous. Nearly 90% of germinated seeds were located in 0- to 4-cm compared to >4- to 8-cm soil depth. Undercanopy seed banks contained significantly more species and seeds than open-matrix seed banks. Neither the number nor the diversity of seeds germinated differed significantly among the three treatments. Cold stratification tended to detect more species and seeds only at >4- to 8-cm soil depth. The results highlight the importance of spatial heterogeneity in the accurate evaluation of soil seed banks in the arid Nama Karoo and the importance of considering seasonal variability in the availability of readily germinable seeds. Data also suggest that sample pretreatment in germination trials may give little return for cost and effort, which emphasizes that it is more important to choose the sampling design most likely to give a representative number of seed bank species. Further studies are needed to analyze seed bank dynamics and species-specific germination requirements to promote recruitment of plant taxa underrepresented in the seed bank.

Maturation, temperature and breaking dormancy of Comanthera seeds

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Andréa Santos Oliveira

2016-09-01

Full Text Available Given the importance of “everlasting” plants for their ornamental value and vulnerability to extractive practices, studies to ensure the propagation of the species are indispensable. The aim of this study was to assess whether there is an association between seed coat color and the quality of everlasting seeds, in the presence or absence of dormancy. Four species (Comanthera elegans, C. nitida, C. bisculata, and Comanthera sp. were separated with respect to seed coat color and underwent germination first count, germination, and germination speed index testing in a substrate moistened with water or 0.1% fluridone solution, in alternating temperatures of 10/25°C and 15/25°C. A completely randomized experimental design was used in a 4 x 2 x 2 factorial arrangement [seed coat color (green, beige, red, brown × temperature (10/25°C and 15/25°C × dormancy breaking (with or without]. In general, the alternating 15/25°C temperature is favorable for germination of everlasting plants. The use of fluridone is favorable to germination and seed vigor, especially when using the alternating temperature of 10/25°C. The effect of seed coat color varies among species; higher germination and vigor values are seen in green seeds for Comanthera sp. and lower values in C. bisculata. For C. nitida and C. elegans, seed coat color does not influence seed quality. Direct relationships between fluoridone efficiency in breaking dormancy of seeds of different species of everlasting plants and classification in different colors are not observed.

Grating monochromator for soft X-ray self-seeding the European XFEL

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Serkez, Svitozar; Kocharyan, Vitali; Saldin, Evgeni [Deutsches Elektronen-Synchrotron (DESY), Hamburg (Germany); Geloni, Gianluca [European XFEL GmbH, Hamburg (Germany)

2013-02-15

Self-seeding is a promising approach to significantly narrow the SASE bandwidth of XFELs to produce nearly transform-limited pulses. The implementation of this method in the soft X-ray wavelength range necessarily involves gratings as dispersive elements. We study a very compact self-seeding scheme with a grating monochromator originally designed at SLAC, which can be straightforwardly installed in the SASE3 type undulator beamline at the European XFEL. The monochromator design is based on a toroidal VLS grating working at a fixed incidence angle mounting without entrance slit. It covers the spectral range from 300 eV to 1000 eV. The optical system was studied using wave optics method (in comparison with ray tracing) to evaluate the performance of the self-seeding scheme. Our wave optics analysis takes into account the actual beam wavefront of the radiation from the coherent FEL source, third order aberrations, and errors from each optical element. Wave optics is the only method available, in combination with FEL simulations, for the design of a self-seeding monochromator without exit slit. We show that, without exit slit, the self-seeding scheme is distinguished by the much needed experimental simplicity, and can practically give the same resolving power (about 7000) as with an exit slit. Wave optics is also naturally applicable to calculations of the self-seeding scheme efficiency, which include the monochromator transmittance and the effect of the mismatching between seed beam and electron beam. Simulations show that the FEL power reaches 1 TW and that the spectral density for a TW pulse is about two orders of magnitude higher than that for the SASE pulse at saturation.

Grating monochromator for soft X-ray self-seeding the European XFEL

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Serkez, Svitozar; Kocharyan, Vitali; Saldin, Evgeni; Geloni, Gianluca

2013-02-01

Self-seeding is a promising approach to significantly narrow the SASE bandwidth of XFELs to produce nearly transform-limited pulses. The implementation of this method in the soft X-ray wavelength range necessarily involves gratings as dispersive elements. We study a very compact self-seeding scheme with a grating monochromator originally designed at SLAC, which can be straightforwardly installed in the SASE3 type undulator beamline at the European XFEL. The monochromator design is based on a toroidal VLS grating working at a fixed incidence angle mounting without entrance slit. It covers the spectral range from 300 eV to 1000 eV. The optical system was studied using wave optics method (in comparison with ray tracing) to evaluate the performance of the self-seeding scheme. Our wave optics analysis takes into account the actual beam wavefront of the radiation from the coherent FEL source, third order aberrations, and errors from each optical element. Wave optics is the only method available, in combination with FEL simulations, for the design of a self-seeding monochromator without exit slit. We show that, without exit slit, the self-seeding scheme is distinguished by the much needed experimental simplicity, and can practically give the same resolving power (about 7000) as with an exit slit. Wave optics is also naturally applicable to calculations of the self-seeding scheme efficiency, which include the monochromator transmittance and the effect of the mismatching between seed beam and electron beam. Simulations show that the FEL power reaches 1 TW and that the spectral density for a TW pulse is about two orders of magnitude higher than that for the SASE pulse at saturation.

Effect of some Evaporation Matters on Storability of Sunflower ( Helianthus annuus L.) Seed.

Science.gov (United States)

El-Saidy, Aml E A; El-Hai, K M Abd

This study focuses on finding compounds that are safe to humans and environment, such as propionic and acetic acids that may provide an alternative control of seed-borne pathogens and decrease seed deterioration during storage. The objectives of this study were to reduce sunflower seed deterioration and improve the viability of sunflower seed using environmentally safe organic acids. Propionic and acetic acids were applied on sunflower seed at different concentrations under laboratory conditions during different storage periods. After 6 months storage period, the viability of sunflower seed as well as morphological and physiological characteristics of seedlings were evaluated under greenhouse conditions. Laboratory experiment was conducted in a factorial completely randomized design and randomized complete block design for greenhouse experiment. Propionic and acetic acids at different concentrations showed inhibitory effects on the presence of different fungal genera in all storage periods. Propionic acid was most effective followed by acetic acid. Increasing storage periods from 0-6 months significantly decreased germination percentage, germination energy, seedling characters, survived healthy seedlings and seed oil and protein percentages but dead and rotted seeds, as well as rotted seedlings were increased. Treating sunflower seeds with propionic acid (100%) improved germination criteria, seedling characters and seed chemical characters as well as survival seedlings and minimized the dead seeds, rotted seeds and rotted seedlings as compared with the control under all storage periods. Under greenhouse conditions, the maximum growth parameter and physiological characters (chlorophylls a, b, carotenoids and total phenols) were recorded from seed treated with 100% propionic acid after 6 months of storage. It may be concluded that propionic and acetic acids vapors can have considerable fungicidal activity against sunflower pathogens and improve seed viability

Tomato seeds maturity detection system based on chlorophyll fluorescence

Science.gov (United States)

Li, Cuiling; Wang, Xiu; Meng, Zhijun

2016-10-01

Chlorophyll fluorescence intensity can be used as seed maturity and quality evaluation indicator. Chlorophyll fluorescence intensity of seed coats is tested to judge the level of chlorophyll content in seeds, and further to judge the maturity and quality of seeds. This research developed a detection system of tomato seeds maturity based on chlorophyll fluorescence spectrum technology, the system included an excitation light source unit, a fluorescent signal acquisition unit and a data processing unit. The excitation light source unit consisted of two high power LEDs, two radiators and two constant current power supplies, and it was designed to excite chlorophyll fluorescence of tomato seeds. The fluorescent signal acquisition unit was made up of a fluorescence spectrometer, an optical fiber, an optical fiber scaffolds and a narrowband filter. The data processing unit mainly included a computer. Tomato fruits of green ripe stage, discoloration stage, firm ripe stage and full ripe stage were harvested, and their seeds were collected directly. In this research, the developed tomato seeds maturity testing system was used to collect fluorescence spectrums of tomato seeds of different maturities. Principal component analysis (PCA) method was utilized to reduce the dimension of spectral data and extract principal components, and PCA was combined with linear discriminant analysis (LDA) to establish discriminant model of tomato seeds maturity, the discriminant accuracy was greater than 90%. Research results show that using chlorophyll fluorescence spectrum technology is feasible for seeds maturity detection, and the developed tomato seeds maturity testing system has high detection accuracy.

Transcriptome Analysis of a New Peanut Seed Coat Mutant for the Physiological Regulatory Mechanism Involved in Seed Coat Cracking and Pigmentation.

Science.gov (United States)

Wan, Liyun; Li, Bei; Pandey, Manish K; Wu, Yanshan; Lei, Yong; Yan, Liying; Dai, Xiaofeng; Jiang, Huifang; Zhang, Juncheng; Wei, Guo; Varshney, Rajeev K; Liao, Boshou

2016-01-01

Seed-coat cracking and undesirable color of seed coat highly affects external appearance and commercial value of peanuts ( Arachis hypogaea L.). With an objective to find genetic solution to the above problems, a peanut mutant with cracking and brown colored seed coat (testa) was identified from an EMS treated mutant population and designated as "peanut seed coat crack and brown color mutant line ( pscb )." The seed coat weight of the mutant was almost twice of the wild type, and the germination time was significantly shorter than wild type. Further, the mutant had lower level of lignin, anthocyanin, proanthocyanidin content, and highly increased level of melanin content as compared to wild type. Using RNA-Seq, we examined the seed coat transcriptome in three stages of seed development in the wild type and the pscb mutant. The RNA-Seq analysis revealed presence of highly differentially expressed phenylpropanoid and flavonoid pathway genes in all the three seed development stages, especially at 40 days after flowering (DAF40). Also, the expression of polyphenol oxidases and peroxidase were found to be activated significantly especially in the late seed developmental stage. The genome-wide comparative study of the expression profiles revealed 62 differentially expressed genes common across all the three stages. By analyzing the expression patterns and the sequences of the common differentially expressed genes of the three stages, three candidate genes namely c36498_g1 (CCoAOMT1), c40902_g2 (kinesin) , and c33560_g1 (MYB3) were identified responsible for seed-coat cracking and brown color phenotype. Therefore, this study not only provided candidate genes but also provided greater insights and molecular genetic control of peanut seed-coat cracking and color variation. The information generated in this study will facilitate further identification of causal gene and diagnostic markers for breeding improved peanut varieties with smooth and desirable seed coat color.

Study on interstitial brachytherapy using 103Pd seeds on tumor-bearing rats

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Feng Huiru; Zhang Jingming; Tian Jiahe; Ding Weimin; Bai Hongsheng; Jin Xiaohai

2003-01-01

The effects of low-dose-rate brachytherapy are investigated in tumor-bearing rat. Walker 256 cells are transplanted subcutaneously with a trocar in the left leg of rats (Wistar). Two weeks later, rats with a tumor of 10 mm in mean diameter are divided into three groups (10 per group). Two groups are given 1 seed and 2 seeds implantation of 103 Pd, respectively, the third group is as an untreated control. Tumor size is measured twice a week until the 25th day when the rats are killed. Tumor is monitored either by palpation or further confirmed by histopathology. Kaplan-Meier statistic method is performed for survival analysis. The results show that the average weight of rats in untreated group is lower than in radiation groups (P 0.05). Tumor volumes in all treatment groups increase more obviously than in control till 16 days post-implantation. Tumor regression rate in 1 seed group is higher than in control group and in 2 seeds group. Although survival analysis show that the median survival time in 1 seed, 2 seeds and control groups are 24±0, 21±2 and 19±2 days with survival rate of 80%, 60% and 50% respectively, no significant differences are seen in all groups. So, brachytherapy with 103 Pd seed is effective on tumor-bearing rats. The implantation of seed can cause tumor edema in a self-limited way. A reasonable doses chosen for brachytherapy may play a role in treatment success

(Heckel) seeds

African Journals Online (AJOL)

UTILISATEUR

Garcinia kola seeds to six different hormonal pre-germination treatments. This consisted of ... Thus, seed dormancy in this case is not a coat- imposed .... development of the cultivation of the species. The cause .... Hormonal regulation of seed ...

Introduction to the use of regression models in epidemiology.

Science.gov (United States)

Bender, Ralf

2009-01-01

Regression modeling is one of the most important statistical techniques used in analytical epidemiology. By means of regression models the effect of one or several explanatory variables (e.g., exposures, subject characteristics, risk factors) on a response variable such as mortality or cancer can be investigated. From multiple regression models, adjusted effect estimates can be obtained that take the effect of potential confounders into account. Regression methods can be applied in all epidemiologic study designs so that they represent a universal tool for data analysis in epidemiology. Different kinds of regression models have been developed in dependence on the measurement scale of the response variable and the study design. The most important methods are linear regression for continuous outcomes, logistic regression for binary outcomes, Cox regression for time-to-event data, and Poisson regression for frequencies and rates. This chapter provides a nontechnical introduction to these regression models with illustrating examples from cancer research.

Phenolics in the seed coat of wild soybean (Glycine soja) and their significance for seed hardness and seed germination.

Science.gov (United States)

Zhou, San; Sekizaki, Haruo; Yang, Zhihong; Sawa, Satoko; Pan, Jun

2010-10-27

Hardseededness in annual wild soybean (Glycine soja Sieb. Et Zucc.) is a valuable trait that affects the germination, viability, and quality of stored seeds. Two G. soja ecotypes native to Shandong Province of China have been used to identify the phenolics in the seed coat that correlate with the seed hardness and seed germination. Three major phenolics from the seed coat were isolated and identified as epicatechin, cyanidin 3-O-glucoside, and delphinidin 3-O-glucoside. Of the three phenolics, only the change of epicatechin exhibited a significant positive correlation with the change of hard seed percentages both under different water conditions during seed development and under different gas conditions during seed storage. Epicatechin also reveals a hormesis-like effect on the seed germination of G. soja. Epicatechin is suggested to be functionally related to coat-imposed hardseededness in G. soja.

Seed predators exert selection on the subindividual variation of seed size.

Science.gov (United States)

Sobral, M; Guitián, J; Guitián, P; Larrinaga, A R

2014-07-01

Subindividual variation among repeated organs in plants constitutes an overlooked level of variation in phenotypic selection studies, despite being a major component of phenotypic variation. Animals that interact with plants could be selective agents on subindividual variation. This study examines selective pressures exerted during post-dispersal seed predation and germination on the subindividual variation of seed size in hawthorn (Crataegus monogyna). With a seed offering experiment and a germination test, we estimated phenotypic selection differentials for average and subindividual variation of seed size due to seed predation and germination. Seed size affects germination, growth rate and the probability of an individual seed of escaping predation. Longer seeds showed higher germination rates, but this did not result in significant selection on phenotypes of the maternal trees. On the other hand, seed predators avoided wider seeds, and by doing so exerted phenotypic selection on adult average and subindividual variation of seed size. The detected selection on subindividual variation suggests that the levels of phenotypic variation within individual plants may be, at least partly, the adaptive consequence of animal-mediated selection. © 2013 German Botanical Society and The Royal Botanical Society of the Netherlands.

Producing the target seed: Seed collection, treatment, and storage

Science.gov (United States)

Robert P. Karrfalt

2011-01-01

The role of high quality seeds in producing target seedlings is reviewed. Basic seed handling and upgrading techniques are summarized. Current advances in seed science and technology as well as those on the horizon are discussed.

Seed maturation associated transcriptional programs and regulatory networks underlying genotypic difference in seed dormancy and size/weight in wheat (Triticum aestivum L.).

Science.gov (United States)

Yamasaki, Yuji; Gao, Feng; Jordan, Mark C; Ayele, Belay T

2017-09-16

Maturation forms one of the critical seed developmental phases and it is characterized mainly by programmed cell death, dormancy and desiccation, however, the transcriptional programs and regulatory networks underlying acquisition of dormancy and deposition of storage reserves during the maturation phase of seed development are poorly understood in wheat. The present study performed comparative spatiotemporal transcriptomic analysis of seed maturation in two wheat genotypes with contrasting seed weight/size and dormancy phenotype. The embryo and endosperm tissues of maturing seeds appeared to exhibit genotype-specific temporal shifts in gene expression profile that might contribute to the seed phenotypic variations. Functional annotations of gene clusters suggest that the two tissues exhibit distinct but genotypically overlapping molecular functions. Motif enrichment predicts genotypically distinct abscisic acid (ABA) and gibberellin (GA) regulated transcriptional networks contribute to the contrasting seed weight/size and dormancy phenotypes between the two genotypes. While other ABA responsive element (ABRE) motifs are enriched in both genotypes, the prevalence of G-box-like motif specifically in tissues of the dormant genotype suggests distinct ABA mediated transcriptional mechanisms control the establishment of dormancy during seed maturation. In agreement with this, the bZIP transcription factors that co-express with ABRE enriched embryonic genes differ with genotype. The enrichment of SITEIIATCYTC motif specifically in embryo clusters of maturing seeds irrespective of genotype predicts a tissue specific role for the respective TCP transcription factors with no or minimal contribution to the variations in seed dormancy. The results of this study advance our understanding of the seed maturation associated molecular mechanisms underlying variation in dormancy and weight/size in wheat seeds, which is a critical step towards the designing of molecular strategies

Some aspects of the Seed Germination and Seedling Growth of two Savanna tree Species

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

D.A. Agboola

2014-10-01

Full Text Available Studies were made on some aspects of the seed germination and seedling growth of two multipurpose trees. These include the effect of pre sowing treatments, seed sizes and gibberellic acid on the germination of seeds and seedling growth. The tree species include Prosopis africana (Guil & Perr Taub and Dialium guineense (wild. Two seed sizes designated small- size (Ss and Big-size (Bs were identified in the seed. The effect of gibberellic acid (GA3 had a greater significance effect (P < 0.05 on seed germination of both D. guineense and P. africana seeds. The big size seeds had a significant effect (P < 0.05 on the seed germination when compared to the small size seeds. The hydration/dehydration, pre sowing treatments on the seeds did not have any significant effects on germination.

Recurrent selection increases the seed germination of little bluestem (Schizachyrium scoparium)

Science.gov (United States)

Rainfall is often inadequate for satisfactory seed germination and emergence under field conditions. This research was designed to improve the seed germination of six experimental lines of little bluestem [Schizachyrium scoparium (Michx.) Nash]. Two cycle of recurrent selection were used to develo...

Hot seeding using large Y-123 seeds

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Scruggs, S J; Putman, P T; Zhou, Y X; Fang, H; Salama, K

2006-01-01

There are several motivations for increasing the diameter of melt textured single domain discs. The maximum magnetic field produced by a trapped field magnet is proportional to the radius of the sample. Furthermore, the availability of trapped field magnets with large diameter could enable their use in applications that have traditionally been considered to require wound electromagnets, such as beam bending magnets for particle accelerators and electric propulsion. We have investigated the possibility of using large area epitaxial growth instead of the conventional point nucleation growth mechanism. This process involves the use of large Y123 seeds for the purpose of increasing the maximum achievable Y123 single domain size. The hot seeding technique using large Y-123 seeds was employed to seed Y-123 samples. Trapped field measurements indicate that single domain samples were indeed grown by this technique. Microstructural evaluation indicates that growth can be characterized by a rapid nucleation followed by the usual peritectic grain growth which occurs when large seeds are used. Critical temperature measurements show that no local T c suppression occurs in the vicinity of the seed. This work supports the suggestion of using an iterative method for increasing the size of Y-123 single domains that can be grown

Utilization of Durian Seed Flour as Filler Ingredient of Meatball

OpenAIRE

D. R. Malini; I. I. Arief; H. Nuraini

2016-01-01

Durian seed flour contains starch consisted of amylose and amylopectin like tapioca flour, so it can be utilized as a filler in meatball production. The purposes of this research were to evaluate the nutrient content and quality of durian seed flour, the best level of durian seed flour addition to the meatball production, and the quality of beef meatball during storage in room temperature and refrigerator. Complete randomized design (CRD) was used with 3 treatments and 3 replications. The tre...

Report on seed born diseases in organic seed and propagation material

OpenAIRE

Micheloni, C.; Plakolm, G.; Schärer, H.

2007-01-01

The key questions which will be addressed in this report are: • Are seed born diseases an important factor that prevents seed companies from producing organic seeds and organic farmers from using them? • Which seed treatments are available in organic farming? Which treatments are or will be acceptable? To which degree are they effective? • Are the thresholds for seed born diseases different among Member States? Can this cause unfair competition among farmers and seed producers? • ...

Seed drill depth control system for precision seeding

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Kirkegaard Nielsen, Søren; Munkholm, Lars Juhl; Lamandé, Mathieu

2018-01-01

acting on the drill coulters, which generates unwanted vibrations and, consequently, a non-uniform seed placement. Therefore, a proof-of-concept dynamic coulter depth control system for a low-cost seed drill was developed and studied in a field experiment. The performance of the active control system...... depth control system this variability was reduced to±2 mm. The system with the active control system operated more accurately at an operational speed of 12 km h−1 than at 4 km h−1 without the activated control system.......An adequate and uniform seeding depth is crucial for the homogeneous development of a crop, as it affects time of emergence and germination rate. The considerable depth variations observed during seeding operations - even for modern seed drills - are mainly caused by variability in soil resistance...

Design study on PWR-type reduced-moderation light water core. Investigation of core adopting seed-blanket fuel assemblies

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Shimada, Shoichiro; Kugo, Teruhiko; Okubo, Tsutomu; Iwamura, Takamichi [Japan Atomic Energy Research Inst., Tokai, Ibaraki (Japan). Tokai Research Establishment

2003-03-01

As a part of the design study on PWR-type Reduced-Moderation Water Reactors (RMWRs), a light water cooled core with the seed-blanket type fuel assemblies has been investigated. An assembly with seed of 13 layers and blanket of 5 layers was selected by optimization calculations. The core was composed with the 163 assemblies. The following results were obtained by burn-up calculations with the MVP-BURN code; The cycle length is 15 months by 3-batch refueling. The discharge burn-up including the inner blanket is about 25 GWd/t. The conversion ratio is about 1.0. The void reactivity coefficient is about-26.1 pcm/%void at BOC and -21.7pcm%void at EOC. About 10% of MA makes conversion ratio decrease about 0.05 to obtain the same burn-up. The void reactivity coefficient increased significantly and it is necessary to reduce it. FP amount corresponding to about 2 % of total plutonium weight makes reactivity decrease about 0.5 %{delta}k/k and void reactivity coefficient increase, however these changes are within the design margins. Capability of multi-recycling of plutonium was confirmed, using discharged plutonium for 4 cycles, if fissile plutonium of 15.5wt% is used. The conversion ratio increases by about 0.026 with recycling. However, void reactivity coefficient increases and some effort to obtain negative void reactivity coefficient is necessary. (author)

Effects of seed fermentation method on seed germination and vigor ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

The present study was conducted to examine the influence of Lagenaria siceraria seed fermentation method on seed germination and vigor. Three seed fermentation methods (fermented in ambient air, plastic bag stored in ambient or in plastic bag buried) were tested on two cultivars during two years. Seed germination and ...

VARIABILITY IN PHENOTYPIC EXPRESSION OF SEED QUALITY TRAITS IN SOYBEAN GERMPLASM

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Aleksandra Sudarić

2017-01-01

Full Text Available The aim of this research was to determine the genetic variability of chosen soybean lines in seed quality by determining diversity in phenotypic expression of 1000 seed weight, as well as protein and oil concentrations in the seed. Field trials were set up in a randomized, complete block design with two replications, at the Agricultural Institute Osijek during three growing seasons (2010-2012. Each year, after harvest, 1000 seed weight, and protein and oil concentrations in the seed were determined. Statistical analyses of the results included: calculating basic measures of variation and analysis of variance. The analyzed data showed the existence of plant material's diversity in phenotypic expression of investigated seed quality traits, as well as the existence of statistically significant genotype and year effects.

Phosphate fertilization on production and quality of cauliflower seeds

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Antonio Ismael Inácio Cardoso

2016-08-01

Full Text Available ABSTRACT: Due to the scarcity of information related to the effect of fertilizers on production and quality of vegetable seeds, mainly on species which present an increase in the cycle, like cauliflower, more studies are necessary about the influence of nutrients rates which provide high production of high-quality seeds. This research aimed to evaluate the influence of rates of phosphorus (P on the production and quality of cauliflower seeds. Five rates of phosphorus were studied (0, 300, 600, 900 and 1200kg ha-1 of P2O5, in a randomized complete block design, with four replications. Production and quality (weight of a thousand seeds, germination test, first count of germination test and emergence in substrate of the seeds and soil chemical characteristics were evaluated. The higher the rate of phosphorus, the higher P content in the soil and values of sum of bases, cation exchange capacity and saturation of bases were observed at the end of the cycle. Seed quality was not affected by P fertilization, with the exception of the weight of a thousand seeds which was adjusted to a linear model. For seed production quadratic effect was obtained. The highest weight of seeds per plant was estimated for the rate of 862kg ha-1 of P2O5.

Seed selection by earthworms : chemical seed properties matter more than morphological traits

OpenAIRE

Clause, J.; Forey, E.; Eisenhauer, N.; Seal, C.E.; Soudey, A.; Colville, L.; Barot, Sébastien

2017-01-01

Aims : The passage of seeds through the earthworm gut potentially damages seeds, altering seed and seedling performances depending on seed traits. This work was conducted to study to what extent chemical and morphological seed traits determine the seed attractiveness for earthworms. Methods : We tested seed selection via the ingestion and digestion of 23 grassland plant species spanning a range of 14 morphological and chemical traits by two common earthworm species: the anecic Lumbricus te...

Online laboratory evaluation of seeding-machine application by an acoustic technique

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Karimi, H.; Navid, H.; Mahmoudi, A.

2015-07-01

Researchers and planter manufacturers have been working closely to develop an automated system for evaluating performance of seeding. In the present study, an innovative use of acoustic signal for laboratory evaluation of seeding-machine application is described. Seed detection technique of the proposed system was based on a rising voltage value that a microphone sensed in each impaction of seeds to a steel plate. Online determining of seed spacing was done with a script which was written in MATLAB software. To evaluate the acoustic system with desired seed spacing, a testing rig was designed. Seeds of wheat, corn and pelleted tomato were used as experimental material. Typical seed patterns were positioned manually on a belt stand with different spacing patterns. When the belt was running, the falling seeds from the end point of the belt impacted to the steel plate, and their acoustic signal was sensed by the microphone. In each impact, data was processed and spacing between the seeds was automatically obtained. Coefficient of determination of gathered data from the belt system and the corresponding seeds spacing measured with the acoustic system in all runs was about 0.98. This strong correlation indicates that the acoustic system worked well in determining the seeds spacing. (Author)

Studies on the Vigour of Soybean Seeds : II. Varietal Differences in Seed Coat Quality and Swelling Components of Seed during Moisture Imbibition

OpenAIRE

Mugnisjah, Wahju Qamara; Shimano, Itaru; Matsumoto, Shigeo; 島野, 至; 松本, 重男

1987-01-01

Laboratory experiment was conducted to elucidate the physiological factor determining the association of seed size and seed coat quality with varietal differences in seed vigour, and to pursue an alternative on the mechanism of varietal differences in seed resistance to field weathering. Results of this study revealed that seed polymer change (seed volume change minus seed weight change during moisture imbibition) was the physiological factor determining the association of seed size and seed ...

Utilization of Durian Seed Flour as Filler Ingredient of Meatball

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

D. R. Malini

2016-12-01

Full Text Available Durian seed flour contains starch consisted of amylose and amylopectin like tapioca flour, so it can be utilized as a filler in meatball production. The purposes of this research were to evaluate the nutrient content and quality of durian seed flour, the best level of durian seed flour addition to the meatball production, and the quality of beef meatball during storage in room temperature and refrigerator. Complete randomized design (CRD was used with 3 treatments and 3 replications. The treatments used different filler ingredients consisted of: 1 100% tapioca, 2 50% tapioca + 50% durian seed flour, and 3 100% durian seed flour utilization. The results showed that durian seed flour could affect the protein levels and hardness of beef meatballs. In the organoleptic test, the addition of durian seed flour had no effect on the appearance of the color, flavor, aroma, and texture. The meatballs with 100% durian seed flour had the lowest hardness. The protein content of the meatballs with 100% durian seed flour was the highest. The used of 50% durian seed flour gave the best effect to beef meatball during storage. Meatball could be stored up to 8 h in room temperature while refrigerator could keep it longer up to 12 d. It was concluded that the addition 50% durian seed flour may substitute tapioca flour as filler ingredient of beef meatball.

19 CFR 10.57 - Certified seed potatoes, and seed corn or maize.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-04-01

... 19 Customs Duties 1 2010-04-01 2010-04-01 false Certified seed potatoes, and seed corn or maize... Provisions Potatoes, Corn, Or Maize § 10.57 Certified seed potatoes, and seed corn or maize. Claim for classification as seed potatoes under subheading 0701.10.00, as seed corn (maize) under subheading 1005.10...

Synthetic Biology: Engineering, Evolution and Design (SEED) Conference 2014

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Voigt, Christopher [Massachusetts Institute of Technology

2014-07-01

SEED2014 focused on advances in the science and technology emerging from the field of synthetic biology. We broadly define this as technologies that accelerate the process of genetic engineering. It highlighted new tool development, as well as the application of these tools to diverse problems in biotechnology, including therapeutics, industrial chemicals and fuels, natural products, and agriculture. Systems spanned from in vitro experiments and viruses, through diverse bacteria, to eukaryotes (yeast, mammalian cells, plants).

Evaluation of thermal, chemical, and mechanical seed scarification methods for 4 Great Basin lupine species

Science.gov (United States)

Covy D. Jones; Mikel R. Stevens; Von D. Jolley; Bryan G. Hopkins; Scott L. Jensen; Dave Turner; Jason M. Stettler

2016-01-01

Seeds of most Great Basin lupine (Lupinus spp. [Fabaceae]) species are physically dormant and thus, difficult to establish in uniform stands in seed production fields. We designed this study to examine 5 seed scarification techniques, each with 11 levels of application (including a non-scarified control), to reduce the physical seed dormancy of longspur lupine...

Diversity in soil seed bank of Sinai and implications for conservation ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Understanding the diversity level of seed bank is important for designing conservation and restoration programs especially in arid ecosystems. A diverse of diversity indices has been used in evaluating seed communities regardless of its suitability to measure the ecological quality of the targeted biological community.

Determination of total iron-reactive phenolics, anthocyanins and tannins in wine grapes of skins and seeds based on near-infrared hyperspectral imaging.

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, Ni; Liu, Xu; Jin, Xiaoduo; Li, Chen; Wu, Xuan; Yang, Shuqin; Ning, Jifeng; Yanne, Paul

2017-12-15

Phenolics contents in wine grapes are key indicators for assessing ripeness. Near-infrared hyperspectral images during ripening have been explored to achieve an effective method for predicting phenolics contents. Principal component regression (PCR), partial least squares regression (PLSR) and support vector regression (SVR) models were built, respectively. The results show that SVR behaves globally better than PLSR and PCR, except in predicting tannins content of seeds. For the best prediction results, the squared correlation coefficient and root mean square error reached 0.8960 and 0.1069g/L (+)-catechin equivalents (CE), respectively, for tannins in skins, 0.9065 and 0.1776 (g/L CE) for total iron-reactive phenolics (TIRP) in skins, 0.8789 and 0.1442 (g/L M3G) for anthocyanins in skins, 0.9243 and 0.2401 (g/L CE) for tannins in seeds, and 0.8790 and 0.5190 (g/L CE) for TIRP in seeds. Our results indicated that NIR hyperspectral imaging has good prospects for evaluation of phenolics in wine grapes. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Effect of polyethylene glycol 6000 and storage period on seed quality of cocoa (Theobroma cacao L.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Astiti Rahayu

2014-05-01

Full Text Available Increased productivity of cocoa needs high quality of cocoa seeds which are generally provided by certified seed gardens located far from smallholders farm, where seed delivery takes long time and may reduce physiological quality of seeds. One effort to maintain the seed quality is by treatment the seeds with polyethylene glycol6000 (PEG 6000. This study was aimed to study the interaction of PEG 6000 concentration and storage period on cocoa seed quality, and to determine the best concentration of PEG 6000 and storage period to maintain cocoa seed quality. The research was conducted in seed storage room, seed laboratory and green houseof PPPPTK, Cianjur. The experimental design used was a factorial completely randomized design and each combination treatment repeated three times. The first factor was concentration of PEG 6000 of 0%, 20%, 40%, and 60%, and the second factor was the storage period of 3 weeks, 6 weeks, 9 weeks, and 12 weeks. The results showed that concentration of PEG 60% with three weeks storage period was able to minimize the number of moldy seeds. The concentration of PEG 20%, 40%, and 60% were able to prevent seed germination in storage until six weeks. Concentration of PEG 6000 20% was able to maintain moisture content, seed germination, and germination rate.Key words:cocoa seed, storage, recalcitrant, PEG

Image seedling analysis to evaluate tomato seed physiological potential

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Vanessa Neumann Silva

Full Text Available Computerized seedling image analysis are one of the most recently techniques to detect differences of vigor between seed lots. The aim of this study was verify the hability of computerized seedling image analysis by SVIS® to detect differences of vigor between tomato seed lots as information provided by traditionally vigor tests. Ten lots of tomato seeds, cultivar Santa Clara, were stored for 12 months in controlled environment at 20 ± 1 ºC and 45-50% of relative humidity of the air. The moisture content of the seeds was monitored and the physiological potential tested at 0, 6 and 12 months after storage, with germination test, first count of germination, traditional accelerated ageing and with saturated salt solution, electrical conductivity, seedling emergence and with seed vigor imaging system (SVIS®. A completely randomized experimental design was used with four replications. The parameters obtained by the computerized seedling analysis (seedling length and indexes of vigor and seedling growth with software SVIS® are efficient to detect differences between tomato seed lots of high and low vigor.

Yield and quality of white mustard seed depending on the seeding dates

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jevđović Radosav

2000-01-01

Full Text Available The effect of sowing dates and harvest dates on yield and quality of white mustard seed been investigated in this study. During the experiment two sowing dates have been tested the first one based on the crops in March, and the other one when the direct sowing was carried out in late May, after the harvest of camomile crops. The harvest of the seed crops in the first seeding date was performed on 1st July, and the second on 15th September. Seed fractioning extracted the following fractions: large (3mm, medium (2 mm and small (1mm. I he objective of the laboratory' experiments was to observe the effect of the seed fraction size on the most important parameters of its quality (germination energy, total germination and absolute mass according to the stipulated terms. Based on the data obtained in the survey, it can be concluded that the seed yield is significantly affected by the varied seeding dates. Earlier seeding date produced significantly increased seed yield (1920 kg/ha than the later seeding date (1160 kg/ha. According to the seed quality parameters, the best characteristics are found in the seed fraction of 3 mm, in both seeding and harvest dates.

Effects of rodent species, seed species, and predator cues on seed fate

Science.gov (United States)

Sivy, Kelly J.; Ostoja, Steven M.; Schupp, Eugene W.; Durham, Susan

2011-07-01

Seed selection, removal and subsequent management by granivorous animals is thought to be a complex interaction of factors including qualities of the seeds themselves (e.g., seed size, nutritional quality) and features of the local habitat (e.g. perceived predator risk). At the same time, differential seed selection and dispersal is thought to have profound effects on seed fate and potentially vegetation dynamics. In a feeding arena, we tested whether rodent species, seed species, and indirect and direct predation cues influence seed selection and handling behaviors (e.g., scatter hoarding versus larder hoarding) of two heteromyid rodents, Ord's kangaroo rat ( Dipodomys ordii) and the Great Basin pocket mouse ( Perognathus parvus). The indirect cue was shrub cover, a feature of the environment. Direct cues, presented individually, were (1) control, (2) coyote ( Canis latrans) vocalization, (3) coyote scent, (4) red fox ( Vulpes vulpes) scent, or (5) short-eared owl ( Asio flammeus) vocalization. We offered seeds of three sizes: two native grasses, Indian ricegrass ( Achnatherum hymenoides) and bluebunch wheatgrass ( Pseudoroegneria spicata), and the non-native cereal rye ( Secale cereale), each in separate trays. Kangaroo rats preferentially harvested Indian ricegrass while pocket mice predominately harvested Indian ricegrass and cereal rye. Pocket mice were more likely to scatter hoard preferred seeds, whereas kangaroo rats mostly consumed and/or larder hoarded preferred seeds. No predator cue significantly affected seed preferences. However, both species altered seed handling behavior in response to direct predation cues by leaving more seeds available in the seed pool, though they responded to different predator cues. If these results translate to natural dynamics on the landscape, the two rodents are expected to have different impacts on seed survival and plant recruitment via their different seed selection and seed handling behaviors.

Alleviate Seed Ageing Effects in Silybum marianum by Application of Hormone Seed Priming

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Seyed Ata SIADAT

2015-09-01

Full Text Available Most of the medicinal plants have seed dormancy or poor seed germination. This is due to their natural compounds or their morphological structure. Existence of such mechanisms makes the seeds able to endure harsh environments, stressful conditions or natural ageing. Different seed enhancement treatments were proposed in order to improve seed germination. In this study, it was examined Silybum marianum seed longevity (0, 48 and 72 hour of ageing and the response to seed priming when using different concentrations of cytokinin (50, 200, 350 and 500 ppm and different duration of treatment (8, 12 and 24 hour. Results revealed that ageing could be successfully alleviated using seed priming. Seed ageing significantly affected seed germination and vigour. Application of cytokinin considerably improved seed vigour in aged and non aged seeds. The most effective seed priming treatment was with 500 ppm cytokine, with the duration of 24 hours. In conclusion, it can be recommend the used of plant growth regulators like cytokine, as a good priming agent, to recover losses of seed quality and improve germination characteristics.

Selected aspects of tiny vetch [Vicia hirsuta (L. Gray S.F.] seed ecology: generative reproduction and effects of seed maturity and seed storage on seed germination

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Magdalena Kucewicz

2012-12-01

Full Text Available Vicia hirsuta (L. Gray S.F. (tiny vetch is a common and persistent segetal weed. Tiny vetch seeds and pods reach different stages of maturity during the crop harvest season. Some seeds that mature before cereal harvest are shed in the field and deposited in the soil seed bank, while others become incorporated into seed material. The objective of this study was to describe selected aspects of tiny vetch seed ecology: to determine the rate of individual reproduction of vetch plants growing in winter and spring grain crops and to evaluate the germination of seeds at different stages of maturity, subject to storage conditions. The seeds and pods of V. hirsuta were sorted according to their development stages at harvest and divided into two groups. The first group was stored under laboratory conditions for two months. In the autumn of the same year, the seeds were subjected to germination tests. The remaining seeds were stored in a storeroom, and were planted in soil in the spring. The germination rate was evaluated after 8 months of storage. Potential productivity (developed pods and flowers, fruit buds was higher in plants fruiting in winter wheat than in spring barley. Vetch plants produced around 17-26% more pods (including cracked, mature, greenish-brown and green pods and around 25% less buds in winter wheat than in spring barley. Immature seeds were characterized by the highest germination capacity. Following storage under laboratory conditions and stratification in soil, mature seeds germinated at a rate of several percent. After storage in a storeroom, seeds at all three development stages broke dormancy at a rate of 72- 75%. The high germination power of tiny vetch seeds stored in a storeroom indicates that this plant can be classified as an obligatory speirochoric weed species.

Some aspects of the Seed Germination and Seedling Growth of two Savanna tree Species

OpenAIRE

D.A. Agboola; A.A. Ajiboye; O.O. Fawibe; M.O. Atayese

2014-01-01

Studies were made on some aspects of the seed germination and seedling growth of two multipurpose trees. These include the effect of pre sowing treatments, seed sizes and gibberellic acid on the germination of seeds and seedling growth. The tree species include Prosopis africana (Guil & Perr) Taub and Dialium guineense (wild). Two seed sizes designated small- size (Ss) and Big-size (Bs) were identified in the seed. The effect of gibberellic acid (GA3) had a greater significance effect (P < 0....

Establishing a Mathematical Equations and Improving the Production of L-tert-Leucine by Uniform Design and Regression Analysis.

Science.gov (United States)

Jiang, Wei; Xu, Chao-Zhen; Jiang, Si-Zhi; Zhang, Tang-Duo; Wang, Shi-Zhen; Fang, Bai-Shan

2017-04-01

L-tert-Leucine (L-Tle) and its derivatives are extensively used as crucial building blocks for chiral auxiliaries, pharmaceutically active ingredients, and ligands. Combining with formate dehydrogenase (FDH) for regenerating the expensive coenzyme NADH, leucine dehydrogenase (LeuDH) is continually used for synthesizing L-Tle from α-keto acid. A multilevel factorial experimental design was executed for research of this system. In this work, an efficient optimization method for improving the productivity of L-Tle was developed. And the mathematical model between different fermentation conditions and L-Tle yield was also determined in the form of the equation by using uniform design and regression analysis. The multivariate regression equation was conveniently implemented in water, with a space time yield of 505.9 g L -1  day -1 and an enantiomeric excess value of >99 %. These results demonstrated that this method might become an ideal protocol for industrial production of chiral compounds and unnatural amino acids such as chiral drug intermediates.

Myrmecochory and short-term seed fate in Rhamnus alaternus: Ant species and seed characteristics

Science.gov (United States)

Bas, J. M.; Oliveras, J.; Gómez, C.

2009-05-01

Benefits conferred on plants in ant-mediated seed dispersal mutualisms (myrmecochory) depend on the fate of transported seeds. We studied the effects of elaiosome presence, seed size and seed treatment (with and without passage through a bird's digestive tract) on short-term seed fate in Rhamnus alaternus. In our study, we define short-term seed, or initial, seed fate, as the location where ants release the seeds after ant contact with it. The elaiosomes had the most influence on short-term fate, i.e. whether or not seeds were transported to the nest. The workers usually transported big seeds more often than small ones, but small ants did not transport large seeds. Effect of seed size on transport depended on the ant species and on the treatment of the seed (manual extraction simulating a direct fall from the parent plant vs. bird deposition corresponding to preliminary primary dispersal). Probability of removal of elaiosome-bearing seeds to the nest by Aphaenogaster senilis increased with increasing seed weight.

Vegetative growth response of cotton plants due to growth regulator supply via seeds

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

João Vitor Ferrari

2015-08-01

Full Text Available The global cotton industry is distinguished by its numerous industrial uses of the plume as well as by high production costs. Excessive vegetative growth can interfere negatively with productivity, and thus, applying growth regulators is essential for the development of the cotton culture. The objective of this study was to evaluate the development and yield of the cotton cultivar FMT 701 with the application of mepiquat chloride to seeds and leaves. The experimental design used a randomized block design with four replications, arranged in bands.The treatments consisted of mepiquat chloride rates (MC (0, 4, 6, 8 and 10 g a.i. kg-1 of seeds applied directly to the cotton seeds and MC management by foliar spray using a 250 mL ha-1 rates that was administered under the following conditions: divided into four applications (35, 45, 55 and 65 days after emergence; as a single application at 70 days; and without the application of the product. The mepiquat chloride applied to cotton seeds controls the initial plant height and stem diameter, while foliar application reduces the height of the plants. After application to seed, foliar spraying MC promotes increase mass of 20 bolls, however no direct influence amount bolls per plant and yield of cotton seed. Higher cotton seed yield was obtained with a rate of 3.4 g a.i. MC kg-1 seeds.

Irradiation sensibility of different provenances of Jatropha curcas L. seeds

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yang Qing; Xu Congheng; Peng Daiping; Duan Zhubiao; Han Lei; Sun Qixiang; Peng Zhenhua

2007-01-01

The irradiation sensibility of 10 provenances of Jatropha curcas L. seeds to 60 Co γ-rays was studied. The results showed that the relationship between relative germination rate of the seeds and the doses of irradiation was negative correlation, and the difference of relative germination rate among different doses treatment was significant at 5% probability level or highly significant at 1% probability level. For seeds of different provenances, the correlation coefficient of linear regression was from -0.89--0.96, and the medial lethal doses (LD 50) of 10 provinces was from 127 Gy to 184 Gy. According to the LD 50, we could divided 10 provinces of J. curcas L. into sensitive provenance, transitional provenances and obtuse provenances. The provenances of Yuanjiang , Yunan (184 Gy) belonged to sensitive provenance; the provenances of Zhenfeng, Guizhou (127 Gy) and the provenances of Yuedong, Hainan (141 Gy) belonged to obtuse provenance; other 7 provenances belonged to transitional provenances. The results provided important experiment basis for germ plasma resources innovation of J. curcas L. (authors)

Analysis of seed quality in NS sunflower hybrid seed processed between 2010 and 2014

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jokić Goran

2015-01-01

Full Text Available This paper analyzed the processed seed of five sunflower hybrid seed developed at the Institute of Field and Vegetable Crops in Novi Sad. The cultivars were Rimi PR, Duško, NS Dukat, Sumo 1 PR and Sremac. The analysis was conducted on seed lots processed between 2010 and 2014 and involved the following parameters: seed purity percentage, 1000-seed weight, germination energy, germination, seed moisture, number of weed seeds per 1000 grams of seed. The results of the study produced the following average values: seed purity - 99.72%, 1000-seed weight - 67.59g, germination energy - 88.2%, germination - 91.8%, seed moisture - 8.3%. There were not found weeds seeds as well as pathogens on the seed samples, these values are all within the legally prescribed limits.

Transcriptome Analysis of a New Peanut Seed Coat Mutant for the Physiological Regulatory Mechanism Involved in Seed Coat Cracking and Pigmentation

Science.gov (United States)

Wan, Liyun; Li, Bei; Pandey, Manish K.; Wu, Yanshan; Lei, Yong; Yan, Liying; Dai, Xiaofeng; Jiang, Huifang; Zhang, Juncheng; Wei, Guo; Varshney, Rajeev K.; Liao, Boshou

2016-01-01

Seed-coat cracking and undesirable color of seed coat highly affects external appearance and commercial value of peanuts (Arachis hypogaea L.). With an objective to find genetic solution to the above problems, a peanut mutant with cracking and brown colored seed coat (testa) was identified from an EMS treated mutant population and designated as “peanut seed coat crack and brown color mutant line (pscb).” The seed coat weight of the mutant was almost twice of the wild type, and the germination time was significantly shorter than wild type. Further, the mutant had lower level of lignin, anthocyanin, proanthocyanidin content, and highly increased level of melanin content as compared to wild type. Using RNA-Seq, we examined the seed coat transcriptome in three stages of seed development in the wild type and the pscb mutant. The RNA-Seq analysis revealed presence of highly differentially expressed phenylpropanoid and flavonoid pathway genes in all the three seed development stages, especially at 40 days after flowering (DAF40). Also, the expression of polyphenol oxidases and peroxidase were found to be activated significantly especially in the late seed developmental stage. The genome-wide comparative study of the expression profiles revealed 62 differentially expressed genes common across all the three stages. By analyzing the expression patterns and the sequences of the common differentially expressed genes of the three stages, three candidate genes namely c36498_g1 (CCoAOMT1), c40902_g2 (kinesin), and c33560_g1 (MYB3) were identified responsible for seed-coat cracking and brown color phenotype. Therefore, this study not only provided candidate genes but also provided greater insights and molecular genetic control of peanut seed-coat cracking and color variation. The information generated in this study will facilitate further identification of causal gene and diagnostic markers for breeding improved peanut varieties with smooth and desirable seed coat color. PMID

Seeds of hope, seeds of despair: towards a political economy of the seed industry in southern Africa.

Science.gov (United States)

Zerbe, N

2001-01-01

The seed industry in Southern Africa has been radically transformed by a policy of liberalisation and privatisation started under structural adjustment. Traditionally under the domain of parastatals, seed research, production and distribution has been criticised for failing to provide modern variety seed to smallholder farmers. However, the private companies which have stepped in to replace seed parastatals in southern Africa have proven no more effective in meeting the demands of smallholders. The Trade Related Intellectual Property Rights (TRIPs) Agreement, concluded in 1994 as part of the Uruguay Rounds of GATT negotiations, as well as certain biotechnological innovations such as Terminator or Traitor technologies, threaten to further undermine local seed production and consumption by destroying the informal seed sector so central to agricultural production in the region. What alternatives exist? The success of Zimbabwe's maize seed network offers some insight. Resting on a unique relationship between government and nationally based producer co-operatives, Zimbabwe's maize programme was able to provide nearly every farmer in the country with hybrid maize suited for local growing conditions.

Lack of caching of direct-seeded Douglas fir seeds by deer mice

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sullivan, T.P.

1978-01-01

Seed caching by deer mice was investigated by radiotagging seeds in forest and clear-cut areas in coastal British Columbia. Deer mice tend to cache very few Douglas fir seeds in the fall when the seed is uniformly distributed and is at densities comparable with those used in direct-seeding programs. (author)

Quantifying spatial variability of AgI cloud seeding benefits and Ag enrichments in snow

Science.gov (United States)

Fisher, J.; Benner, S. G.; Lytle, M. L.; Kunkel, M. L.; Blestrud, D.; Holbrook, V. P.; Parkinson, S.; Edwards, R.

2016-12-01

Glaciogenic cloud seeding is an important scientific technology for enhancing water resources across in the Western United States. Cloud seeding enriches super cooled liquid water layers with plumes of silver iodide (AgI), an artificial ice nuclei. Recent studies using target-control regression analysis and modeling estimate glaciogenic cloud seeding increases snow precipitation between 3-15% annually. However, the efficacy of cloud seeding programs is difficult to assess using weather models and statistics alone. This study will supplement precipitation enhancement statistics and Weather Research and Forecasting (WRF) model outputs with ultra-trace chemistry. Combining precipitation enhancement estimates with trace chemistry data (to estimate AgI plume targeting accuracy) may provide a more robust analysis. Precipitation enhancement from the 2016 water year will be modeled two ways. First, by using double-mass curve. Annual SNOTEL data of the cumulative SWE in unseeded areas and cumulative SWE in seeded areas will be compared before, and after, the cloud seeding program's initiation in 2003. Any change in the double-mass curve's slope after 2003 may be attributed to cloud seeding. Second, WRF model estimates of precipitation will be compared to the observed precipitation at SNOTEL sites. The difference between observed and modeled precipitation in AgI seeded regions may also be attributed to cloud seeding (assuming modeled and observed data are comparable at unseeded SNOTEL stations). Ultra-trace snow chemistry data from the 2016 winter season will be used to validate whether estimated precipitation increases are positively correlated with the mass of silver in the snowpack.

Computational and Experimental Evaluations of a Novel Thermo-Brachytherapy Seed for Treatment of Solid Tumors

Science.gov (United States)

Warrell, Gregory R.

Hyperthermia has long been known as a radiation therapy sensitizer of high potential; however successful delivery of this modality and integrating it with radiation have often proved technically difficult. We present the dual-modality thermobrachytherapy (TB) seed, based on the ubiquitous low dose-rate (LDR) brachytherapy permanent implant, as a simple and effective combination of hyperthermia and radiation therapy. Heat is generated from a ferromagnetic or ferrimagnetic core within the seed, which produces Joule heating by eddy currents. A strategically-selected Curie temperature provides thermal self-regulation. In order to obtain a uniform and sufficiently high temperature distribution, additional hyperthermia-only (HT-only) seeds are proposed to be used in vacant spots within the needles used to implant the TB seeds; this permits a high seed density without the use of additional needles. Experimental and computational studies were done both to optimize the design of the TB and HT-only seeds and to quantitatively assess their ability to heat and irradiate defined, patient-specific targets. Experiments were performed with seed-sized ferromagnetic samples in tissue-mimicking phantoms heated by an industrial induction heater. The magnetic and thermal properties of the seeds were studied computationally in the finite element analysis (FEA) solver COMSOL Multiphysics, modelling realistic patient-specific seed distributions. These distributions were derived from LDR permanent prostate implants previously conducted at our institution; various modifications of the seeds' design were studied. The calculated temperature distributions were analyzed by generating temperature-volume histograms, which were used to quantify coverage and temperature homogeneity for a range of blood perfusion rates, as well as for a range of seed Curie temperatures and thermal power production rates. The impact of the interseed attenuation and scatter (ISA) effect on radiation dose distributions

Linear regression

CERN Document Server

Olive, David J

2017-01-01

This text covers both multiple linear regression and some experimental design models. The text uses the response plot to visualize the model and to detect outliers, does not assume that the error distribution has a known parametric distribution, develops prediction intervals that work when the error distribution is unknown, suggests bootstrap hypothesis tests that may be useful for inference after variable selection, and develops prediction regions and large sample theory for the multivariate linear regression model that has m response variables. A relationship between multivariate prediction regions and confidence regions provides a simple way to bootstrap confidence regions. These confidence regions often provide a practical method for testing hypotheses. There is also a chapter on generalized linear models and generalized additive models. There are many R functions to produce response and residual plots, to simulate prediction intervals and hypothesis tests, to detect outliers, and to choose response trans...

Heirloom biodynamic seeds network rescue, conservation and multiplication of local seeds in Brazil

OpenAIRE

Jovchelevich, Pedro

2014-01-01

Structuring a network organic and biodynamic seed involving farmers in the central- southern Brazil. Training, participatory breeding, edition of publications, fairs of exchange seeds, a processing unit and assessment of seed quality, commercial seed multiplication with emphasis on vegetables. This network has garanteed the autonomy of farmers in seed production and enriched agrobiodiversity through exchanges of seed.

Regression analysis as a design optimization tool

Science.gov (United States)

Perley, R.

1984-01-01

The optimization concepts are described in relation to an overall design process as opposed to a detailed, part-design process where the requirements are firmly stated, the optimization criteria are well established, and a design is known to be feasible. The overall design process starts with the stated requirements. Some of the design criteria are derived directly from the requirements, but others are affected by the design concept. It is these design criteria that define the performance index, or objective function, that is to be minimized within some constraints. In general, there will be multiple objectives, some mutually exclusive, with no clear statement of their relative importance. The optimization loop that is given adjusts the design variables and analyzes the resulting design, in an iterative fashion, until the objective function is minimized within the constraints. This provides a solution, but it is only the beginning. In effect, the problem definition evolves as information is derived from the results. It becomes a learning process as we determine what the physics of the system can deliver in relation to the desirable system characteristics. As with any learning process, an interactive capability is a real attriubute for investigating the many alternatives that will be suggested as learning progresses.

combining high seed number and weight to improve seed yield

African Journals Online (AJOL)

ACSS

ABSTRACT. Increasing seed size and seed weight is an important trait for trade, yield component and adaptation of chickpea ... determining yield or quality, and the development of rapid and ..... C.G. 1981. Control of seed growth in soybeans.

Toward reliable estimates of seed removal by small mammals and birds in the Neotropics

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

AV. Christianini

Full Text Available Birds are often considered seed predators of less importance when compared to rodents or granivorous ants in studies of seed predation using selective exclosures. However, it is possible that the role of granivorous birds interacting with seeds on the floor of Neotropical forests is being underestimated, if the selective exclosures designed to allow exclusive access to small rodents do not work properly in the Neotropics. We used an experimental approach to evaluate whether birds could remove seeds from selective exclosures designed to allow exclusive access to rodents. We compared seed removal from two paired treatments in the field: an open treatment (control allowing the access to all vertebrates, and a selective exclosure treatment, where seeds were placed under a cage staked to the ground and covered on top and on the laterals by wire mesh of varying sizes. Treatments were placed in the center of a sand quadrat in order to record the visit of vertebrates from their footprints. Although the selective exclosures are used to tell apart the small mammal seed removal from that of other animals, birds could persistently remove seeds from selective exclosures. Thus, the role of birds interacting with seeds on the floor of tropical forests may be underestimated for some plant species, due to an artifact of the exclosure method employed. Exclosures of 40 x 40 x 40 cm should be efficient to deter the removal of seeds by birds, allowing the consumption of the seeds by small mammals at the same time.

Seed producer cooperatives in the Ethiopian seed sector and their role in seed supply improvement: A review

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Sisay, D.T.; Verhees, F.J.H.M.; Trijp, van J.C.M.

2017-01-01

The role of seed producer cooperatives (SPCs) in the Ethiopian seed sector and their contribution to seed supply improvement have received attention from researchers, policymakers, and development partners. However, limited work has been done in reviewing and documenting their involvement in the

genetics and inheritance of seed dormancy inflicted by seed

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Mgina

ABSTRACT. The study was undertaken to investigate the genetic mode of inheritance of dormancy imposed by the hull (seed coat) in rice seeds. Freshly harvested seeds of parents, F1 and F2 populations of a cross between a dormant cultivar Kisegese and non-dormant strain K2004 were used. Germination test of the ...

Optimization of castor seed oil extraction process using response surface methodology

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

J. D. Mosquera-Artamonov

2016-09-01

Full Text Available This work focuses on the study of the oil extraction yield from castor seed using three different seed conditions: whole, minced and bare endosperm. Taguchi design was used to determine the contribution of the following parameters: seed condition, seed load in the extractor, temperature, and pressure. It was proved that it is necessary to introduce the whole seed and that the presence of the pericarp increases the extraction yield. The contribution of the control factors has an extraction yield limit. After determining which factors contributed to the process, these were left at their optimum levels aiming to reduce the control factors to only two. The complete analysis was done using a surface response methodology giving the best parameter for temperature and pressure that allows a better yielding mechanical extraction. The oil extraction yield can be kept up to 35% of the seed.

tgp: An R Package for Bayesian Nonstationary, Semiparametric Nonlinear Regression and Design by Treed Gaussian Process Models

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Robert B. Gramacy

2007-06-01

Full Text Available The tgp package for R is a tool for fully Bayesian nonstationary, semiparametric nonlinear regression and design by treed Gaussian processes with jumps to the limiting linear model. Special cases also implemented include Bayesian linear models, linear CART, stationary separable and isotropic Gaussian processes. In addition to inference and posterior prediction, the package supports the (sequential design of experiments under these models paired with several objective criteria. 1-d and 2-d plotting, with higher dimension projection and slice capabilities, and tree drawing functions (requiring maptree and combinat packages, are also provided for visualization of tgp objects.

Potential of grass seed production for new lawns

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Josiane Vargas de Oliveira Maximino

2017-07-01

Full Text Available The Paspalum and Axonopus genera are among the main warm season grasses used for lawns. The seed propagation contributes to the decrease of the cost of establishment, besides maintaining the exact characteristics of the mother plant genotype, because they are apomictic species. The objective of this work was to evaluate the seed production potential of seventeen grass accesses of the species Paspalum notatum, P. lepton, P. lividum and Axonopus parodii. The experiment was conducted at Capão do Leão, Rio Grande do Sul State, Brazil, in a randomized block design, with four replications. The evaluated variables were: number of inflorescences per area, number of florets per inflorescence and seed production potential (SPP. In order to measure the seed production potential of the accesses, the equation proposed is: SPP = number of florets per inflorescence x number of inflorescences per m2 . There were year, access and interaction between years and accesses effect for the traits number of inflorescences per area and seed production potential. For the number of florets per inflorescence, there was no year effect. Potential production for the 2013/2014 harvest, ranged from 19,152.00 to 135,062.70 seeds m- ², with PN 09 of the P. notatum species standing out. In the 2014/2015 harvest, the seed production potential ranged from 9,973.75 to 81,536.75 seeds m- ², highlighting the access PN 11 of the species P. notatum. The accesses PN 11, PN 09, PN 10 and AP 01 were in the top third of the seed production potential ranking in the two harvests, and “grama-batatais” was in the lower third. There is genotype-environment interaction for all characteristics evaluated. However, there are accesses that show seed production potential consistently superior to the “grama-batatais” control, and have a greater potential for exploitation in the establishment of lawns by seeds.

Injection Seeded Laser for Formaldehyde Differential Fluorescence Lidar

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Schwemmer G.

2016-01-01

Full Text Available We describe the design and development of an injection seeded Nd:YVO4 laser for use in a differential fluorescence lidar for measuring atmospheric formaldehyde profiles. A high repetition rate Q-switched laser is modified to accept injection seed input to spectrally narrow and tune the output. The third harmonic output is used to excite formaldehyde (HCHO fluorescence when tuned to a HCHO absorption line. Spectral confirmation is made with the use of a photoacoustic cell and grating spectrometer.

Differentiating regressed melanoma from regressed lichenoid keratosis.

Science.gov (United States)

Chan, Aegean H; Shulman, Kenneth J; Lee, Bonnie A

2017-04-01

Distinguishing regressed lichen planus-like keratosis (LPLK) from regressed melanoma can be difficult on histopathologic examination, potentially resulting in mismanagement of patients. We aimed to identify histopathologic features by which regressed melanoma can be differentiated from regressed LPLK. Twenty actively inflamed LPLK, 12 LPLK with regression and 15 melanomas with regression were compared and evaluated by hematoxylin and eosin staining as well as Melan-A, microphthalmia transcription factor (MiTF) and cytokeratin (AE1/AE3) immunostaining. (1) A total of 40% of regressed melanomas showed complete or near complete loss of melanocytes within the epidermis with Melan-A and MiTF immunostaining, while 8% of regressed LPLK exhibited this finding. (2) Necrotic keratinocytes were seen in the epidermis in 33% regressed melanomas as opposed to all of the regressed LPLK. (3) A dense infiltrate of melanophages in the papillary dermis was seen in 40% of regressed melanomas, a feature not seen in regressed LPLK. In summary, our findings suggest that a complete or near complete loss of melanocytes within the epidermis strongly favors a regressed melanoma over a regressed LPLK. In addition, necrotic epidermal keratinocytes and the presence of a dense band-like distribution of dermal melanophages can be helpful in differentiating these lesions. © 2016 John Wiley & Sons A/S. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Seeds of confusion : the impact of policies on seed systems

OpenAIRE

Louwaars, N.P.

2007-01-01

Seed is basic to crop production. Next to its importance in production, food security and rural development, seed is a key element in many debates about technology development and transfer, biodiversity, globalisation and equity. The sustainable availability of good quality seed is thus an important development issue. This study deals with the impact different types of regulation have on how farmers access seed. I have analysed current regulatory frameworks in terms of their impact on differe...

Wheat seed system in Ethiopia: Farmers' varietal perception, seed sources, and seed management

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Bishaw, Z.; Struik, P.C.; Gastel, van A.J.G.

2010-01-01

Knowledge and information on farmers' perception and its influence on adoption of modern wheat varieties, awareness and source of new wheat production technology, wheat seed sources, and on-farm seed-management practices remain sporadic in Ethiopia. This study was conducted to understand the

Physicochemical Evaluation of Seeds and Oil of Nontraditional Oil Seeds

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Adam Ismail Ahmed

2015-08-01

Full Text Available The present work was conducted in the Laboratory of Biochemistry and Food science department, Faculty of Natural Resources and Environmental Studies, University of Kordofan, in order to evaluate some nontraditional oil seeds these are i.e. Marula (Sclerocarya birrea, Roselle (Hibiscus sabdariffa L. seeds and Christ’s thorn (Zizyphus spina-christi seeds. The seeds of the roselle and Christ’s thorn fruits were procured from Elobeid local market, North Kordofan State, while marula fruits were obtained from Elnuhod, West Kordofan State. The proximate composition of the seeds, cake and christ’s thorn pulp was done. Some chemical and physical properties were performed for the extracted oil. The results revealed that proximate composition of the seeds and cake differ statistically among the studied materials. Significant differences were observed among the oil extracted from these species; moreover, these oils differ significantly in color and viscosity only.

Seed dispersal anachronisms: rethinking the fruits extinct megafauna ate.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Paulo R Guimarães

Full Text Available BACKGROUND: Some neotropical, fleshy-fruited plants have fruits structurally similar to paleotropical fruits dispersed by megafauna (mammals > 10(3 kg, yet these dispersers were extinct in South America 10-15 Kyr BP. Anachronic dispersal systems are best explained by interactions with extinct animals and show impaired dispersal resulting in altered seed dispersal dynamics. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: We introduce an operational definition of megafaunal fruits and perform a comparative analysis of 103 Neotropical fruit species fitting this dispersal mode. We define two megafaunal fruit types based on previous analyses of elephant fruits: fruits 4-10 cm in diameter with up to five large seeds, and fruits > 10 cm diameter with numerous small seeds. Megafaunal fruits are well represented in unrelated families such as Sapotaceae, Fabaceae, Solanaceae, Apocynaceae, Malvaceae, Caryocaraceae, and Arecaceae and combine an overbuilt design (large fruit mass and size with either a single or few ( 100 seeds. Within-family and within-genus contrasts between megafaunal and non-megafaunal groups of species indicate a marked difference in fruit diameter and fruit mass but less so for individual seed mass, with a significant trend for megafaunal fruits to have larger seeds and seediness. CONCLUSIONS/SIGNIFICANCE: Megafaunal fruits allow plants to circumvent the trade-off between seed size and dispersal by relying on frugivores able to disperse enormous seed loads over long-distances. Present-day seed dispersal by scatter-hoarding rodents, introduced livestock, runoff, flooding, gravity, and human-mediated dispersal allowed survival of megafauna-dependent fruit species after extinction of the major seed dispersers. Megafauna extinction had several potential consequences, such as a scale shift reducing the seed dispersal distances, increasingly clumped spatial patterns, reduced geographic ranges and limited genetic variation and increased among

Robotic seeding

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Pedersen, Søren Marcus; Fountas, Spyros; Sørensen, Claus Aage Grøn

2017-01-01

Agricultural robotics has received attention for approximately 20 years, but today there are only a few examples of the application of robots in agricultural practice. The lack of uptake may be (at least partly) because in many cases there is either no compelling economic benefit......, or there is a benefit but it is not recognized. The aim of this chapter is to quantify the economic benefits from the application of agricultural robots under a specific condition where such a benefit is assumed to exist, namely the case of early seeding and re-seeding in sugar beet. With some predefined assumptions...... with regard to speed, capacity and seed mapping, we found that among these two technical systems both early seeding with a small robot and re-seeding using a robot for a smaller part of the field appear to be financially viable solutions in sugar beet production....

Design and dosimetry of an eye plaque containing I-125 seeds: An improved dose distribution

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Detorie, N.A.; Tkacik, M.F.; Neglia, W.J.; Jenkins, D.; Shadday, J.

1986-01-01

To treat intraocular tumors, a temporarily implanted eye plaque, containing 24 I-125 seeds (3M model 6711), was fabricated from 0.6-mm-thick lead disk with a 1.5-cm diameter. The I-125 seeds were distributed in a particular geometric pattern to average the dose anisotropy of each individual seed. Water phantom measurements made with TLD chips (LiF) and film over the approximate depth range of 1-25 mm were compared with treatment planning computer calculations (Capintec RT-108). Data indicate that the specified geometry produces a dose distribution delivering a tumor dose of 10,000 rad to the tumor apex (7 mm) without exceeding a sclera dose (1 mm) of 40,000 rad. Information regarding fabrication, dosimetry, and radiation safety is presented

Thousand-seed weight in the theory and practice

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Mirić Mladen

2007-01-01

Full Text Available Out of approximately 100 seed traits, 20 are of the marketing importance, and 10-15, including the 1000-seed weight (TSW have been studied. There are many articles partially dealing with TSW in our literature related to the seed industry, but none of them is all-inclusive. Therefore, the aim of the present study was to determine: (1 a role, (2 factors of formation and (3 obtaining desirable TWS (DTWS. Germination, yield and trade depend on TWS, while TWS is interrelated with a dozen of other parameters, selection of sowing plates, determination of the amounts of seeds necessary for sowing (sowing rate and the depth of sowing, and can be an indicator of some other seed or crop traits. TSW depends on inheritance and conditions and is interrelated with sowing, drying and processing. Individual factors of TSW are numerous and classified into two groups each with two subgroups: a agro ecological (abiotic and biotic and b agro technological (cropping practices and processing. The species and variety, crop density and uniformity, irrigation regime and fertilization have the greatest impact on TSW, while the effects of soil tillage and weather conditions, except during pollination and maturing, are of less importance. Seed fractioning is crucial, but it is less performed in our country than world-wide. The desirable TSW (DTWS is a term designating higher-quality, more homogenous and greater yield of seed units in the whole process of the seed production. It is necessary to analyze DTWS for all varieties in order to determine DTWS that will provide the highest yield of viable and uniform seeds per hectare. Labor rationalization and productivity require obtaining DTWS as high as possible in the filed and maintaining it in processing. .

Seeds of confusion : the impact of policies on seed systems

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Louwaars, N.P.

2007-01-01

Seed is basic to crop production. Next to its importance in production, food security and rural development, seed is a key element in many debates about technology development and transfer, biodiversity, globalisation and equity. The sustainable availability of good quality seed is thus an important

Seed mass and mast seeding enhance dispersal by a neotropical scatter-hoarding rodent

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Jansen, P.A.; Bongers, F.J.J.M.; Hemerik, L.

2004-01-01

Many tree species that depend on scatter-hoarding animals for seed dispersal produce massive crops of large seeds at irregular intervals. Mast seeding and large seed size in these species have been explained as adaptations to increase animal dispersal and reduce predation. We studied how seed size

Seed Placement in Permanent Breast Seed Implant Brachytherapy: Are Concerns Over Accuracy Valid?

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Morton, Daniel, E-mail: dmorton@bccancer.bc.ca [Department of Medical Physics, BC Cancer Agency, Centre for the Southern Interior, Kelowna, British Columbia (Canada); Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Victoria, Victoria, British Columbia (Canada); Hilts, Michelle [Department of Medical Physics, BC Cancer Agency, Centre for the Southern Interior, Kelowna, British Columbia (Canada); Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Victoria, Victoria, British Columbia (Canada); Batchelar, Deidre [Department of Medical Physics, BC Cancer Agency, Centre for the Southern Interior, Kelowna, British Columbia (Canada); Crook, Juanita [Department of Radiation Oncology, BC Cancer Agency, Centre for the Southern Interior, Kelowna, British Columbia (Canada)

2016-07-01

Purpose: To evaluate seed placement accuracy in permanent breast seed implant brachytherapy (PBSI), to identify any systematic errors and evaluate their effect on dosimetry. Methods and Materials: Treatment plans and postimplant computed tomography scans for 20 PBSI patients were spatially registered and used to evaluate differences between planned and implanted seed positions, termed seed displacements. For each patient, the mean total and directional seed displacements were determined in both standard room coordinates and in needle coordinates relative to needle insertion angle. Seeds were labeled according to their proximity to the anatomy within the breast, to evaluate the influence of anatomic regions on seed placement. Dosimetry within an evaluative target volume (seroma + 5 mm), skin, breast, and ribs was evaluated to determine the impact of seed placement on the treatment. Results: The overall mean (±SD) difference between implanted and planned positions was 9 ± 5 mm for the aggregate seed population. No significant systematic directional displacements were observed for this whole population. However, for individual patients, systematic displacements were observed, implying that intrapatient offsets occur during the procedure. Mean displacements for seeds in the different anatomic areas were not found to be significantly different from the mean for the entire seed population. However, small directional trends were observed within the anatomy, potentially indicating some bias in the delivery. Despite observed differences between the planned and implanted seed positions, the median (range) V{sub 90} for the 20 patients was 97% (66%-100%), and acceptable dosimetry was achieved for critical structures. Conclusions: No significant trends or systematic errors were observed in the placement of seeds in PBSI, including seeds implanted directly into the seroma. Recorded seed displacements may be related to intrapatient setup adjustments. Despite observed seed

Use of Acrylic Acid Sodium Acrylate Polymer to Maintain Cocoa Seed Viability

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Pudji Rahardjo

2010-08-01

Full Text Available The main problem of cocoa seed storage is moisture content of the seeds because cocoa seeds will germinate if cocoa seeds moisture content is high. The objective of this research is to maintain the cocoa seeds viability in storage using acrylic acid sodium acrylate polymer (AASAP. The function of AASAP is to absorb humidity in storage due to their ability to retain water and to prevent water loss. The experiment was conducted in a laboratory of Indonesian Coffee and Cocoa Research Institute and in Kaliwining Experimental Garden. This experiment was arranged by factorial randomized complete design, in wich AASAP dosages 0%; 0.1% (0.1 g/100 seeds; 0.2% (0.2 g/100 seeds, 0.3% (0.3 g/100 seeds, 0,4% (0,4g/100 seeds, combined with seeds storage period 1, 2, 3 and 4 weeks. The experiment used 3 replications and each repli cation used 100 seeds. Parameter of observation consisted of percentage of seeds germinated in storage, percentage of seeds infected by fungi in storage, seeds moisture content, percentage of seeds germination after storage, and early growth of cocoa seedlings. The results of the experiment showed that AASAP application with some dosages cocoa seeds storage cause to germinate in storage during 2 weeks. AASAP application with some dosages in cocoa seeds storage for 2 weeks would not result in infection by fungi and did not significantly affect seed germination after storage for 1, 2 and 4 weeks, and percentage of germination of cocoa seed after storage for 3 weeks decreased with increase dosage of AASAP. Higher dosage of AASAP would reduce early growth of cocoa seedling. Key words : Theobroma cacao, seed, acrylic acid sodium acrylate, seed storage, viabilty.

Tumor regression patterns in retinoblastoma

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zafar, S.N.; Siddique, S.N.; Zaheer, N.

2016-01-01

To observe the types of tumor regression after treatment, and identify the common pattern of regression in our patients. Study Design: Descriptive study. Place and Duration of Study: Department of Pediatric Ophthalmology and Strabismus, Al-Shifa Trust Eye Hospital, Rawalpindi, Pakistan, from October 2011 to October 2014. Methodology: Children with unilateral and bilateral retinoblastoma were included in the study. Patients were referred to Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences, Islamabad, for chemotherapy. After every cycle of chemotherapy, dilated funds examination under anesthesia was performed to record response of the treatment. Regression patterns were recorded on RetCam II. Results: Seventy-four tumors were included in the study. Out of 74 tumors, 3 were ICRB group A tumors, 43 were ICRB group B tumors, 14 tumors belonged to ICRB group C, and remaining 14 were ICRB group D tumors. Type IV regression was seen in 39.1% (n=29) tumors, type II in 29.7% (n=22), type III in 25.6% (n=19), and type I in 5.4% (n=4). All group A tumors (100%) showed type IV regression. Seventeen (39.5%) group B tumors showed type IV regression. In group C, 5 tumors (35.7%) showed type II regression and 5 tumors (35.7%) showed type IV regression. In group D, 6 tumors (42.9%) regressed to type II non-calcified remnants. Conclusion: The response and success of the focal and systemic treatment, as judged by the appearance of different patterns of tumor regression, varies with the ICRB grouping of the tumor. (author)

Consistent individual differences in seed disperser quality in a seed-eating fish

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Pollux, Bart J.A.

2017-01-01

Animal-mediated seed dispersal (zoochory) is considered to be an important mechanism regulating biological processes at larger spatial scales. To date, intra-specific variation in seed disperser quality within seed-dispersing animals has not been studied. Here, I employed seed feeding trials to

Interactions between seed traits and digestive processes determine the germinability of bird-dispersed seeds.

Science.gov (United States)

Kleyheeg, Erik; Claessens, Mascha; Soons, Merel B

2018-01-01

Waterbirds disperse a wide range of plant seeds via their guts, promoting biotic connectivity between isolated habitat patches. However, the intensity of digestive forces encountered by seeds, and therefore their potential to survive digestive tract passage, varies within and between waterbird species. Here, we investigate under controlled conditions how the interaction between seed traits and digestive strategies affect the germinability of seeds following waterbird-mediated dispersal. We exposed seeds of 30 wetland plant species to the main digestive processes in the dabbling duck digestive system: mechanical, chemical and intestinal digestion. These were simulated by 1) a pressure test and scarification treatment, 2) incubation in simulated gastric juice, and 3) incubation in intestinal contents of culled mallards (Anas platyrhynchos). We evaluated their separate and combined effects on seed germination, and identified the role of seed size and seed coat traits in resisting the digestive forces. Seeds were generally resistant to separate digestive processes, but highly sensitive to a combination. Resistance to mechanical break-down was reduced by up to 80% by chemical pre-treatment, especially for seeds with permeable coats. Scarified seeds were 12-17% more vulnerable to chemical and intestinal digestive processes than undamaged seeds. Large seeds and seeds with thin, permeable coats were particularly sensitive to chemical and intestinal digestion. These results indicate that efficient digestion of seeds requires multiple digestive processes. The gizzard, responsible for mechanical digestion, plays a key role in seed survival. Omnivorous birds, which have relatively light gizzards compared to pure herbivores or granivores, are thus most likely to disperse seeds successfully. Regardless of digestive strategy, small seeds with tough seed coats are most resistant to digestion and may be adapted to endozoochorous dispersal by waterbirds.

Interactions between seed traits and digestive processes determine the germinability of bird-dispersed seeds

Science.gov (United States)

Soons, Merel B.

2018-01-01

Waterbirds disperse a wide range of plant seeds via their guts, promoting biotic connectivity between isolated habitat patches. However, the intensity of digestive forces encountered by seeds, and therefore their potential to survive digestive tract passage, varies within and between waterbird species. Here, we investigate under controlled conditions how the interaction between seed traits and digestive strategies affect the germinability of seeds following waterbird-mediated dispersal. We exposed seeds of 30 wetland plant species to the main digestive processes in the dabbling duck digestive system: mechanical, chemical and intestinal digestion. These were simulated by 1) a pressure test and scarification treatment, 2) incubation in simulated gastric juice, and 3) incubation in intestinal contents of culled mallards (Anas platyrhynchos). We evaluated their separate and combined effects on seed germination, and identified the role of seed size and seed coat traits in resisting the digestive forces. Seeds were generally resistant to separate digestive processes, but highly sensitive to a combination. Resistance to mechanical break-down was reduced by up to 80% by chemical pre-treatment, especially for seeds with permeable coats. Scarified seeds were 12–17% more vulnerable to chemical and intestinal digestive processes than undamaged seeds. Large seeds and seeds with thin, permeable coats were particularly sensitive to chemical and intestinal digestion. These results indicate that efficient digestion of seeds requires multiple digestive processes. The gizzard, responsible for mechanical digestion, plays a key role in seed survival. Omnivorous birds, which have relatively light gizzards compared to pure herbivores or granivores, are thus most likely to disperse seeds successfully. Regardless of digestive strategy, small seeds with tough seed coats are most resistant to digestion and may be adapted to endozoochorous dispersal by waterbirds. PMID:29614085

7 CFR 201.33 - Seed in bulk or large quantities; seed for cleaning or processing.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-01-01

... quantities; seed for cleaning or processing. (a) In the case of seed in bulk, the information required under... seeds. (b) Seed consigned to a seed cleaning or processing establishment, for cleaning or processing for... pertaining to such seed show that it is “Seed for processing,” or, if the seed is in containers and in...

A functional analysis of cell cycle events in developing and germinating tomato seeds

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Castro, de R.D.

1998-01-01

Seeds are complex biological structures and the primary dispersal units of higher plants. They consist of nutrient reserve storage tissue(s), an embryo and encapsulating structures designated for protection and that may also regulate germination. Seeds have developed mechanisms of

Seed rain, soil seed bank, seed loss and regeneration of Castanopsis fargesii (Fagaceae) in a subtropical evergreen broad-leaved forest

Science.gov (United States)

Xiaojun Du; Qinfeng Guo; Xianming Gao; Keping Na

2007-01-01

Understanding the seed rain and seed loss dynamics in the natural condition has important significance for revealing the natural regeneration mechanisms.We conducted a 3-year field observation on seed rain, seed loss and natural regeneration of Castanopsis fargesii Franch., a dominant tree species in evergreen broad-leaved forests in Dujiangyan,...

Training and research in seed technology. No quality seeds without skilled staff

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Groot, S.P.C.; Hilhorst, H.W.M.

2016-01-01

The seed industry in the Netherlands is the largest exporter of horticultural seeds, reaching farmers in every country of the world. High seed quality is one of the key factors of this success. Maintaining and increasing the level of seed qualtiy requires skilled staff, innovation and collaboration

Chloroxyanion residue on seeds and sprouts after chlorine dioxide sanitation of alfalfa seed

Science.gov (United States)

The effects of a 6-h chlorine dioxide sanitation of alfalfa seed (0, 50, 100, and 200 mg/kg seed) on total coliform bacteria, seed germination, and on the presence of chlorate and perchlorate residues in seed rinse, seed soak, and in alfalfa sprouts was determined. Chlorate residues in 20000 ppm cal...

Raw and heat-treated culban ( Vicia peregrina ) seed as protein ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Vicia peregrina seed was included in the diets at different levels, viz. 100, 200, 300 g heat-treated and 100, 200, 300 g raw seed in experimental diets designated A1, B1, C1, A2, B2 and C2, respectively. Growth parameters of the fish fed these diets were compared to fish receiving a fish meal and soyabean meal based ...

Assessment of Seed Germination and Dormancy of Thirty Seeds Lots of

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H.R Ehyaee

2012-06-01

Full Text Available Most seeds of medicinal plants due to ecological adaptation to environmental conditions have several types of dormancy. Hence, it's necessary to recognize ecological factors that affect dormancy and provide optimum conditions for germination in medicinal plant species. Thirty seed lots were used to estimate germination and dormancy of medicinal plants. Treatments were KNO3, (2% and scarification of seeds by sand paper, hypochlorite sodium and removing the seed coat with four replicates of 25 seeds. Maximum and minimum germination observed in H2O for Digitalis purpure 100% and Saponaria officinalis 0%. In KNO3 treatment, Portulaca oleracea had the highest germination of 91% and Hyocyamus niger had no any germinated seeds. In sand paper treatment, the Saponaria officinalis and Datura stramonium had maximum, 33% and minimum 0% germination respectively.

Early planting and hand sorting effectively controls seed-borne fungi in farm-retained bean seed

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Ernest Dube

2014-11-01

Full Text Available Home-saved bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L. seed can be hand-sorted to remove discoloured seed, thereby reducing the level of contamination by certain seed-borne fungi and improving seed germination. In this study, the effect of planting date on the infection and discolouration of bean seed by seed-borne fungi was investigated in order to improve the quality of hand-sorted, farm-retained bean seeds used by resource poor smallholder farmers. The germination quality and level of seed-borne fungi in hand-sorted first-generation bean seed harvested from an early-, mid- and late-summer season planted crop was therefore assessed. The highest percentage of discoloured seed (68% was obtained from the mid-summer season planting. Non-discoloured seed from early- and late-season plantings had significantly (p"less than"0.001 higher normal germination (82% and 77%, respectively than that from the mid-season planting date (58%. Irrespective of planting date, unsorted seed and discoloured seed had higher levels of infection by Fusarium spp. and Phaeoisariopsis spp. than the non-discoloured seed. Removal of discoloured seed by hand sorting eliminated Rhizoctonia spp. from all seed lots. Farmers can eliminate this pathogen by simply removing discoloured seed. Non-discoloured seed from the early-planted crop had the lowest level of infection by Fusarium spp. and Phaeoisariopsis spp. The results indicate that planting date is an important consideration in improving the quality of hand-sorted farm-retained bean seed.

The Germination of Some Species Tropical Legume Seeds

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Eko Poetri

2005-09-01

Full Text Available A study to evaluate the seed germination of Leucaena pallida under climatic and soil conditions in Palu was conducted in village of Taipa, Sub district of North Palu, District of Palu. To compare with other species of legume trees however, this study involved Leucaena leucocephala cv Tarramba, Leucaena leucocephala cv Gumph and Gliricidia maculata. This experiment used completely randomized design with species of tropical tree legumes as treatment.  Each treatment was replicated five times.  Each experimental unit consisted of one tray (size 12.5 x 25 cm and planted by 20 seed.  Each tray was filled with soil while the seeds were planted one cm deep.  All seeds were immersed in warm water (600C for five minutes before planted.  The base of the trays were drilled to create some holes for water to drain out.  The trays were sprayed twice daily (07.00 am and 03.00 pm to keep the soil to be moist using a very smooth sprayer.  The variables recorded included the initiation time of germination, the range time of germination and the percentage of seed germination.  The data obtained were analyses using the Minitab 11. Least significance difference was used to test for possible differences between treatment means. The result revealed that initiation time of germination and the range of germination were not varied (P>0.05 among the seeds tested. The initiation time of germination ranged between 9 to 12 d after sowing.  Gliricidia maculata seed has the shortest period to germinate (12-16 d after sowing, meanwhile Leucaena leucocephala cv. Tarramba appear to be the longest (9-17 d after sowing. The highest seed viability was 60% in Leucaena leucocephala, cv Gump while the lowest was found in Gliricidia maculata (29%. In addition, both Leucaena pallida and Leucaena leucocephala cv Tarramba had medium seed germination (40% and 53% respectively. (Animal Production 7(3: 156-160 (2005Key Words: Seed, Germination, Tropical Leguminous

Responses of seed germination, seedling growth, and seed yield traits to seed pretreatment in maize (Zea mays L.).

Science.gov (United States)

Tian, Yu; Guan, Bo; Zhou, Daowei; Yu, Junbao; Li, Guangdi; Lou, Yujie

2014-01-01

A series of seed priming experiments were conducted to test the effects of different pretreatment methods to seed germination, seedling growth, and seed yield traits in maize (Zea mays L.). Results indicated that the seeds primed by gibberellins (GA), NaCl, and polyethylene glycol (PEG) reagents showed a higher imbibitions rate compared to those primed with water. The final germination percentage and germination rate varied with different reagents significantly (P germination experiment. 15% PEG priming reagent increased shoot and root biomass of maize seedling. The shoot biomass of seedlings after presoaking the seeds with NaCl reagent was significantly higher than the seedlings without priming treatment. No significant differences of plant height, leaf number, and hundred-grain weight were observed between control group and priming treatments. Presoaking with water, NaCl (50 mM), or PEG (15%) significantly increased the hundred-grain weight of maize. Therefore, seed pretreatment is proved to be an effective technique to improve the germination performance, seedling growth, and seed yield of maize. However, when compared with the two methods, if immediate sowing is possible, presoaking is recommended to harvest better benefits compared to priming method.

Spinach seed quality - potential for combining seed size grading and chlorophyll flourescence sorting

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Deleuran, Lise Christina; Olesen, Merete Halkjær; Boelt, Birte

2013-01-01

might therefore improve the establishment of spinach for producers. Spinach seeds were harvested at five different times (H1, H2, H3, H4 and H5) starting 3 weeks before estimated optimum harvest time. The harvested seeds were sorted according to chlorophyll fluorescence (CF) and seed size. Two harvest.......5–3.25 mm size seeds had germinated on day 3 than both their larger and smaller counterparts at the later time of harvest (H4). Seeds with a diameter below 2.5 mm displayed the lowest MGT. Commercially, the use of chlorophyll fluorescence (CF)-sorted seeds, in combination with seed size sorting, may provide...

[Effects of illumination and seed-soaking reagent on seed germination of Solanum nigrum].

Science.gov (United States)

Yang, Chuan-Jie; Wei, Shu-He; Zhou, Qi-Xing; Hu, Ya-Hu; Niu, Rong-Cheng

2009-05-01

To explore a rapid seed germination method for hyperaccumulator Solanum nigrum, a germination experiment with different illumination and seed-soaking treatments was conducted in constant temperature box and greenhouse, with filter as burgeon base. Under illumination, the germination rate was about 5 times high of that without illumination (P seed germination of S. nigrum. All test seed-soaking reagents could significantly improve the germination rate of S. nigrum (P seeds treated with H2O2 had the shortest germination time. The germination rate of seeds soaked but without cleaning was 2-3 times as high as that of seeds soaked and cleaned with water.

Increasing seed size and quality by manipulating BIG SEEDS1 in legume species.

Science.gov (United States)

Ge, Liangfa; Yu, Jianbin; Wang, Hongliang; Luth, Diane; Bai, Guihua; Wang, Kan; Chen, Rujin

2016-11-01

Plant organs, such as seeds, are primary sources of food for both humans and animals. Seed size is one of the major agronomic traits that have been selected in crop plants during their domestication. Legume seeds are a major source of dietary proteins and oils. Here, we report a conserved role for the BIG SEEDS1 (BS1) gene in the control of seed size and weight in the model legume Medicago truncatula and the grain legume soybean (Glycine max). BS1 encodes a plant-specific transcription regulator and plays a key role in the control of the size of plant organs, including seeds, seed pods, and leaves, through a regulatory module that targets primary cell proliferation. Importantly, down-regulation of BS1 orthologs in soybean by an artificial microRNA significantly increased soybean seed size, weight, and amino acid content. Our results provide a strategy for the increase in yield and seed quality in legumes.

Conference Proceedings: Seed Ecology III - The Third International Society for Seed Science Meeting on Seeds and the Environment - "Seeds and Change"; June 20-June 24, 2010; Salt Lake City, Utah, USA

Science.gov (United States)

Rosemary Pendleton; Susan Meyer; Bitsy Schultz

2010-01-01

Seed Ecology III was held in Salt Lake City, Utah in June 2010, sharing the latest research on all aspects of seed ecology. Our meeting was organized around the theme "Seeds and Change." We welcomed contributions in any area of seed ecology. Our agenda also aimed to create bridges between seed ecology and plant conservation, restoration ecology, and global...

How seed orchard culture affects seed quality: experience with the southern pines

Science.gov (United States)

James P. Barnett

1996-01-01

Tree improvement programs have influenced significantly the quality of southern pine seeds produced when compared to collections from native stands. Seed orchard management practices such as fertilization can increase seed size and reduce seed dormancy. These result in the need for less complex pregermination treatments. Repeated cone collections from the same clones...

Paper (essay on seed

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Mirić Mladen

2013-01-01

Full Text Available Based on detailed studies of the past of the agrarian thought of the world (evolution of agro-innovation, and within it, the relationship of man and seed, the author has selected key data for Table 1. In addition, more or less known folk sayings, proverbs, curses and allegories in which the seed is the key word have been collected. Then, religious books, folk art and literature works (sayings of prominent individuals and experts and observations of the author himself have been studied. According to the collected opus, it can be concluded that the vast importance of seed meaningfully entwined into all spheres of folk life and cultural heritage. Seed is directly tied to the following eight key (revolutionary milestones in the food and economic life of mankind: 1. the first and for the longest time, the seed used to be the main food of the people and the first food reserve; 2. Neolithic Revolution was simply caused by the sowing of seeds; 3. for the sake of sowing man began to develop more complex processing techniques; 4. everywhere and forever, especially since the late 15th century, the seed has been a carrier of (rescuing plants between Europe and the New World, that is, between continents; 5. seed was the first product that has been chemically treated since the mid-18th century; 6. standard operation procedures and quality are promoted on seed by which it became the first product to have prescribed (compulsory methods, but it also became a good whose quality has to be tested before sale; 7. hybrid seed is a 'perpetrator' of the green revolution in the mid-20th century and at last there is disputable seed of genetically modified organisms that are spreading with certain reactions. The author proposes that the United Nations Standard International Trade Classification includes a special section (division which would classify the seed for sowing, while beyond this Classification terms such as seed, plant seed should be replaced with non-seed

Factors influencing upon the incidence of seed migration in I-125 seed transperineal prostate implantation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Itami, Jun; Onishi, Kayoko; Kanemura, Mikio

2005-01-01

Transperineal I-125 seed brachytherapy for prostate cancer is rapidly expanding in Japan. Seed migrations to lung and abdomen are well known complication in the seed brachytherapy. The rate of incidence and the predisposing factors were studied. From April 2004 through January 2005, 36 patients underwent transperineal I-125 seed brachytherapy for prostate cancer. In all patients loose I-125 seeds were inserted with Mick applicator according to modified peripheral loading pattern. One day, 1 week, and 1 month after the procedure, posteroanterior and lateral chest X-rays and abdominal X-ray were performed. Abdominal and chest seed migrations were seen in 11 (30.6%) and 14 (38.9%) patients, respectively. In total, 20 patients (55.6%) showed seed migrations. Forty-two I-125 seeds migrated out of 2,508 implanted seeds. Most of the migrations were seen until 1 month after the procedure. The preplanned number of the extraprostatic seeds had a statistically significant influence upon the incidence of seed migration. Seed migration is not a rare phenomenon in transperineal I-125 seed brachytherapy for prostate cancer. To confirm seed migration, X-ray examinations 1 month after the procedure are suited. At the preplanning, the number of extraprostatic seeds should be limited to minimal to decrease the incidence of seed migration. In future, the introduction of linked I-125 seeds is preferred. (author)

Alleviate Seed Ageing Effects in Silybum marianum by Application of Hormone Seed Priming

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Seyed Ata SIADAT

2015-09-01

Full Text Available Most of the medicinal plants have seed dormancy or poor seed germination. This is due to their natural compounds or their morphological structure. Existence of such mechanisms makes the seeds able to endure harsh environments, stressful conditions or natural ageing. Different seed enhancement treatments were proposed in order to improve seed germination. In this study, it was examined Silybum marianum seed longevity (0, 48 and 72 hour of ageing and the response to seed priming when using different concentrations of cytokinin (50, 200, 350 and 500 ppm and different duration of treatment (8, 12 and 24 hour. Results revealed that ageing could be successfully alleviated using seed priming. Seed ageing significantly affected seed germination and vigour. Application of cytokinin considerably improved seed vigour in aged and non aged seeds. The most effective seed priming treatment was with 500 ppm cytokine, with the duration of 24 hours. In conclusion, it can be recommend the used of plant growth regulators like cytokine, as a good priming agent, to recover losses of seed quality and improve germination characteristics.

Peasant seeds in Europe: stakes and prospects

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Riccardo Bocci

2011-11-01

Full Text Available The myth of technological progress in agriculture and then modern plant breeding have resulted in a separation of farming from breeding activities. Seed laws have also contributed to this outcome (e.g. by imposing strict rules for the entry of varieties in the official catalogue. Nowadays, some pioneers, among them farmers rejecting industrialized agriculture and more often practising organic agriculture, are proposing a different option. In Europe, since the beginning of this century, they have been organizing themselves in networks: the Réseau Semences Paysannes in France, the Red de Semillas in Spain and the Rete Semi Rurali in Italy. Their members are farmers, consumers and scientists working together in order to reconsider the scientific, technical and legal aspects of seed production. These new varieties are designated ‘peasant varieties’, a concept that encompasses two main aspects: the seed, the reproductive part of the plant linked to its terroir, and the variety, shaped by history and coevolved with farmers. Scientists working with these networks are developing participatory plant breeding projects, which aim to broaden agrobiodiversity by creating so called new peasant varieties. The basis of these projects comes from old local varieties and landraces conserved in seed banks. In Europe, the legal framework has evolved since the establishment of ‘conservation varieties’ by directive 98/95. The European research project Farm Seed Opportunities is under way to support new seed policies, in the light also of the different national contexts. The debate in Europe now offers a range of seed systems models. It is time to enlarge this debate to southern countries through the sharing of knowledge between farmers of the North and the South, aiming at conserving agrobiodiversity and promoting rural innovation.

Effects of seed collecting date and storage duration on seed ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

The objective of this study was to determine the effect of seed collecting dates (5 to 6 times from mid-November to early January, 10 days intervals) and seed storage duration (4, 8, and 12 months) at room temperature on seed germination of four Artemisia species (Artemisia sieberi, A. diffusa, A. kupetdaghensis, and A.

IMPORTANCE OF STORAGE CONDITIONS AND SEED TREATMENT FOR SUNFLOWER HYBRIDS SEEDS GERMINATION

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Goran Krizmanić

2014-12-01

Full Text Available In this research we have determined germination energy and germination of seeds of sunflower hybrids ‘Luka’ and ‘Apolon’, at the beginning of storage and 6, 12 and 18 months after of storage period (2011-2012 in the floor concrete storage at two different air temperatures and humidity (S-1: air temperature 15-18°C and relative air humidity 65-70% as well as in climate chamber (S-2: air temperature 10-12°C and relative air humidity 60-65%, stored in four treatments (Control: processed-untreated seed; T-1: treated with A.I. metalaxyl-M; T-2: treated with A.I. metalaxyl-M + A.I. imidacloprid and T-3: treated with A.I. metalaxyl-M + A.I. clothianidin. Based on the obtained results we have determined that sunflower hybrid ‘Luka’, compared to hybrid ‘Apolon’, in the given storage conditions and with the same seed treatment has 5-8% higher germination energy and seed germination and that in climate chamber both hybrids have 5-7% higher germination energy. Seed treatment of both sunflower hybrids with A.I. imidacloprid maximally reduced initial germination energy and seed germination in all tested periods and conditions of storage. On the average, natural seed, after 18 months of storage did not have better seed quality compared to seed treated with A.I. metalaxyl-M while other treatments had more significant influence on reduction of germination energy and seed germination, 6-15%. On the average, compared to other variants, seeds treated with A.I. metalaxyl-M after 18 months of storage in both storage conditions had higher germination energy by 4-15%, and seed germination by 2-12%.

Soil, Seeds, and the Pumpkin Patch!

Science.gov (United States)

Phillips, Marianne; Vowell, Julie

2013-01-01

"Soil, Seeds, and the Pumpkin Patch!" is an integrated unit designed to provide elementary school teachers with ideas for using hands-on activities, fostering inquiry and valuable discussion, and using technology as a learning tool. This unit integrates science with language arts, mathematics, literature, and technology. During this unit, students…

Proanthocyanidins in seed coat tegmen and endospermic cap inhibit seed germination in Sapium sebiferum.

Science.gov (United States)

Shah, Faheem Afzal; Ni, Jun; Chen, Jing; Wang, Qiaojian; Liu, Wenbo; Chen, Xue; Tang, Caiguo; Fu, Songling; Wu, Lifang

2018-01-01

Sapium sebiferum , an ornamental and bio-energetic plant, is propagated by seed. Its seed coat contains germination inhibitors and takes a long time to stratify for germination. In this study, we discovered that the S. sebiferum seed coat (especially the tegmen) and endospermic cap (ESC) contained high levels of proanthocyanidins (PAs). Seed coat and ESC removal induced seed germination, whereas exogenous application with seed coat extract (SCE) or PAs significantly inhibited this process, suggesting that PAs in the seed coat played a major role in regulating seed germination in S. sebiferum . We further investigated how SCE affected the expression of the seed-germination-related genes. The results showed that treatment with SCE upregulated the transcription level of the dormancy-related gene, gibberellins (GAs) suppressing genes, abscisic acid (ABA) biosynthesis and signalling genes. SCE decreased the transcript levels of ABA catabolic genes, GAs biosynthesis genes, reactive oxygen species genes and nitrates-signalling genes. Exogenous application of nordihydroguaiaretic acid, gibberellic acid, hydrogen peroxide and potassium nitrate recovered seed germination in seed-coat-extract supplemented medium. In this study, we highlighted the role of PAs, and their interactions with the other germination regulators, in the regulation of seed dormancy in S. sebiferum .

Seed-specific overexpression of AtFAX1 increases seed oil content in Arabidopsis.

Science.gov (United States)

Tian, Yinshuai; Lv, Xueyan; Xie, Guilan; Zhang, Jing; Xu, Ying; Chen, Fang

2018-06-02

Biosynthesis of plant seed oil is accomplished through the coordinate action of multiple enzymes in multiple subcellular compartments. Fatty acid (FA) has to be transported from plastid to endoplasmic reticulum (ER) for TAG synthesis. However, the role of plastid FA transportation during seed oil accumulation has not been evaluated. AtFAX1 (Arabidopsis fatty acid export1) mediated the FA export from plastid. In this study, we overexpressed AtFAX1 under the control of a seed specific promoter in Arabidopsis. The resultant overexpression lines (OEs) produced seeds which contained 21-33% more oil and 24-30% more protein per seed than those of the wild type (WT). The increased oil content was probably because of the enhanced FA and TAG synthetic activity. The seed size and weight were both increased accordingly. In addition, the seed number per silique and silique number per plant had no changes in transgenic plants. Taken together, our results demonstrated that seed specific overexpression of AtFAX1 could promote oil accumulation in Arabidopsis seeds and manipulating FA transportation is a feasible strategy for increasing the seed oil content. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Genetic characterisation of seed yield and fertility traits in perennial ryegrass (Lolium perenne L.)

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Studer, Bruno; Jensen, Louise Bach; Hentrup, Stephan

2008-01-01

A population. Path analysis partitioned the direct and indirect effects of seed yield components on seed yield per plant. Seed yield per panicle showed the highest effect on total seed yield. The adjusted mean values of each trait and a genetic linkage map consisting of 97 anonymous and 85 gene associated DNA......Seed yield is a trait of major interest for the key grassland species Lolium perenne L. An F2 mapping population of perennial ryegrass (VrnA), recently characterised for vernalisation response, was assessed in a glasshouse for traits related to seed yield based on a lattice design with four...... replications over 2 years. The traits heading date, plant height, length of panicles, number of panicles per plant, seed yield per panicle, flag leaf length, flag leaf width and seed yield per plant revealed repeatabilities ranging from 41 to 76% and a considerable amount of genetic variation in the Vrn...

Physical Methods for Seed Invigoration: Advantages and Challenges in Seed Technology.

Science.gov (United States)

Araújo, Susana de Sousa; Paparella, Stefania; Dondi, Daniele; Bentivoglio, Antonio; Carbonera, Daniela; Balestrazzi, Alma

2016-01-01

In the context of seed technology, the use of physical methods for increasing plant production offers advantages over conventional treatments based on chemical substances. The effects of physical invigoration treatments in seeds can be now addressed at multiple levels, ranging from morpho-structural aspects to changes in gene expression and protein or metabolite accumulation. Among the physical methods available, "magneto-priming" and irradiation with microwaves (MWs) or ionizing radiations (IRs) are the most promising pre-sowing seed treatments. "Magneto-priming" is based on the application of magnetic fields and described as an eco-friendly, cheap, non-invasive technique with proved beneficial effects on seed germination, vigor and crop yield. IRs, as γ-rays and X-rays, have been widely regarded as a powerful tool in agricultural sciences and food technology. Gamma-rays delivered at low dose have showed to enhance germination percentage and seedling establishment, acting as an actual 'priming' treatment. Different biological effects have been observed in seeds subjected to MWs and X-rays but knowledge about their impact as seed invigoration agent or stimulatory effects on germination need to be further extended. Ultraviolet (UV) radiations, namely UV-A and UV-C have shown to stimulate positive impacts on seed health, germination, and seedling vigor. For all mentioned physical treatments, extensive fundamental and applied research is still needed to define the optimal dose, exposition time, genotype- and environment-dependent irradiation conditions. Electron paramagnetic resonance has an enormous potential in seed technology not fully explored to monitor seed invigoration treatments and/or identifying the best suitable irradiation dose or time-point to stop the treatment. The present manuscript describes the use of physical methods for seed invigoration, while providing a critical discussion on the constraints and advantages. The future perspectives related to

Physical Methods for Seed Invigoration: Advantages and Challenges in Seed Technology

Science.gov (United States)

Araújo, Susana de Sousa; Paparella, Stefania; Dondi, Daniele; Bentivoglio, Antonio; Carbonera, Daniela; Balestrazzi, Alma

2016-01-01

In the context of seed technology, the use of physical methods for increasing plant production offers advantages over conventional treatments based on chemical substances. The effects of physical invigoration treatments in seeds can be now addressed at multiple levels, ranging from morpho-structural aspects to changes in gene expression and protein or metabolite accumulation. Among the physical methods available, “magneto-priming” and irradiation with microwaves (MWs) or ionizing radiations (IRs) are the most promising pre-sowing seed treatments. “Magneto-priming” is based on the application of magnetic fields and described as an eco-friendly, cheap, non-invasive technique with proved beneficial effects on seed germination, vigor and crop yield. IRs, as γ-rays and X-rays, have been widely regarded as a powerful tool in agricultural sciences and food technology. Gamma-rays delivered at low dose have showed to enhance germination percentage and seedling establishment, acting as an actual ‘priming’ treatment. Different biological effects have been observed in seeds subjected to MWs and X-rays but knowledge about their impact as seed invigoration agent or stimulatory effects on germination need to be further extended. Ultraviolet (UV) radiations, namely UV-A and UV-C have shown to stimulate positive impacts on seed health, germination, and seedling vigor. For all mentioned physical treatments, extensive fundamental and applied research is still needed to define the optimal dose, exposition time, genotype- and environment-dependent irradiation conditions. Electron paramagnetic resonance has an enormous potential in seed technology not fully explored to monitor seed invigoration treatments and/or identifying the best suitable irradiation dose or time-point to stop the treatment. The present manuscript describes the use of physical methods for seed invigoration, while providing a critical discussion on the constraints and advantages. The future perspectives

Physical methods for seed vigourization: advantages and challenges in seed technology

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Susana eAraújo

2016-05-01

Full Text Available In the context of seed technology, the use of physical methods for increasing plant production offers advantages over conventional treatments based on chemical substances. The effects of physical vigourization treatments in seeds can be now addressed at multiple levels, ranging from morpho-structural aspects to changes in gene expression and protein or metabolite accumulation. Among the physical methods available, magneto-priming and irradiation with microwaves or ionizing radiations are the most promissory pre-sowing seed treatments. Magneto-priming is based on the application of magnetic fields and described as an eco-friendly, cheap, non-invasive technique with proved beneficial effects on seed germination, vigour and crop yield. Ionizing radiations, as gamma-rays and X-rays, have been widely regarded as a powerful tool in agricultural sciences and food technology. Gamma-rays delivered at low dose have showed to enhance germination percentage and seedling establishment, acting as an actual ‘priming’ treatment. Different biological effects have been observed in seeds subjected to microwaves and X-rays but knowledge about their impact as seed vigourization agent or stimulatory effects on germination need to be further extended. Ultraviolet (UV radiations, namely UV-A and UV-C have shown to stimulate positive impacts on seed health, germination and seedling vigour. For all mentioned physical treatments, extensive fundamental and applied research is still needed to define the optimal dose, exposition time, genotype- and environment-dependent irradiation conditions. Electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR has an enormous potential in seed technology not fully explored to monitor seed vigourization treatments and/or identifying the best suitable irradiation dose or time-point to stop the treatment. The present manuscript describes the use of physical methods for seed vigourization, while providing a critical discussion on the constraints and

Efficient design of gain-flattened multi-pump Raman fiber amplifiers using least squares support vector regression

Science.gov (United States)

Chen, Jing; Qiu, Xiaojie; Yin, Cunyi; Jiang, Hao

2018-02-01

An efficient method to design the broadband gain-flattened Raman fiber amplifier with multiple pumps is proposed based on least squares support vector regression (LS-SVR). A multi-input multi-output LS-SVR model is introduced to replace the complicated solving process of the nonlinear coupled Raman amplification equation. The proposed approach contains two stages: offline training stage and online optimization stage. During the offline stage, the LS-SVR model is trained. Owing to the good generalization capability of LS-SVR, the net gain spectrum can be directly and accurately obtained when inputting any combination of the pump wavelength and power to the well-trained model. During the online stage, we incorporate the LS-SVR model into the particle swarm optimization algorithm to find the optimal pump configuration. The design results demonstrate that the proposed method greatly shortens the computation time and enhances the efficiency of the pump parameter optimization for Raman fiber amplifier design.

Chemical Characteristics of Pumpkin Seed Tempeh From Soybean and Pumpkin Seeds

OpenAIRE

Pujilestari, Shanti; Sandrasari, Diny A; Marida, Rimmaria

2017-01-01

The aim of this research was to find the effect of the combination of soybean and pumpkin seeds on the chemical characteristics of pumpkin seed tempeh. The pumpkin seed tempeh samples were analyzed for its water, ash, protein, fat, carbohydrate and crude fiber. Meanwhile, support data were isoflavone and zinc. Sensory hedonic was conducted by 25 untrained panelists for selecting the best formulation of soybean and pumpkin seeds in tempeh. The result shows the formulation of soybean and pumpki...

Oil palm seed distribution

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Durand-Gasselin Tristan

2005-03-01

Full Text Available For a tropical plant, the oil palm commodity chain has the peculiarity of possessing a major seed production sector for reasons that are primarily genetic. This seed sector has numerous original aspects. Breeders are also propagators and usually also distribute their seeds. Oil palm seeds are semi-recalcitrant: they display pseudo-dormancy. Achieving seed germination is difficult and requires lengthy treatments and special installations. This restriction greatly influences seed distribution and the role of the different stakeholders in the commodity chain. It was only once it had been discovered how the “sh” gene functioned, which controls shell thickness, and when it became necessary to produce “tenera” seeds derived from exclusively “dura x pisifera” crosses, that a true seed market developed. In addition it is difficult to organize seed distribution to smallholders. This is partly due to difficulties that the profession, or a State-run organization, has in controlling middlemen networks, and partly to the absence of any protective systems (UPOV, plant breeder certificate, etc. that generally oblige breeders to preserve and propagate parents in their own installations. In fact there are major inequalities in the access to seeds between agroindustry and smallholders. Another peculiarity of the oil palm seed market is the virtually total absence of guarantees for buyers: the quality of the research conducted by breeders, the seed production strategies necessary for transferring genetic progress, and the technical quality of production. The only guarantee today comes from the relations of confidence established year after year between breeders/distributors and growers. In this fields, research can lead to some proposals: molecular biology offers some interesting prospects for certifying seed quality and social science develop effective communication methods.

Extraction and the Fatty Acid Profile of Rosa acicularis Seed Oil.

Science.gov (United States)

Du, Huanan; Zhang, Xu; Zhang, Ruchun; Zhang, Lu; Yu, Dianyu; Jiang, Lianzhou

2017-12-01

Rosa acicularis seed oil was extracted from Rosa acicularis seeds by the ultrasonic-assisted aqueous enzymatic method using cellulase and protease. Based on a single experiment, Plackett-Burman design was applied to ultrasonic-assisted aqueous enzymatic extraction of wild rose seed oil. The effects of enzyme amount, hydrolysis temperature and initial pH on total extraction rate of wild rose seed oil was studied by using Box-Behnken optimize methodology. Chemical characteristics of a sample of Rosa acicularis seeds and Rosa acicularis seed oil were characterized in this work. The tocopherol content was 200.6±0.3 mg/100 g oil. The Rosa acicularis seed oil was rich in linoleic acid (56.5%) and oleic acid (34.2%). The saturated fatty acids included palmitic acid (4%) and stearic acid (2.9%). The major fatty acids in the sn-2 position of triacylglycerol in Rosa acicularis oil were linoleic acid (60.6%), oleic acid (33.6%) and linolenic acid (3.2%). According to the 1,3-random-2-random hypothesis, the dominant triacylglycerols were LLL (18%), LLnL (1%), LLP (2%), LOL (10%), LLSt (1.2%), PLP (0.2%), LLnP (0.1%), LLnO (0.6%) and LOP (1.1%). This work could be useful for developing applications for Rosa acicularis seed oil.

Physiologic quality of sweet maize seeds according to thickness and width

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Claudemir Zucareli

2014-03-01

Full Text Available Sweet maize seeds present lower physiologic quality, when compared to regular maize seeds, due to the influence of several features, such as the seed size and shape. Thus, this study aimed at evaluating the seed physiologic quality of two sweet maize cultivars (BR-401 and BR-402, separately classified according to thickness, by using slotted screen sieves (8/64" x 3/4, 9/64" x 3/4, 10/64" x 3/4, 11/64" x 3/4, 12/64" x 3/4 and 13/64" x 3/4, and width, with round screen sieves (17/64", 18/64", 19/64", 20/64", 21/64" and 22/64". For each cultivar, sorted lots were compared with the unrated batch, following a completely randomized design, in a 2x7 factorial scheme, with four replications. The biometric parameters evaluated were sieve retention, 100 seeds weight and water content. The physiologic quality was determined according to the first counting, germination, cold test, accelerated aging, electric conductivity and seedling emergence in the field. The classification with sieves improved the physiologic quality of sweet maize seeds. Seeds with intermediate thickness, for both cultivars, generally presented greater vigor. Concerning width, larger seeds, for the BR-401 cultivar, and intermediate seeds, for the BR-402 cultivar, showed better physiologic quality.

Methods to overcome dormancy in tree tomato (Solanum betaceum seeds

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Carlos Kosera Neto

2015-12-01

Full Text Available The tree tomato (Solanum betaceum is a poorly known species that has fruits with great economic potential, as it can be consumed in natura or industrialized. However, for reaching this potential, it is necessary the development of technologies for seedlings production. The propagation of this species is mainly done by seeds, but the seed germination process is usually slow, especially under stress conditions. This study aimed at verifying whether tree tomato seeds have dormancy and which is the best method to obtain fast and uniform germination. A completely randomized design was adopted in a 5 x 2 factorial arrangement (methods to overcome dormancy x light, with four replications of 50 or 60 seeds, depending on the production cycle. The methods tested were cold stratification, hydropriming, priming with GA3 solution and control, with or without light. Seed germination and germination rate index, as well as the beginning and average time of germination, were also evaluated. The use of GA3 at a concentration of 100 mg L-1 or 300 mg L-1 is recommended to the germination of tree tomato seeds.

A study on image reconstruction for seed localization for permanent prostate brachytherapy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hong, Ju Young; Rah, Jeong Eun; Suh, Tae Suk

2007-01-01

This study was to design and fabricate a phantom for prostate cancer brachytherapy to validate a developed program applying a 3-film technique, and to compare it with the conventional 2-film technique for determining the location of an implanted seed. The images were obtained from overlapped seeds by randomly placing a maximum of 63 seeds in the interior-posterior (AP) position and at -30 .deg. to 30 .deg. at 15 .deg. intervals. Images obtained by use of the phantom were applied to the image processing procedure, and were then processed into the development program for seed localization. In this study, cases were set where one seed overlapped, where two seeds overlapped and where none of the three views resolved all seeds. The distance between the centers of each seed to the reference seed was calculated in a prescribed region. This distance determined the location of each seed in a given band. The location of the overlapped seeds was compared with that of the 2-film technique. With this program, the detection rate was 92.2% (at ± 15 .deg. ), 94.1% (at ± 30 .deg.) and 70.6% (compared to the use of the 2-film technique). The overlaps were caused by one or more than two seeds that overlapped; the developed program can identify the location of each seed perfectly. However, for the third case the program was not able to resolve the overlap of the seeds. This program can be used to improve treatment outcome for the brachytherapy of prostate cancer by reducing the number of errors in the process of reconstructing the locations of perfectly overlapped seeds

Bulk YBCO seeded with 45°–45° bridge-seeds of different lengths

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Shi, Y-H; Durrell, J H; Dennis, A R; Cardwell, D A

2013-01-01

Single grain, (RE)BCO (rare earth–barium–copper oxide) bulk superconductors in large or complicated geometries are required for a variety of potential applications, such as in motors and generators and magnetic shielding devices. As a result, top, multi-seeded, melt growth has been investigated over the past 15 years in an attempt to enlarge the size of (RE)BCO single grains specifically for such applications. Of these multi-seeding techniques, so-called bridge-seeding provides the best alignment of two seeds in a single grain growth process. Here we report, for the first time, the successful growth of YBCO (yttrium–barium–copper oxide) using a special, 45°–45°, arrangement of bridge-seeds. The superconducting properties, including trapped field, of the multi-seeded YBCO grains have been measured for different bridge lengths of the 45°–45° bridge-seeds. The boundaries at the impinging growth front and the growth features of the top, multi-seeded surface and cross-section of the multi-seeded, samples have been analysed using optical microscopy. The results suggest that an impurity-free boundary between the two seeds of each leg of the bridge-seed can form when 45°–45° bridge-seeds are used to enlarge the size of YBCO grains. (paper)

Proanthocyanidins in seed coat tegmen and endospermic cap inhibit seed germination in Sapium sebiferum

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Faheem Afzal Shah

2018-04-01

Full Text Available Sapium sebiferum, an ornamental and bio-energetic plant, is propagated by seed. Its seed coat contains germination inhibitors and takes a long time to stratify for germination. In this study, we discovered that the S. sebiferum seed coat (especially the tegmen and endospermic cap (ESC contained high levels of proanthocyanidins (PAs. Seed coat and ESC removal induced seed germination, whereas exogenous application with seed coat extract (SCE or PAs significantly inhibited this process, suggesting that PAs in the seed coat played a major role in regulating seed germination in S. sebiferum. We further investigated how SCE affected the expression of the seed-germination-related genes. The results showed that treatment with SCE upregulated the transcription level of the dormancy-related gene, gibberellins (GAs suppressing genes, abscisic acid (ABA biosynthesis and signalling genes. SCE decreased the transcript levels of ABA catabolic genes, GAs biosynthesis genes, reactive oxygen species genes and nitrates-signalling genes. Exogenous application of nordihydroguaiaretic acid, gibberellic acid, hydrogen peroxide and potassium nitrate recovered seed germination in seed-coat-extract supplemented medium. In this study, we highlighted the role of PAs, and their interactions with the other germination regulators, in the regulation of seed dormancy in S. sebiferum.

Seed source, seed traits, and frugivore habits: Implications for dispersal quality of two sympatric primates.

Science.gov (United States)

Benítez-Malvido, Julieta; González-Di Pierro, Ana Ma; Lombera, Rafael; Guillén, Susana; Estrada, Alejandro

2014-06-01

• Premise of the study: Frugivore selection of fruits and treatment of seeds together with seed deposition site are crucial for the population dynamics of vertebrate-dispersed plants. However, frugivore species may influence dispersal quality differently even when feeding on the same fruit species and, while animals disperse some seeds, others simply fall beneath the parent plant.• Methods: In southern Mexico, we investigated to see if within-species seed traits (i.e., length, width, weight, and volume) and germination success differed according to seed source. For five tropical tree species we obtained ingested seeds from two sources, howler monkey (Alouatta pigra) and spider monkey (Ateles geoffroyi) feces; and noningested seeds from two sources, the ground and tree crowns (with predispersed seeds used as control).• Key results: A principal components' analysis showed that traits of seeds ingested by howler monkeys differed from other sources while seeds ingested by spider monkeys were similar to noningested seeds. Howlers consumed on average the larger seeds in Ampelocera hottlei, Brosimum lactescens, and Dialium guianense. Both primate species consumed the smaller seeds in Spondias mombin, while no seed trait differences among seed sources were found in Spondias radlkoferi. For all five tree species, germination rate was greatest for seeds ingested by howler monkeys.• Conclusions: For the studied plant species, seed ingestion by howler monkeys confers higher dispersal quality than ingestion by spider monkeys or nondispersal. Dispersal services of both primate species, however, are not redundant and may contribute to germination heterogeneity within plant populations in tropical forests. © 2014 Botanical Society of America, Inc.

Cone and seed yields in white spruce seed production areas

Science.gov (United States)

John A. Pitcher

1966-01-01

The source of seed is an important consideration in the reforestation program on the National Forests in the North Central Region. Thirty-five seed production areas have been set up in the Region, along the lines proposed by the North Central Forest Experiment Station, to provide control of seed source. Red pine, white pine, shortleaf and loblolly pine, and white...

Magic SEED? A New Approach to Teaching Math Produces Some Eye-Popping Results.

Science.gov (United States)

Shore, Debra

1991-01-01

Project SEED is a successful program that teaches elementary school students advanced math. Specialists conduct 45-minute lessons, asking questions designed to help students discover mathematical logic. Students respond with a system of SEED hand signals which allow everyone to participate and be monitored at once. (SM)

Evaluation of Seed Germination and Seed Vigor of Different Soybean (Glycine max (L. Merr. Cultivars Under Different Planting Dates in Gorgan

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

M Gorzin

2016-02-01

Full Text Available Introduction Soybean seed germination and seed vigor potential is lower compared with other crops, and it often greatly reduces at the planting time. The occurrence of unfavorable conditions during seed formation in field causes severe deterioration of seeds and reduces the seed quality. Planting date is one of the most important influencing factors on seed quality of soybean in field conditions. Since planting date affect seed quality by changing the environmental conditions including temperature, relative humidity and rainfall during seed development and maturation. Materials and Methods To evaluate the seed germination and seed vigor of soybean seeds wshich were obtained from various planting dates, a field experiment was conducted with a split plot arrangement in a randomized complete block design in three replications in Gorgan University of Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources in 2011. Main plot included five planting dates April 20, May 13, June 3, June 29 and July 22, and sub plot consisted of three cultivars (Williams, Sahar and DPX. About 50 plants were selected and harvested during R7 (physiological maturity stage from each plot, and their pods were removed by hand. Then, pods were dried in shade. To avoid mechanical damage, the seeds were removed by hand from the pods. Ultimately, seed quality was assessed by seed germination and seed vigor including accelerated aging, seedling growth rate (SGR and electrical conductivity tests. Results and Discussion According to obtained results, the use of different planting dates caused the change at the beginning and ending time of seed filling period (R5-R7 of all three cultivars. This event in turn leads to creation different conditions in terms of temperature, rainfall and relative humidity during seed filling period in all three cultivars. Therefore Williams cultivar coincided with high temperatures more than two other cultivars, especially in the early planting dates. While DPX that

Securing Access to Seed: Social Relations and Sorghum Seed Exchange in Eastern Ethiopia

NARCIS (Netherlands)

McGuire, S.

2008-01-01

Access to seed is crucial for farming, though few studies investigate household-level access in the informal `farmer seed systems¿ which still supply most seed in poor countries. This paper uses empirical data of seed exchange practices for sorghum in eastern Ethiopia to analyze how social

Morphological Diversity of Fruits, Seeds and Seedlings of Pongamia (Pongamia pinnata (L. Pierre in Java Island

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

NFN Supriyanto

2017-12-01

Full Text Available Pongamia (Pongamia pinnata (L. Pierre is one of a potential tree species to produce biodiesel. Pongamia-based biodiesel development program is still constrained by the availability of quality and quantity seeds due to the limited of seed sources. The purpose of this research was to identify the morphological diversity of fruits, seeds and seedlings from 5 populations in Java Island. Randomized completely design and randomized block design were used to assess the difference of fruits, seeds and seedlings morphological characteristics among populations. Principal component and hierarchy cluster analysis were used to explain variation pattern among populations. The results showed that the difference of populations was significantly affected by the difference of fruits, seeds, and seedlings morphology of pongamia. Seeds from Carita population showed good quality seed indicators with moisture content of 19.31%, and germination capacity of 74.50%. Sturdiness quotient of the seedling was 10.78. Contribution of genetic factor was higher than environtment factor is relation to the differences of morphological characteristics of fruits, seeds and seedlings of pongamia. Morphological character of the five populations can be divided into 3 groups, i.e. the first group of Batukaras and Kebumen, second group of Alas Purwo and Baluran, and group 3 was Carita.

Vigor tests to evaluate the physiological quality of corn seeds cv. 'Sertanejo'

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Daniela Vieira dos Anjos Sena

Full Text Available ABSTRACT: The vigor tests are intended to monitor the quality of seeds as it allows reliably distinguish lots of low and high vigor, providing additional information to the germination test. So in this study the objective was to identify the most efficient vigor tests on stratification of lots of corn seeds cv. 'Sertanejo'. The experiment was conducted at Laboratory of Seed Analysis at the Center of agricultural Science of the Universidade Federal da Paraíba, using samples from 20 seed lots in a completely randomized design. For characterization of the lots it was evaluated water content, germination and vigor (cold test, electrical conductivity, accelerated aging, seedling emergence in field and germination at low temperatures. The accelerated aging, electrical conductivity and field emergence of seedlings tests are the most efficient for classification of lots of corn seeds cv. 'Sertanejo' in levels of vigor, been the seeds of lot 1 the most vigorous.

Local Seed Business in the Context of Integrated Seed Sector Development

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Thijssen, M.H.; Borman, G.D.; Verhoosel, K.S.; Mastenbroek, A.; Heemskerk, Willem

2015-01-01

Quality seed is a key input for agriculture, with a direct impact on agricultural production and productivity. Integrated seed sector development (ISSD) is an inclusive approach that recognizes and builds upon a diversity of seed systems in the sector. We use the ISSD approach to guide us in the

Farmers' seed sources and seed quality: 1. Physical and physiological quality

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Bishaw, Z.; Struik, P.C.; Gastel, van A.J.G.

2012-01-01

Understanding farmers' seed quality problem will enable farmers to devise strategies to improve quality at the farm level. The study was conducted to assess the quality of seed used by farmers from different sources and regions. A total of 304 wheat (Trticium aestivum L. and T. durum L.) seed

Improving Soil Seed Bank Management.

Science.gov (United States)

Haring, Steven C; Flessner, Michael L

2018-05-08

Problems associated with simplified weed management motivate efforts for diversification. Integrated weed management uses fundamentals of weed biology and applied ecology to provide a framework for diversified weed management programs; the soil seed bank comprises a necessary part of this framework. By targeting seeds, growers can inhibit the propagule pressure on which annual weeds depend for agricultural invasion. Some current management practices affect weed seed banks, such as crop rotation and tillage, but these tools are often used without specific intention to manage weed seeds. Difficulties quantifying the weed seed bank, understanding seed bank phenology, and linking seed banks to emerged weed communities challenge existing soil seed bank management practices. Improved seed bank quantification methods could include DNA profiling of the soil seed bank, mark and recapture, or 3D LIDAR mapping. Successful and sustainable soil seed bank management must constrain functionally diverse and changing weed communities. Harvest weed seed controls represent a step forward, but over-reliance on this singular technique could make it short-lived. Researchers must explore tools inspired by other pest management disciplines, such as gene drives or habitat modification for predatory organisms. Future weed seed bank management will combine multiple complementary practices that enhance diverse agroecosystems. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.

Influence the Rubber Seed Type and Altitude on Characteristic of Seed, Oil and Biodiesel

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Salni Salni

2017-06-01

Full Text Available This research studies the influence of the type of rubber seed that is superior and local, altitude plant in South Sumatra province to the characteristic of seed, oil and biodiesel (methyl ester. Rubber plants planted from local rubber seed by seeds seedlings and superior rubber seed by selected clones. In the study, rubber plants planted at a different altitude, namely in Banyuasin district (18 m above sea level, Prabumulih District (176 m above sea level and Lahat District (627 m above sea level. The results showed that the weight of the flour, the water content and ash content in the local rubber seeds larger than the superior rubber seed for all altitude, but oil content a large in the superior rubber seeds. The major of fatty acids in the rubber seed oil in all types and altitude are a linoleic acid with a different percentage except local rubber seed oil from Lahat district with the large percentage of octadecanoic acid. Free fatty acids in the oil from the superior seeds rubber of 13.897-15.494 % large than local rubber seed oil was found 9.786-10.399 % for all altitude. By esterification process using sulfuric acid catalyst, Free Fatty Acid (FFA can be reduced to ≤ 2 %. The methyl ester made from the transesterification process of rubber seed oil after esterification using methanol and sodium hydroxide as catalyst. Analysis of methyl esters includes cetane index, flash point, kinematic viscosity, carbon residue, density, moisture content, water and sediment content and distillation compared with SNI 7182 and ASTM 6751-02.  The result indicated that the quality of methyl ester from superior rubber seed oil in the Banyuasin and Prabumulih district better than another methyl ester. The types of rubber seed altitude affect the characteristics of the seed, oil and methyl ester  but the altitude are not significantly different. Keywords: rubber seed, type, altitude, oil, biodiesel Article History: Received March 21st 2017; Received in

Moisture-Dependent Physical Properties of Àbèèrè (Picralima nitida Seeds

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

A. K. Aremu

2015-08-01

Full Text Available Some relevant engineering properties of Àbèèrè (Picralima nitida seeds are needed for the design of its processing equipments. The geometric, gravimetric and frictional properties of Àbèèrè seed in the moisture content ranges of 7.98% - 47.77% (wb were investigated. The average length, width, thickness, arithmetic and geometric mean diameters, sphericity, surface area, volume, true and bulk densities and angles of repose increased from 28.76 – 30.75mm, 16.18 – 19.62mm, 5.75 – 7.15mm, 16.90 – 19.17mm, 13.81 – 16.11mm,0.48 – 0.53, 600.94 – 817.83mm2, 443.00 – 717.92mm3, 2.49×10-3 – 2.60×10-3g/mm3, 1.14×10-3 – 1.50×10-3g/mm3and 27.97o – 30.26o respectively as the moisture content increased from 7.98% to 47.77%. However, values for porosity decreased from 0.54 – 0.42. The static coefficient of friction of Àbèèrè increased linearly over the three material surfaces – plywood, stainless steel and glass – with increasing moisture content from 0.445 – 0.468, 0.286 – 0.384 and 0.357 – 0.389 respectively. The steel surface had the lowest static coefficient of friction whereas the plywood gave the highest value at all moisture content levels. The regression models developed for all the physical properties of the seeds had high coefficient of determination, R2.

Analysis of designed experiments by stabilised PLS Regression and jack-knifing

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Martens, Harald; Høy, M.; Westad, F.

2001-01-01

Pragmatical, visually oriented methods for assessing and optimising bi-linear regression models are described, and applied to PLS Regression (PLSR) analysis of multi-response data from controlled experiments. The paper outlines some ways to stabilise the PLSR method to extend its range...... the reliability of the linear and bi-linear model parameter estimates. The paper illustrates how the obtained PLSR "significance" probabilities are similar to those from conventional factorial ANOVA, but the PLSR is shown to give important additional overview plots of the main relevant structures in the multi....... An Introduction, Wiley, Chichester, UK, 2001]....

Seed reserve utilization and hydrolytic enzyme activities in germinating seeds of sweet corn

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Cheng, X.; Xiong, F.; Wang, C.; He, S.; Zhou, Y.

2018-01-01

In this study, two sh2 sweet corn cultivars (i.e., the initial seed dry weight for FT018 and TB010 was 0.16+-0.02 g/grain and 0.09+-0.01 g/grain, respectively) were used to determine the physiological characteristics of seed reserve utilization in germination. The data implied that the weight of mobilized seed reserve (WMSR) and seed reserve utilization efficiency (SRUE) increased with seed germination. FT018 exhibited higher SRUE than TB010 due to its sufficient energy production for growth. Sugar (sucrose and fructose) contents were at different levels in the germinating seed of sh2 sweet corn. The protein content and number of protein species were highest in the early stage of germination. Enzyme activity in the germinating seed indicated that enzymes for starch and sugar hydrolysis were important and that enzyme activities significantly differed at each germination stage and between the cultivars under dark conditions. Succinate dehydrogenase, sucrose synthase, and glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase accumulated in the late germination stage. Thus, appropriate efforts should be focused on improving the seed reserve utilization in sweet corn by identifying the physiological mechanism of germinating seed. (author)

Induction of 9-cis-epoxycarotenoid dioxygenase in Arabidopsis thaliana seeds enhances seed dormancy.

Science.gov (United States)

Martínez-Andújar, Cristina; Ordiz, M Isabel; Huang, Zhonglian; Nonogaki, Mariko; Beachy, Roger N; Nonogaki, Hiroyuki

2011-10-11

Full understanding of mechanisms that control seed dormancy and germination remains elusive. Whereas it has been proposed that translational control plays a predominant role in germination, other studies suggest the importance of specific gene expression patterns in imbibed seeds. Transgenic plants were developed to permit conditional expression of a gene encoding 9-cis-epoxycarotenoid dioxygenase 6 (NCED6), a rate-limiting enzyme in abscisic acid (ABA) biosynthesis, using the ecdysone receptor-based plant gene switch system and the ligand methoxyfenozide. Induction of NCED6 during imbibition increased ABA levels more than 20-fold and was sufficient to prevent seed germination. Germination suppression was prevented by fluridone, an inhibitor of ABA biosynthesis. In another study, induction of the NCED6 gene in transgenic seeds of nondormant mutants tt3 and tt4 reestablished seed dormancy. Furthermore, inducing expression of NCED6 during seed development suppressed vivipary, precocious germination of developing seeds. These results indicate that expression of a hormone metabolism gene in seeds can be a sole determinant of dormancy. This study opens the possibility of developing a robust technology to suppress or promote seed germination through engineering pathways of hormone metabolism.

Technology seed Sebastiania membranifolia Mull Arg (Euphorbiaceae

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Neidiquele Maria Silveira

2013-12-01

Full Text Available Sebastiania membranifolia, popularly known as sarandi, is a tree species native to Brazil, usually found in land of alluvial floodplains and river banks, suitable for restoration of degraded areas. Despite the commercial importance of this species, little is known about its mechanisms of propagation. This research evaluated the germinating seeds under different conditions of temperature, substrate and light, and determined methods of scarification in order to establish a suitable protocol for sexual propagation. The study was conducted in chambers with BOD and thermal control photoperiod, testing the following treatments: temperatures of 25, 30 and alternating 20/30º C; substrates (sand-EA, on paper-SP and from paper -EP, four solutions gibberellin (50, 100, 200, 400 mgL-1; potassium nitrate (0.1, 0.2, 0.3 and 0.4% in the presence (12 h photoperiod and absence of light. The experimental design was completely randomized with four replications of 50 seeds each. We found that the average degree of seed moisture was 10.4% and the weight of a thousand seeds (PMS of 3.16 g. The highest percentage of germination was obtained with photoperiod at 25 º C, on paper (SP and between role (EP. The concentrations of 100 mg L-1 gibberellin and 0.1% potassium nitrate showed higher germination and vigor. Seed treatment with a gibberellin solution of 100 mgL-1 favored the growth of seedlings, unlike potassium nitrate that inhibit the growth even at low concentration.

Evaluation of the relationship of sowing qualities and yielding properties of millet seed (Panicum meliaceum L..

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С. П. Полторецький

2016-07-01

Full Text Available Purpose. Determination and analysis of relationship of sowing qualities and yield properties of millet seed (Panicum meliaceum L. to be formed by the action of predecessors and conditions of mineral nutrition in the context of unstable moistening in the Right-Bank Forest-Steppe zone of Ukraine. Methods. Mathematico-statistical ones (correlation, regression. Results. The use of correlation pleiades method allowed to analyze multifactor relations of sowing qualities and yield properties of millet seed and establish that there was a direct correlation relationship of medium strength (r = 0.52 ± 0.01 between yielding of maternal and millet plants of the first seed progeny. It was found that maternal plants yielding is strongly correlated with laboratory and technological indicators of seed quality that interrelated through integrated quality parameter of seed material (r = 0.56 ± 0.01 and millet output (r = 0.98 ± 0.00. Integrated quality parameter as well as each of the studied laboratory parameters of seed material quality taken separately have a high-level (r = 0.87…0.96 ± 0.00 effect on the formation of grain yield of the first seed progeny plants. Such physical and technological parameters of the quality of maternal plants yield as a content of protein and fat in seed, seed weight, its uniformity can directly, and millet output, thousand-grain weight and hull content – indirectly indicate peculiarities of forming future grain yield of plants of the first seed progeny. Conclusions. The use of the correlation pleiades method allows to analyze objectively the sowing qualities of millet seed and predict the yield properties in the next generation.

Study of Sowing Date and Seed Priming Effect on Seed Yield, Its Components and Some of Agronomic and Qualitative Properties of Two Spring Canola Cultivars in Hamedan

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A. Mohagheghi

2014-12-01

Full Text Available To determine the effect of planting date, cultivar and seed priming on yield, yield components, oil and protein content of seeds of two spring canola cultivars a field experiment was conducted in Bu-Ali Sina University in 2012. The experiment was factorial in a randomized complete block design with three replications. Factors consisted of sowing dates (14 and 24th March and 3rd April, seed priming treatments (no-primed, primed with water and zinc sulfate solution and two canola cultivars (Hayola401 and RGS003. The evaluated traits were number of pod per plant, number of seed per pod, 1000 seeds weight, plant height, oil and protein percentage, yields of seed, oil and biologic and harvest index. The results showed that delay in sowing, except of seed protein percentage, decreased all traits. Seed priming could increase traits of plant height, 1000 seed weight, number of seed per pod, oil percentage and yield and protein percentage in all sowing dates. Seed priming with zinc sulfate solution and water increased the number of pod per plant 16.1 and 10.5 percent, respectively compared to no-primed treatment. The highest seed number per pod was achieved through the priming with water and zinc sulfate solution with an average of 14.3, in the first sowing date for Hayola401 cultivar. Priming with water, especially in the third sowing date increased oil yield by 56 percent in RGS003 cultivar in comparison with its no-primed treatment. Also priming with zinc sulfate and water, increased the harvest index 5.04 and 3.7% respectively compared to no-primed treatment. In general in the case of delay in sowing date in spring rapeseed cultivars especially for RGS003, primed seed preferably with zinc sulfate improves the quantitative and qualitative characteristics of the production.

Comparison of Rice Direct Seeding Methods (Mechanical and Manual with Transplanting Method

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A Eyvani

2014-04-01

Full Text Available The main method of rice planting in Iran is transplanting. Due to poor mechanization of rice production, this method is laborious and costly. The other method is direct seeding in wet lands which is performed in the one third of rice cultivation area of the world. The most important problem in this method is high labor requirement of weed control. In order to compare the different rice planting methods (direct drilling, transplanting, and seed broadcasting a manually operated rice direct seeder (drum seeder was designed and fabricated. The research was conducted using a randomized complete block design with three treatments and three replications. Required draft force, field efficiency, effective field capacity, yield, and yield components were measured and the treatments were compared economically. Results showed that there were significant differences among the treatments from the view point of rice yield at the confidence level of 95% i.e. the transplanting method had the maximum yield. A higher rice yield was obtained from the direct seeder compared to the manual broadcasting method but, the difference between these two methods for crop yield was not significant even at the confidence level of the 95%. The coefficient of variation of seed distribution with direct seeding was more than 20%. The labor and time requirements per hectare reduced to 7 and 20 times, respectively when comparing the newly designed direct seeder with the transplanting method. The direct seeding method had the highest benefit to cost ratio in spite of its lower yield. Therefore, this method could be recommended in the rice growing regions.

Responses of Seed Germination, Seedling Growth, and Seed Yield Traits to Seed Pretreatment in Maize (Zea mays L.

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Yu Tian

2014-01-01

Full Text Available A series of seed priming experiments were conducted to test the effects of different pretreatment methods to seed germination, seedling growth, and seed yield traits in maize (Zea mays L.. Results indicated that the seeds primed by gibberellins (GA, NaCl, and polyethylene glycol (PEG reagents showed a higher imbibitions rate compared to those primed with water. The final germination percentage and germination rate varied with different reagents significantly (P<0.05. The recommended prime reagents were GA at 10 mg/L, NaCl at 50 mM, and PEG at 15% on account of germination experiment. 15% PEG priming reagent increased shoot and root biomass of maize seedling. The shoot biomass of seedlings after presoaking the seeds with NaCl reagent was significantly higher than the seedlings without priming treatment. No significant differences of plant height, leaf number, and hundred-grain weight were observed between control group and priming treatments. Presoaking with water, NaCl (50 mM, or PEG (15% significantly increased the hundred-grain weight of maize. Therefore, seed pretreatment is proved to be an effective technique to improve the germination performance, seedling growth, and seed yield of maize. However, when compared with the two methods, if immediate sowing is possible, presoaking is recommended to harvest better benefits compared to priming method.

HONSU, a protein phosphatase 2C, regulates seed dormancy by inhibiting ABA signaling in Arabidopsis.

Science.gov (United States)

Kim, Woohyun; Lee, Yeon; Park, Jeongmoo; Lee, Nayoung; Choi, Giltsu

2013-04-01

Seed dormancy, a seed status that prohibits germination even in the presence of inductive germination signals, is a poorly understood process. To identify molecular components that regulate seed dormancy, we screened T-DNA insertion lines and identified a mutant designated honsu (hon). HON loss-of-function mutants display deep seed dormancy, whereas HON-overexpressing lines display shallow seed dormancy. HON encodes a seed-specific group A phosphatase 2C (PP2C) and is one of the major negative regulators of seed dormancy among group A PP2Cs. Like other PP2C family members, HON interacts with PYR1/RCAR11 in the presence of ABA. Our analysis indicates that HON inhibits ABA signaling and activates gibberellic acid signaling, and both of these conditions must be satisfied to promote the release of seed dormancy. However, HON mRNA levels are increased in mutants displaying deep seed dormancy or under conditions that deepen seed dormancy, and decreased in mutants displaying shallow seed dormancy or under conditions that promote the release of seed dormancy. Taken together, our results indicate that the expression of HON mRNA is homeostatically regulated by seed dormancy.

Mycoflora in Exhumed Seeds of Opuntia tomentosa and Its Possible Role in Seed Germination

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María Esther Sánchez-Coronado

2011-01-01

Full Text Available The funicular cover of the Opuntia tomentosa seed limits imbibition; germination occurs only when the funicle is weakened or the funicular valve is removed. We investigated the role of fungi in funicular weakening and seed germination. Seeds that had been either buried in one of two sites or stored in the laboratory were germinated with and without a valve. Disinfected or nondisinfected seeds and their naked embryos were cultivated on agar or PDA. None of the 11 identified fungal genera grew on the disinfected control seeds or the embryos. The mycoflora present on disinfected and nondisinfected exhumed seeds suggest that the fungal colonization occurred in the soil and differed between the burial sites. Exhumed seeds with and without a valve germinated in high percentages, whereas only the control seeds without a valve germinated. Scanning electron micrographs showed that the hyphae penetrated, cracked, and eroded the funicular envelope of exhumed seeds.

Physiological and health quality of commercial lettuce and cabbage seed

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Cleyton Teles Contreiras Paiva

2016-08-01

Full Text Available Physiological and sanitary seed quality is essential for rapid and uniform crop establishment at field, a factor which contributes to vegetable crop production success. The aim was to evaluate physiological and sanitary quality of lettuce and cabbage seeds coming three lots acquired in trade. Physiological quality was determined by means of germination test and index of speed germination. Health status was assessed through sanity test in Petri dishes containing BDA medium. The experimental design was completely randomized with four replications and the averages of each lot compared among themselves by Tukey test (5%. No statistical analyzes were performed to health test and samples were evaluated for presence of microorganisms on the plates. Aspergillus spp., Rhizopus spp., cocci and bacillus are associated with lettuce seeds, and Aspergillus spp., cocci and bacillus are associated with cabbage seeds, but this association can not interfere with germination performance at laboratory. Information about germination contained in the package do not always coincide with those examined in situ. Lettuce and cabbage seeds are being marketed carrying pathogens.

Frugivores bias seed-adult tree associations through nonrandom seed dispersal: a phylogenetic approach.

Science.gov (United States)

Razafindratsima, Onja H; Dunham, Amy E

2016-08-01

Frugivores are the main seed dispersers in many ecosystems, such that behaviorally driven, nonrandom patterns of seed dispersal are a common process; but patterns are poorly understood. Characterizing these patterns may be essential for understanding spatial organization of fruiting trees and drivers of seed-dispersal limitation in biodiverse forests. To address this, we studied resulting spatial associations between dispersed seeds and adult tree neighbors in a diverse rainforest in Madagascar, using a temporal and phylogenetic approach. Data show that by using fruiting trees as seed-dispersal foci, frugivores bias seed dispersal under conspecific adults and under heterospecific trees that share dispersers and fruiting time with the dispersed species. Frugivore-mediated seed dispersal also resulted in nonrandom phylogenetic associations of dispersed seeds with their nearest adult neighbors, in nine out of the 16 months of our study. However, these nonrandom phylogenetic associations fluctuated unpredictably over time, ranging from clustered to overdispersed. The spatial and phylogenetic template of seed dispersal did not translate to similar patterns of association in adult tree neighborhoods, suggesting the importance of post-dispersal processes in structuring plant communities. Results suggest that frugivore-mediated seed dispersal is important for structuring early stages of plant-plant associations, setting the template for post-dispersal processes that influence ultimate patterns of plant recruitment. Importantly, if biased patterns of dispersal are common in other systems, frugivores may promote tree coexistence in biodiverse forests by limiting the frequency and diversity of heterospecific interactions of seeds they disperse. © 2016 by the Ecological Society of America.

[Study on influence factors of seed germination and seeding growth of Lonicera macranthoides].

Science.gov (United States)

Xu, Jin; Zhang, Ying; Cui, Guang-Lin; She, Yue-Hui; Li, Long-Yun

2016-01-01

In order to improve reproductive efficiency and quality standard, the influence factors of seed germination and seeding growth of Lonicera macranthoides werew studied. The fruit and seed morphological characteristics of L. macranthoides were observed, the seed water absorbing capacity was determined, and different wet sand stratification time, temperature and germination bed treatment were set up. The effects of the parameters on seed germination and seedling growth were analysed. There was no obstacles of water absorption on L. macranthoides seed, quantity for 22 h water absorption was close to saturation. In the first 80 d, with the increase of the stratification time, seed initial germination time was shortened, germination rate and germination potential was improved. Stratification for 100 d, germination rate decreased. At 15 ℃, seed germination and seedling growth indicators were the best. The seedling cotyledon width in light was significantly higher than that in dark. Seeds on the top of paper and top of sand germination rate, germination potential, and germination index was significantly higher than that of other germination bed and mildew rate is low. The optimal conditions of seeds germination test was stratified in 4 ℃ wet sand for 80 d, 15 ℃ illuminate culture on the top of paper or top of sand. The first seeding counting time was the 4th day after beginning the test, the final time was the 23th day. The germination potential statistical time was the 13th day after beginning the test. Copyright© by the Chinese Pharmaceutical Association.

In vitro Seed-dressing Technique for the Control of Seed-borne ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

In vitro Seed-dressing Technique for the Control of Seed-borne Fungi of Rice variety Faro -29. ... Journal of Applied Sciences and Environmental Management ... Fernasan-D, Apron Plus 50 DS and Dithane–M45), and soaking and slurry methods at various concentrations, for the control of seed-borne fungi of rice variety

seed oils

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Timothy Ademakinwa

processes, production of biodiesel, as lubricant and in deep-frying purposes. They could ... for its juice, nectars and fruit while its seeds are ... Malaysia. The fine seed powder was stored in a plastic container inside a refrigerator at between 4 o.

An Experimental Test of a Biodynamic Method of Weed Suppression: The Biodynamic Seed Peppers

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Bruce Kenneth Kirchoff

2016-04-01

Full Text Available An experimental test of a biodynamic agriculture method of weed suppression was carried out in growth chambers to establish the feasibility of the method as a preliminary to field trials. Four generations of Brassica rapa plants were used in a randomized block design. Treated flats received ashed seeds prepared according to biodynamic indications. Seed weight and counts were measured at the end of each generation, and germination of the control and experimental seed was investigated at the end of generation four. The biodynamic seed peppers, created and applied as described here, had no effect on seed production or viability, and did not effectively inhibit reproduction of the targeted species over the course of four consecutive treatments.

Phosphorus rates on yield and quality of lettuce seeds

OpenAIRE

Kano,Cristiaini; Cardoso,Antonio Ismael Inácio; Bôas,Roberto L Villas

2012-01-01

Because of lack of information about phosphorus fertilization in lettuce from the standpoint of seed production, this study was undertaken. The work was carried out in Botucatu, São Paulo state, Brazil, from September 25, 2003 to February 19, 2004, in order to study the influence of crescents phosphorus rates on yield and quality of lettuce seeds, cultivar Verônica. The experimental design was randomized blocks with five treatments (0; 200; 400; 600 and 800 kg ha-1 of P2O5) and five replicati...

ECOPHYSIOLOGICAL ANALYSIS OF GENIPA AMERICANA L. SEEDS IN AN INDUCED SOIL SEED BANK

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Francesca Salla

2016-03-01

Full Text Available This work studied the behavior of G. americana L. (Rubiaceae seeds in an induced soil seed bank. This study was conducted in Lavras-MG in a seasonal semideciduous forest of the Federal University of Lavras. Seeds collected in the area were cleaned and analyzed (water content, viability and desiccation tolerance. Soil banks were installed in two distinct areas (top of hill and riparian forest located in the understory of the forest. Seeds were placed in nylon nets and covered with a thin litter layer that was previously removed for this purpose. Monthly assessment of germination, seedling emergence, seed and soil water content, and the characterization of the initial seedling growth was performed. It was observed that G. americana seeds forms a transitory seed bank, with maintenance of its viability until the fourth month after disposal in natural environment. In general, the seed bank located in the riparian forest area showed the best potential for seedling establishment in a natural environment, which supports the ecological behavior of this species.

Retro-regression--another important multivariate regression improvement.

Science.gov (United States)

Randić, M

2001-01-01

We review the serious problem associated with instabilities of the coefficients of regression equations, referred to as the MRA (multivariate regression analysis) "nightmare of the first kind". This is manifested when in a stepwise regression a descriptor is included or excluded from a regression. The consequence is an unpredictable change of the coefficients of the descriptors that remain in the regression equation. We follow with consideration of an even more serious problem, referred to as the MRA "nightmare of the second kind", arising when optimal descriptors are selected from a large pool of descriptors. This process typically causes at different steps of the stepwise regression a replacement of several previously used descriptors by new ones. We describe a procedure that resolves these difficulties. The approach is illustrated on boiling points of nonanes which are considered (1) by using an ordered connectivity basis; (2) by using an ordering resulting from application of greedy algorithm; and (3) by using an ordering derived from an exhaustive search for optimal descriptors. A novel variant of multiple regression analysis, called retro-regression (RR), is outlined showing how it resolves the ambiguities associated with both "nightmares" of the first and the second kind of MRA.

Modified Regression Correlation Coefficient for Poisson Regression Model

Science.gov (United States)

Kaengthong, Nattacha; Domthong, Uthumporn

2017-09-01

This study gives attention to indicators in predictive power of the Generalized Linear Model (GLM) which are widely used; however, often having some restrictions. We are interested in regression correlation coefficient for a Poisson regression model. This is a measure of predictive power, and defined by the relationship between the dependent variable (Y) and the expected value of the dependent variable given the independent variables [E(Y|X)] for the Poisson regression model. The dependent variable is distributed as Poisson. The purpose of this research was modifying regression correlation coefficient for Poisson regression model. We also compare the proposed modified regression correlation coefficient with the traditional regression correlation coefficient in the case of two or more independent variables, and having multicollinearity in independent variables. The result shows that the proposed regression correlation coefficient is better than the traditional regression correlation coefficient based on Bias and the Root Mean Square Error (RMSE).

Dessication tolerance of Cinnamomum zeylanicum Ness SeedsTolerância à dessecação de sementes de Cinnamomum zeylanicum Ness

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Leandra Matos Barroso

2012-05-01

Full Text Available In order to evaluate the physiological quality of seeds of Cinnamomum zeylanicum Ness, submitted to different levels of drying, the fruits of dark brown and fully mature were collected and washed by hand, then the seeds were exposed to drying, on paper towel, under laboratory conditions. Treatments consisted of sampling for the determination of water content, germination and vigor tests at the beginning of the experiment and after 12, 24, 36, 48, 60, 72, 84 and 96 hours. The experimental design was completely randomized with four replications of 25 seeds each. The data were subjected to analysis of variance and polynomial regression. Cinnamon seeds are dispersed with high water content (39.43% and viability is compromised when dehydrated, the germination capacity as well as its speed decreases with dehydration, characterizing the recalcitrant behavior of seeds, with water content 34.82% less than both the percentage and the speed of germination are reduced. The seeds of C. zeylanicum tolerate desiccation to 12 hours without significant loss of vigor. Com o objetivo de avaliar a qualidade fisiológica das sementes de canela (Cinnamomum zeylanicum Ness submetidas a diferentes níveis de secagem, os frutos de coloração marrom escura e completamente maduros foram coletados e despolpados manualmente, em seguida, as sementes foram expostas para a secagem, sobre papel toalha, em condições de laboratório. Os tratamentos consistiram na amostragem para a determinação do teor de água, testes de germinação e vigor no início do experimento e após 12, 24, 36, 48, 60, 72, 84 e 96 horas. O delineamento experimental utilizado foi o inteiramente ao acaso, em quatro repetições de 25 sementes cada. Os dados obtidos foram submetidos à análise de variância e de regressão polinomial. As sementes de canela são dispersas com alto teor de água (39,43% e tem a viabilidade comprometida quando desidratadas; a capacidade de germinação bem como a sua

Seeded quantum FEL at 478 keV

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Guenther, Marc [Max-Planck-Institut fuer Quantenoptik, Garching (Germany); Thirolf, Peter; Seggebrock, Thorben [Ludwig-Maximilians-Universitaet Muenchen, Garching (Germany); Habs, Dietrich [Max-Planck-Institut fuer Quantenoptik, Garching (Germany); Ludwig-Maximilians-Universitaet Muenchen, Garching (Germany)

2012-07-01

We present for the first time a concept for a seeded {gamma} quantum Free Electron Laser (QFEL) at 478 keV (transition in {sup 7}Li). To produce a highly intense and coherent {gamma} beam, we intend to use a seeded FEL scheme. Important for the production of a highly brilliant and coherent {gamma} beam are novel refractive {gamma} lenses for focusing and an efficient monochromator, allowing to generate a very intense and coherent seed beam. To realize such a coherent {gamma} beam at 478 keV (1/38 A), it is suitable to use a quantum FEL design based on a new ''asymmetric'' laser-electron Compton back scattering scheme as pursued for the MeGaRay and ELI-NP facilities. Here the pulse length of the laser is much longer than the electron bunch length, equivalent to a {gamma}-FEL with laser wiggler. The coherence of a seeded QFEL can open up totally new areas of fundamental physics and applications. Especially, 478 keV can be attractive for ''green energy'' and life-science research, such as the detection of Li deposition in the brain for manic-depressive psychosis treatment with high spatial resolution or isotope-specific nuclear waste management and treatment.

Allelopathy by extracts of Caatinga species on melon seeds

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Andreya Kalyana de Oliveira

2016-04-01

Full Text Available The melon crop is of great socioeconomic importance in Brazil and some species from the Caatinga biome show allelopathic effects on other species. The aim of this study was to assess leaf and seed extracts of cumaru (Amburana cearensis (Allemao A.C. Sm., the jujube tree (Zizyphus joazeiro Mart., Jucá (Caesalpinia ferrea Mart. Ex. Tul. Var. Ferrea and mulungu (Erythrina velutina Willd. on the emergence of melon seeds (Cucumis melo L.. Leaves and seeds were used to produce extracts for each species at concentrations of a 1%, b 0.5% c 0.25%, d 0.125% and e 0% (control. The experiment was conducted with each extract type and its respective concentrations in a completely randomized design, with four replicates, each of 20 seeds. The percentage emergence and rate index, percentage of abnormal seedlings, seedling dry matter and seedling shoot and root length were assessed. Seed extracts of A. cearensis prevented melon germination, whereas the other extracts had no effect on this variable. Leaf extracts of A. cearensis and leaf and seed extracts of Z. joazeiro, C. ferrea and E. velutina resulted in abnormal melon seedlings. The percentage of abnormal melon seedlings exceeded 30% when treated with C. ferrea seed extract at the highest concentration. Most extracts did not affect seedling dry matter, but E. velutina leaf and seed extract increased the dry matter accumulation of melon seedlings and Z. joazeiro seed extract decreased dry matter accumulation at a concentration of 0.25%. The highest concentrations of mulungu and jucá leaf extracts promoted the shoot growth of melon seedlings. The extract from E. velutina seeds negatively affected root length compared to the control, similar to the effect of C. ferrea and E. velutina leaf extracts at the highest concentrations. Extracts of different organs of Caatinga plants can affect the emergence and characteristics related to seedling growth, depending on the concentration. Most extracts did not affect

The importance of using certified seed

OpenAIRE

Bogdanović Sandra; Mladenov Velimir; Balešević-Tubić Svetlana

2015-01-01

Certified seed is produced from the seed of known genetic origin and genetic purity with controlled and tested production, processed and declared in accordance with the Law on Seeds. Production of certified seed is carried out under the supervision of the Ministry of Agriculture and Environmental Protection, by seed producers formally listed in the Seed Register. Seed is processed in registered seed processing centres and quality is tested in laboratories accredited for seed testing. The orga...

Performance Evaluation of a Prototyped Breadfruit Seed Dehulling Machine

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Nnamdi Anosike

2016-05-01

Full Text Available The drudgery involved in dehulling breadfruit seed by traditional methods has been highlighted as one of the major problems hindering the realization of the full potential of breadfruit as a field to food material. This paper describes a development in an African breadfruit seed dehulling machine with increased throughput of about 70% above reported machines. The machine consists of a 20 mm diameter shaft, carrying a spiral wound around its circumference (feeder. The feeder provides the required rotational motion and turns a circular disk that rotates against a fixed disk. The two disks can be adjusted to maintain a pre-determined gap for dehulling. An inbuilt drying unit reduces the moisture content of the breadfruit for easy separation of the cotyledon from the endosperm immediately after the dehulling process. The sifting unit that separates the shell from the seed is achieved in this design with an electric fan. The machine is design to run at a speed of 250 rpm with an electric motor as the prime mover. The dehulling efficiency up to 86% and breakage of less than 1.3% was obtained at a clearance setting of 12.4 mm between disks. A sifting efficiency of 100% was achieved. Based on the design diameter and clearance between the dehulling disks, the machine throughput was 216 kg/h with an electric power requirement of 1.207 kW.

seed flour

African Journals Online (AJOL)

ONOS

2010-09-06

Sep 6, 2010 ... and with a nice taste, used for cooking or as lamp oil. The fatty acid ... Pra seeds were obtained from a local market in Nakhon Si Thammarat. Page 2. Table 1. Proximate composition of pra seed flour. Constituent. Percentage ...

Clomazone selectivity in cotton seeds treated with dietholate and zinc acetate

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Miriam Hiroko Inoue

2014-12-01

Full Text Available The objective of this study objective was to evaluate the selectivity of pre-emergence applications the herbicide clomazone cotton seeds treated with dietholate and zinc acetate. The 4 x 2 factorial arrangement was adopted (4 seed treatment methods and 2 clomazone dosages, distributed in a randomized block design with 4 repetitions. In treatments where dietholate and zinc acetate were applied, rates of 0.4 kg ha-1 and 8 ml per kg of seeds were used respectively. The clomazone rates used refer to 0.8 and 1.0 kg ha- 1. The cotton cultivar used was the Fiber Max 966 LL. Independent of treatment, all seeds were treated with tiametoxam insecticide and fludioxonil + metalaxyl-M fungicide at rates of 2.24 and 0.08 + 0.03 g per kg of seed, respectively, to control pests early and limit losses caused by pathogens in germination and seedling emergence. Dietholate and zinc acetate treatment had greater initial effect on cotton plants at 21, 30 and 45 days after application. In phytointoxication symptoms were observed for treatment with dietholate and zinc acetate during the evaluation periods. Seeds treated with dietholate, dietholate and zinc acetate or zinc acetate alone provided a higher number of bolls and seed cotton production compared to the control.

Quantifying cardinal temperatures and thermal time required for germination of Silybum marianum seed

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ghasem Parmoon

2015-04-01

Full Text Available The response of seed germination to environmental factors can be estimated by nonlinear regression. The present study was performed to compare four nonlinear regression models (segmented, beta, beta modified, and dent-like to describe the germination rate–temperature relationships of milk thistle (Silybum marianum L. at six constant temperatures, with the aim of identifying the cardinal temperatures and thermal times required to reach different germination percentiles. Models and statistical indices were calibrated using an iterative optimization method and their performance was compared by root mean square error (RMSE, coefficient of determination (R2 and Akaike information criterion correction (AICc. The beta model was found to be the best model for predicting the required time to reach 50% germination (D50, (R2 = 0.99; RMSE = 0.004; AICc = − 276.97. Based on the model outputs, the base, optimum, and maximum temperatures of seed germination were 5.19 ± 0.79, 24.01 ± 0.11, and 34.32 ± 0.36 °C, respectively. The thermal times required for 50% and 90% germination were 4.99 and 7.38 degree-days, respectively.

Why high seed densities within buried mesh bags may overestimate depletion rates of soil seed banks

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Mourik, van T.A.; Stomph, T.J.; Murdoch, A.J.

2005-01-01

1. Estimates of seed bank depletion rates are essential for modelling and management of plant populations. The seed bag burial method is often used to measure seed mortality in the soil. However, the density of seeds within seed bags is higher than densities in natural seed banks, which may elevate

Automatic seed picking for brachytherapy postimplant validation with 3D CT images.

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, Guobin; Sun, Qiyuan; Jiang, Shan; Yang, Zhiyong; Ma, Xiaodong; Jiang, Haisong

2017-11-01

Postimplant validation is an indispensable part in the brachytherapy technique. It provides the necessary feedback to ensure the quality of operation. The ability to pick implanted seed relates directly to the accuracy of validation. To address it, an automatic approach is proposed for picking implanted brachytherapy seeds in 3D CT images. In order to pick seed configuration (location and orientation) efficiently, the approach starts with the segmentation of seed from CT images using a thresholding filter which based on gray-level histogram. Through the process of filtering and denoising, the touching seed and single seed are classified. The true novelty of this approach is found in the application of the canny edge detection and improved concave points matching algorithm to separate touching seeds. Through the computation of image moments, the seed configuration can be determined efficiently. Finally, two different experiments are designed to verify the performance of the proposed approach: (1) physical phantom with 60 model seeds, and (2) patient data with 16 cases. Through assessment of validated results by a medical physicist, the proposed method exhibited promising results. Experiment on phantom demonstrates that the error of seed location and orientation is within ([Formula: see text]) mm and ([Formula: see text])[Formula: see text], respectively. In addition, the most seed location and orientation error is controlled within 0.8 mm and 3.5[Formula: see text] in all cases, respectively. The average process time of seed picking is 8.7 s per 100 seeds. In this paper, an automatic, efficient and robust approach, performed on CT images, is proposed to determine the implanted seed location as well as orientation in a 3D workspace. Through the experiments with phantom and patient data, this approach also successfully exhibits good performance.

pre-germination treatments in castor seeds, cultivar IAC 226

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Costa Nobre, Danubia Aparecida; Gomes Damascena, Joyce; Marcia, Andreia; Santos de Souza, David; Pereira dos Santos, Marlucia; Rodrigues Pereira, Adriana; Goncalves Pereira, Cassio

2013-01-01

The present study aimed to evaluate the efficiency of different pre-germination treatments in castor beans, IAC 226. The experimental design was completely randomized in a factorial 4 x 4 (four temperatures and four immersion times), with four replications. Pre-germination treatments were: immersion in water at room temperature (25 Celsius degrade) and immersion in hot water at temperatures of 60, 70 and 80 Celsius degrade for 2, 4, 6 and 8 minutes. Water content of the seeds was determined before treatments. Before and after each treatment, seeds were subjected to germination test; 20-30 Celsius degrade alternating temperature, determining the percentages of normal and abnormal seedlings, dormant and dead seeds. Independent of time, immersion in 70 Celsius degrade, water was the most efficient treatment for accelerating germination of castor bean cultivar IAC 226.

Seed dormancy and germination.

Science.gov (United States)

Penfield, Steven

2017-09-11

Reproduction is a critical time in plant life history. Therefore, genes affecting seed dormancy and germination are among those under strongest selection in natural plant populations. Germination terminates seed dispersal and thus influences the location and timing of plant growth. After seed shedding, germination can be prevented by a property known as seed dormancy. In practise, seeds are rarely either dormant or non-dormant, but seeds whose dormancy-inducing pathways are activated to higher levels will germinate in an ever-narrower range of environments. Thus, measurements of dormancy must always be accompanied by analysis of environmental contexts in which phenotypes or behaviours are described. At its simplest, dormancy can be imposed by the formation of a simple physical barrier around the seed through which gas exchange and the passage of water are prevented. Seeds featuring this so-called 'physical dormancy' often require either scarification or passage through an animal gut (replete with its associated digestive enzymes) to disrupt the barrier and permit germination. In other types of seeds with 'morphological dormancy' the embryo remains under-developed at maturity and a dormant phase exists as the embryo continues its growth post-shedding, eventually breaking through the surrounding tissues. By far, the majority of seeds exhibit 'physiological dormancy' - a quiescence program initiated by either the embryo or the surrounding endosperm tissues. Physiological dormancy uses germination-inhibiting hormones to prevent germination in the absence of the specific environmental triggers that promote germination. During and after germination, early seedling growth is supported by catabolism of stored reserves of protein, oil or starch accumulated during seed maturation. These reserves support cell expansion, chloroplast development and root growth until photoauxotrophic growth can be resumed. Crown Copyright © 2017. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Direct and indirect selection responses for seed yield and its components in

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rasoul dehghan

2017-06-01

Full Text Available Breeding based on selection indices is an effective method for improving complex traits such as yield. To assess the efficiency of different selection method, 83 exotic along with 17 Iranian safflower genotypes were evaluated at the research farm of Isfahan University of Technology using 10×10 simple lattice design with three replications in 2011. In this study, the selection indices of Smith-Hazel and Pesek-Baker were determined based on the number of capitulum per plant, number of seeds per capitulum and 1000-seed weight. Also response to selection and relative selection efficiency were estimated for traits under study and seed yield. The highest estimated selection efficiency for genetic improvement of seed yield was obtained via selection for number of capitulum per plant. Therefore, this trait can be used as an appropriate selection criterion for improvement of seed yield. The results showed that seed yield was highly correlated with each of these indices and the estimated efficiency of indirect selection via these indices was relatively high. Thus, it seems that these selection indices can be effectively used for seed yield improvement. Results of present study showed that the efficiency of Smith-Hazel indices for simultaneous improvement of number of capitulum per plant, number of seeds per capitulum and 1000-seed weight was higher than that of Pesek-Baker index.

Viability of Macrotyloma axillare cv. Guatá seeds under chemical scarification

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Suleize Rocha Terra

2012-12-01

Full Text Available The use of the associacion of grasses and legumes results in a good forage yield as well as a good animal performance due to maintenance of adequate levels of crude protein (CP in the animal diet, both the direct effect of the ingestion of legumes, or even through indirect effect of the introduction of nitrogen by legumes in the pasture, thereby increasing the production of forage mass. However, the seeds of legumines have the so-called hardness seeds or dormant according to their coats impermeable to water. The hardness of the seed prevents the germination of the same since these seeds have a hard shell impervious to water and gas exchange, not allowing the imbibition of water by the seed, or embryo oxygenation. This dormancy may be broken by various known methods such as scarification, promoting cracks in the seed coat allowing the entry of water therein. In the case of Macrotyloma axillare exposure of seeds to scarification method has proven to be an efficient way to break dormancy and promoting seed germination. The aim of the present work was to evaluate the viability of seeds after suffering dormancy by immersion seeds in sulfuric acid. The experiment to break dormancy Macrotyloma axillares cv. Guatá was conducted in the laboratory of Plant Physiology at the Intituto de Zootecnia in Nova Odessa, São Paulo State, using the seeds that were stored in a cold room with temperatures between 10-12 ºC, relative humidity (RH 30-33% and no light. The treatments studied were: control, chemical scarification with sulfuric acid for 5, 10, 15, 20, 30 and 40 minutes. We used a completely randomized design with two replications, being 100 seeds each repetition. After treatment the seeds were under to tetrazolium test resulting in viable seeds and seed viability. So the result of the tetrazolium test was obtained by average percentage of viable seeds, found in the repeats tested, respecting the maximum tolerances set out in Brazilian Rules for Seed

Dry pea seed quality depending on seed moisture at harvest and cultivar

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Milošević Branko

2010-01-01

Full Text Available The effect of seed moisture content at harvest on the most important parameters of dry pea was examined. The seed moisture content, germination energy, germination, proportion of abnormal seedlings and 1000-seed weight were analyzed in three dry pea cultivars (Jezero, Javor and NS-Junior and at eight harvest stages. At the first harvest stage, seed moisture content was 20.44%, while at the eighth stage it was 11.26%. The best seed quality, with germination energy of 81.70% and germination of 90.11%, was at the sixth harvest time when seed moisture content was 12.92%. The poorest seed quality one was at the first harvest stage, with germination energy of 68.55% and germination of 78.56%. Cultivar Jezero, with shorter growing season, determinant stem growth and uniform maturity, had the highest germination energy (82.00%, germination (92.21% and percent of abnormal seedlings (1.96%. Cultivar NS Junior, with the longest growing season, indeterminant stem growth and non-uniform maturity, had the lowest germination energy (70.39% and germination (76.54%, and the highest percent of abnormal seedlings (3.58%.

PHO1 Exports Phosphate from the Chalazal Seed Coat to the Embryo in Developing Arabidopsis Seeds.

Science.gov (United States)

Vogiatzaki, Evangelia; Baroux, Célia; Jung, Ji-Yul; Poirier, Yves

2017-10-09

Seed production requires the transfer of nutrients from the maternal seed coat to the filial endosperm and embryo. Because seed coat and filial tissues are symplasmically isolated, nutrients arriving in the seed coat via the phloem must be exported to the apoplast before reaching the embryo. Proteins implicated in the transfer of inorganic phosphate (Pi) from the seed coat to the embryo are unknown despite seed P content being an important agronomic trait. Here we show that the Arabidopsis Pi exporters PHO1 and PHOH1 are expressed in the chalazal seed coat (CZSC) of developing seeds. PHO1 is additionally expressed in developing ovules. Phosphorus (P) content and Pi flux between the seed coat and embryo were analyzed in seeds from grafts between WT roots and scions from either pho1, phoh1, or the pho1 phoh1 double mutant. Whereas P content and distribution between the seed coat and embryo in fully mature dry seeds of these mutants are similar to the WT, at the mature green stage of seed development the seed coat of the pho1 and pho1 phoh1 mutants, but not of the phoh1 mutant, retains approximately 2-fold more P than its WT control. Expression of PHO1 under a CZSC-specific promoter complemented the seed P distribution phenotype of the pho1 phoh1 double mutant. CZSC-specific down-expression of PHO1 also recapitulated the seed P distribution phenotype of pho1. Together, these experiments show that PHO1 expression in the CZSC is important for the transfer of P from the seed coat to the embryo in developing seeds. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Seed Anatomy and Water Uptake in Relation to Seed Dormancy in Opuntia tomentosa (Cactaceae, Opuntioideae)

Science.gov (United States)

Orozco-Segovia, A.; Márquez-Guzmán, J.; Sánchez-Coronado, M. E.; Gamboa de Buen, A.; Baskin, J. M.; Baskin, C. C.

2007-01-01

Background and Aims There is considerable confusion in the literature concerning impermeability of seeds with ‘hard’ seed coats, because the ability to take up (imbibe) water has not been tested in most of them. Seeds of Opuntia tomentosa were reported recently to have a water-impermeable seed coat sensu lato (i.e. physical dormancy), in combination with physiological dormancy. However, physical dormancy is not known to occur in Cactaceae. Therefore, the aim of this study was to determine if seeds of O. tomentosa are water-permeable or water-impermeable, i.e. if they have physical dormancy. Methods The micromorphology of the seed coat and associated structures were characterized by SEM and light microscopy. Permeability of the seed-covering layers was assessed by an increase in mass of seeds on a wet substrate and by dye-tracking and uptake of tritiated water by intact versus scarified seeds. Key Results A germination valve and a water channel are formed in the hilum–micropyle region during dehydration and ageing in seeds of O. tomentosa. The funicular envelope undoubtedly plays a role in germination of Opuntia seeds via restriction of water uptake and mechanical resistance to expansion of the embryo. However, seeds do not exhibit any of three features characteristic of those with physical dormancy. Thus, they do not have a water-impermeable layer(s) of palisade cells (macrosclereids) or a water gap sensu stricto and they imbibe water without the seed coat being disrupted. Conclusions Although dormancy in seeds of this species can be broken by scarification, they have physiological dormancy only. Further, based on information in the literature, it is concluded that it is unlikely that any species of Opuntia has physical dormancy. This is the first integrative study of the anatomy, dynamics of water uptake and dormancy in seeds of Cactaceae subfamily Opuntioideae. PMID:17298989

PHYSIOLOGICAL AND SANITARY QUALITY OF DESICCATED AND STORED AZUKI BEAN SEEDS

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CÁSSIO JARDIM TAVARES

2016-01-01

Full Text Available The objective of this research was to evaluate the effects of using different herbicides as desiccants in pre - harvest and the effects of storage on the physiological and sanitary quality of azuki bean seeds ( Vigna angularis Willd. The experiment was arranged in a randomized complete block design in a split plot scheme, with four replications. Four herbicides were tested: paraquat (400 g a.i. ha - 1 , glufosinate ammonium (400 g a.i. ha - 1 , glyphosate (720 g a.i. ha - 1 , flumioxazin (30 g a.i. ha - 1 and a control without herbicide application. In the subplots seed quality was tested in two evaluation periods: at harvest and six months after harvest. Desiccant was applied when the azuki beans were physiologically mature. We assessed the physiological and sanitary quality of the seeds using a vigour and seed health test. The use of glyphosate resulted in a higher incidence of abnormal seedlings and reduced size and weight of the seedlings. With paraquat and flumioxazin the physiological quality was maintained and there was reduced pathogen infestation in the seeds six months after harvest. Storage affected the physiological quality of the azuki bean seeds.

Intelligent Design of Metal Oxide Gas Sensor Arrays Using Reciprocal Kernel Support Vector Regression

Science.gov (United States)

Dougherty, Andrew W.

Metal oxides are a staple of the sensor industry. The combination of their sensitivity to a number of gases, and the electrical nature of their sensing mechanism, make the particularly attractive in solid state devices. The high temperature stability of the ceramic material also make them ideal for detecting combustion byproducts where exhaust temperatures can be high. However, problems do exist with metal oxide sensors. They are not very selective as they all tend to be sensitive to a number of reduction and oxidation reactions on the oxide's surface. This makes sensors with large numbers of sensors interesting to study as a method for introducing orthogonality to the system. Also, the sensors tend to suffer from long term drift for a number of reasons. In this thesis I will develop a system for intelligently modeling metal oxide sensors and determining their suitability for use in large arrays designed to analyze exhaust gas streams. It will introduce prior knowledge of the metal oxide sensors' response mechanisms in order to produce a response function for each sensor from sparse training data. The system will use the same technique to model and remove any long term drift from the sensor response. It will also provide an efficient means for determining the orthogonality of the sensor to determine whether they are useful in gas sensing arrays. The system is based on least squares support vector regression using the reciprocal kernel. The reciprocal kernel is introduced along with a method of optimizing the free parameters of the reciprocal kernel support vector machine. The reciprocal kernel is shown to be simpler and to perform better than an earlier kernel, the modified reciprocal kernel. Least squares support vector regression is chosen as it uses all of the training points and an emphasis was placed throughout this research for extracting the maximum information from very sparse data. The reciprocal kernel is shown to be effective in modeling the sensor

Honeycomb Actuators Inspired by the Unfolding of Ice Plant Seed Capsules.

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Lorenzo Guiducci

Full Text Available Plant hydro-actuated systems provide a rich source of inspiration for designing autonomously morphing devices. One such example, the pentagonal ice plant seed capsule, achieves complex mechanical actuation which is critically dependent on its hierarchical organization. The functional core of this actuation system involves the controlled expansion of a highly swellable cellulosic layer, which is surrounded by a non-swellable honeycomb framework. In this work, we extract the design principles behind the unfolding of the ice plant seed capsules, and use two different approaches to develop autonomously deforming honeycomb devices as a proof of concept. By combining swelling experiments with analytical and finite element modelling, we elucidate the role of each design parameter on the actuation of the prototypes. Through these approaches, we demonstrate potential pathways to design/develop/construct autonomously morphing systems by tailoring and amplifying the initial material's response to external stimuli through simple geometric design of the system at two different length scales.

Evaluation of Technical and Yield Parameters of Wheat Seeding Methods with Different Seeding Rates in south Khuzestan

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J Habibi Asl

2012-05-01

Full Text Available This study was conducted during two years (2007-2009 in Shawoor Agricultural Research Station on a silty-clay soil. Experiment conducted in split plots in a Randomized Complete Blocks Design in three replications. Main plots were planting methods including centrifugal broadcaster (P1, centrifugal broadcaster + furrower (P2, seed drill (P3, seed drill + furrower (P4, three lines bed drilling (P5 and four lines bed drilling (P6. Subplots were included seed rates of 120, 160, 200 and 240 kg.ha-1. The results showed that P2 method with 14.91 litter.ha-1 and P3 method with 5.02 litter.ha-1 had the highest and lowest fuel consumption respectively. P3 method with 1.462 h.ha-1 and P5 method with 0.620 h.ha-1 required maximum and minimum total operation time respectively. P2 method with 0.684 ha.h-1 had minimum field capacity. Field capacity of P5 and P6 with averagely 1.67 ha.h-1 was maximum. Field capacity of all drilling methods (P3, P4, P5 and P6 was significantly more than that of broadcasting methods (P1 and P2. The highest seed spacing uniformity (87.2% was belonged to P6 method and the lowest value (54.7% was for P1 method. By using drilling methods of P3 and P5 (or P6 instead of P1 method total cost was reduced 41% and 29% respectively. The results of variance analysis of data showed that the difference between planting methods in case of wheat grain yield and yield components was not significant. However, the seed rate had significant effect on some yield components. Suggestion for cropping of wheat Chamran variety in silty-clay soil in Khuzestan province, used P5, P6 and P3 methods are recommended respectively with seed rate of 120 - 160 kg.ha-1.

Anatomy guided automated SPECT renal seed point estimation

Science.gov (United States)

Dwivedi, Shekhar; Kumar, Sailendra

2010-04-01

Quantification of SPECT(Single Photon Emission Computed Tomography) images can be more accurate if correct segmentation of region of interest (ROI) is achieved. Segmenting ROI from SPECT images is challenging due to poor image resolution. SPECT is utilized to study the kidney function, though the challenge involved is to accurately locate the kidneys and bladder for analysis. This paper presents an automated method for generating seed point location of both kidneys using anatomical location of kidneys and bladder. The motivation for this work is based on the premise that the anatomical location of the bladder relative to the kidneys will not differ much. A model is generated based on manual segmentation of the bladder and both the kidneys on 10 patient datasets (including sum and max images). Centroid is estimated for manually segmented bladder and kidneys. Relatively easier bladder segmentation is followed by feeding bladder centroid coordinates into the model to generate seed point for kidneys. Percentage error observed in centroid coordinates of organs from ground truth to estimated values from our approach are acceptable. Percentage error of approximately 1%, 6% and 2% is observed in X coordinates and approximately 2%, 5% and 8% is observed in Y coordinates of bladder, left kidney and right kidney respectively. Using a regression model and the location of the bladder, the ROI generation for kidneys is facilitated. The model based seed point estimation will enhance the robustness of kidney ROI estimation for noisy cases.

Competitive seeds-selection in complex networks

Science.gov (United States)

Zhao, Jiuhua; Liu, Qipeng; Wang, Lin; Wang, Xiaofan

2017-02-01

This paper investigates a competitive diffusion model where two competitors simultaneously select a set of nodes (seeds) in the network to influence. We focus on the problem of how to select these seeds such that, when the diffusion process terminates, a competitor can obtain more supports than its opponent. Instead of studying this problem in the game-theoretic framework as in the existing work, in this paper we design several heuristic seed-selection strategies inspired by commonly used centrality measures-Betweenness Centrality (BC), Closeness Centrality (CC), Degree Centrality (DC), Eigenvector Centrality (EC), and K-shell Centrality (KS). We mainly compare three centrality-based strategies, which have better performances in competing with the random selection strategy, through simulations on both real and artificial networks. Even though network structure varies across different networks, we find certain common trend appearing in all of these networks. Roughly speaking, BC-based strategy and DC-based strategy are better than CC-based strategy. Moreover, if a competitor adopts CC-based strategy, then BC-based strategy is a better strategy than DC-based strategy for his opponent, and the superiority of BC-based strategy decreases as the heterogeneity of the network decreases.

Glioblastoma with spinal seeding

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Fakhrai, N.; Fazeny-Doerner, B.; Marosi, C.; Czech, T.; Diekmann, K.; Birner, P.; Hainfellner, J.A.; Prayer, D.

2004-01-01

Background: extracranial seeding of glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) is very rare and its development depends on several factors. This case report describes two patients suffering from GBM with spinal seeding. In both cases, the anatomic localization of the primary tumor close to the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) was the main factor for spinal seeding. Case reports: two patients with GBM and spinal seeding are presented. After diagnosis of spinal seeding, both patients were highly symptomatic from their spinal lesions. Case 1 experienced severe pain requiring opiates, and case 2 had paresis of lower limbs as well as urinary retention/incontinence. Both patients were treated with spinal radiation therapy. Nevertheless, they died 3 months after diagnosis of spinal seeding. Results: in both patients the diagnosis of spinal seeding was made at the time of cranial recurrence. Both tumors showed close contact to the CSF initially. Even though the patients underwent intensive treatment, it was not possible to keep them in a symptom-free state. Conclusion: because of short survival periods, patients deserve optimal pain management and dedicated palliative care. (orig.)

Glioblastoma with spinal seeding

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Fakhrai, N.; Fazeny-Doerner, B.; Marosi, C. [Clinical Div. of Oncology, Dept. of Medicine I, Univ. of Vienna (Austria); Czech, T. [Dept. of Neurosurgery, Univ. of Vienna (Austria); Diekmann, K. [Dept. of Radiooncology, Univ. of Vienna (Austria); Birner, P.; Hainfellner, J.A. [Clinical Inst. for Neurology, Univ. of Vienna (Austria); Prayer, D. [Dept. of Neuroradiology, Univ. of Vienna (Austria)

2004-07-01

Background: extracranial seeding of glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) is very rare and its development depends on several factors. This case report describes two patients suffering from GBM with spinal seeding. In both cases, the anatomic localization of the primary tumor close to the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) was the main factor for spinal seeding. Case reports: two patients with GBM and spinal seeding are presented. After diagnosis of spinal seeding, both patients were highly symptomatic from their spinal lesions. Case 1 experienced severe pain requiring opiates, and case 2 had paresis of lower limbs as well as urinary retention/incontinence. Both patients were treated with spinal radiation therapy. Nevertheless, they died 3 months after diagnosis of spinal seeding. Results: in both patients the diagnosis of spinal seeding was made at the time of cranial recurrence. Both tumors showed close contact to the CSF initially. Even though the patients underwent intensive treatment, it was not possible to keep them in a symptom-free state. Conclusion: because of short survival periods, patients deserve optimal pain management and dedicated palliative care. (orig.)

Physalis peruviana seed storage

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Cíntia L. M. de Souza

2016-03-01

Full Text Available ABSTRACT Physalis peruviana belongs to Solanaceae family and has a high nutritional and nutraceutical potential. The production is intended for fruit consumption and the propagation is mainly by seeds. This study aimed to evaluate the influence of priming on the kinetics of germination of P. peruviana seeds stored at different temperatures. The seeds were stored at 5 and 25 °C in a chamber saturated with zinc chloride solution and in liquid nitrogen (-196 °C. Every 4 months, the seeds were removed from storage for evaluation of germination and moisture content in the laboratory and emergence and development of seedlings in greenhouse. During the last evaluation at 16 months, the seeds under the same conditions were subjected to salt stress. The moisture content varied during the storage period, but was always higher for seeds kept at -196 ºC. These seeds kept high germination percentage in water until 16 months, regardless of the tested temperature; however, in salt solution the germination percentage was significantly reduced.

Magnetic-seeding filtration

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ying, T.Y.; Chin, C.J.; Lu, S.C.; Yiacoumi, S.

1997-10-01

Magnetic-seeding filtration consists of two steps: heterogeneous particle flocculation of magnetic and nonmagnetic particles in a stirred tank and high-gradient magnetic filtration (HGMF). The effects of various parameters affecting magnetic-seeding filtration (HGMF). The effects of various parameters affecting magnetic seeding filtration are theoretically and experimentally investigated. A trajectory model that includes hydrodynamic resistance, van der Waals, and electrostatic forces is developed to calculate the flocculation frequency in a turbulent-shear regime. Fractal dimension is introduced to simulate the open structure of aggregates. A magnetic-filtration model that consists of trajectory analysis, a particle build-up model, a breakthrough model, and a bivariate population-balance model is developed to predict the breakthrough curve of magnetic-seeding filtration. A good agreement between modeling results and experimental data is obtained. The results show that the model developed in this study can be used to predict the performance of magnetic-seeding filtration without using empirical coefficients or fitting parameters. 35 refs., 7 figs., 1 tab

Grazing impact on desert plants and soil seed banks: Implications for seed-eating animals

Science.gov (United States)

Pol, Rodrigo G.; Sagario, M. Cecilia; Marone, Luis

2014-02-01

We assess whether the knowledge of livestock diet helps to link grazing effects with changes in plant cover and soil seed bank size, aiming at inferring the consequences of grazing on seed-eating animals. Specifically, we test whether continuous and heavy grazing reduce the cover, number of reproductive structures and seed reserves of the same grass species whose seeds are selected and preferred by granivorous animals in the central Monte desert, Argentina. Grass cover and the number of grass spikes usually diminished under grazing conditions in the two localities studied (Telteca and Ñacuñán), and soil seed bank was consistently reduced in all three years evaluated owing to a decline of perennial grass and forb seeds. In particular, the abundance of those seeds selected and preferred by birds and ants (in all cases grass species) declined 70-92% in Ñacuñán, and 52-72% in Telteca. Reduction of perennial grass cover and spike number in grazed sites reinforced the causal link between livestock grazing and the decline of grass soil seed reserves throughout failed plant reproduction. Grass seed bank depletion suggests that grazing may trigger a "cascade" of mechanisms that affect the abundance and persistence of valuable fodder species as well as the availability of seed resources for granivorous animals.

The effectiveness of preplant seed bio-invigoration techniques using Bacillus sp. CKD061 to improving seed viability and vigor of several local upland rice cultivars of Southeast Sulawesi

Science.gov (United States)

Sutariati, G. A. K.; Bande, L. O. S.; Khaeruni, A.; Muhidin; Mudi, L.; Savitri, R. M.

2018-02-01

Research was aimed to evaluate the bio-invigoration techniques using Bacillus sp. CKD061 in improving seed viability and vigor of local upland rice. The research is arranged in factorial with completely randomized design (CRD). The different upland rice cultivars as first factor that consists of 11 cultivars, namely: Pae Tinangge, Pae Rowu, Pae Uwa, Pae Tanta, Pae Waburi-Buri, Pae Mornene, Pae Indalibana, Pae Lawarangka, Pae Huko, Pae Wagamba and Pae Momea. The second factor is the seed bio-invigoration technique, consists of 5 treatments, namely: without seed bio-invigoration (B0), NaCl + Bacillus sp. CKD061 (B1), KNO3 + Bacillus sp. CKD061 (B2), Ground burned-rice husk + Bacillus sp. CKD061 (B3), and Ground brick + Bacillus sp. CKD061 (B4). The results showed that seed bio-invigoration using Bacillus sp. CKD061 gave effect on the seed viability and vigor. Interaction of the seed bio-invigoration and upland rice cultivars were able to improve seed viability and vigor. Seed bio-invigoration ttreatment using ground brick + Bacillus sp. CKD061 was the best treatment, which could improve the viability and vigor of Pae Waburi-Buri, Pae Mornene and Pae Indalibana. The treatment increased vigor index by 133% in Pae Waburi-Buri and 127% in Pae Mornene, and Pae Indalibana compared with control.

Seed yield components and their potential interaction in grasses - to what extend does seed weigth influence yield?

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Boelt, B; Gislum, R

2010-01-01

 In a first-year seed crop of red fescue (Festuca rubra L.) the degree of lodging was controlled by the use of Moddus (Trinexapac-ethyl). Seed weight was found to increase by the decreasing degree of lodging prior to harvest. The higher seed weights were accompanied by higher yields even though...... the number of reproductive tillers and floret site utilization (FSU) were unaffected by the treatments. Seed yield is affected by several yield components and reflects the interaction between the seed yield potential (e.g. number of reproductive tillers, number of spikelets and florets/spikelet per...... reproductive tiller), the utilization of the potential (e.g. seed set, seed weight) and the realization of the seed yield potential, defined as the number of florets forming a saleable seed. The realization of the seed yield potential is affected by seed retention, seed weight and other traits associated...

Influence the Rubber Seed Type and Altitude on Characteristic of Seed, Oil and Biodiesel

OpenAIRE

Salni Salni; Poedji Loekitowati Hariani; Hanifa Marisa Hanifa

2017-01-01

This research studies the influence of the type of rubber seed that is superior and local, altitude plant in South Sumatra province to the characteristic of seed, oil and biodiesel (methyl ester). Rubber plants planted from local rubber seed by seeds seedlings and superior rubber seed by selected clones. In the study, rubber plants planted at a different altitude, namely in Banyuasin district (18 m above sea level), Prabumulih District (176 m above sea level) and Lahat District (627 m above s...

ACCELERATED AGING TEST IN DETERMINING THE VIGOUR OF SUNFLOWER SEEDS WITH AND WITHOUT PERICARP

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

K. R. Ducatti

2014-09-01

Full Text Available The standard germination test alone is insufficient to attest the quality of seeds, making necessary correlation’s with vigour tests, to determine more accurately the physiological potential of a seeds lot. The accelerated aging test is an option for determine the vigour and consists in submits seeds to high temperatures and humidity, for different periods of time, has not yet standardized. The objective of this work was to analyze the efficiency of the accelerated aging test in the assessment of the effect of a lot of sunflower seed, by three periods of aging (48, 56 and 72 hours in 42 °C temperature, in seeds with and without pericarp (manually removed and relate the results with electrical conductivity test and germination first count. The experimental design was a completely randomized design and the comparison of averages made using Tukey's test at 5% probability. The results showed that standard germination, electrical conductivity and germination first count, the seeds without pericarp showed better performance. In relation to the accelerated aging, only in the period of 72 hours of aging there was no significant difference between the treatments. In this way, the appropriate period to identify differences in force between the treatments was 72 hours, which showed a positive correlation with the germination first count and electrical conductivity.

Model-based strategy for cell culture seed train layout verified at lab scale.

Science.gov (United States)

Kern, Simon; Platas-Barradas, Oscar; Pörtner, Ralf; Frahm, Björn

2016-08-01

Cell culture seed trains-the generation of a sufficient viable cell number for the inoculation of the production scale bioreactor, starting from incubator scale-are time- and cost-intensive. Accordingly, a seed train offers potential for optimization regarding its layout and the corresponding proceedings. A tool has been developed to determine the optimal points in time for cell passaging from one scale into the next and it has been applied to two different cell lines at lab scale, AGE1.HN AAT and CHO-K1. For evaluation, experimental seed train realization has been evaluated in comparison to its layout. In case of the AGE1.HN AAT cell line, the results have also been compared to the formerly manually designed seed train. The tool provides the same seed train layout based on the data of only two batches.

Substrate water availability and seed water content on niger germination

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Carla Regina Baptista Gordin

2015-09-01

Full Text Available Niger is an oleaginous species whose cultivation has been spreading, but there is not much information on the adverse conditions during its seedling establishment. This study aimed at evaluating the effects of substrate water availability and seed water content on niger germination. Seeds were moistened using the humid atmosphere method for 0; 24; 48; and 72 hours, obtaining the water contents of 7.0 %, 12.8 %, 16.8 % and 32.2 %. Then, they were sown in substrate moistened with PEG 6000 solutions with different osmotic potentials: 0.0 MPa (control, -0.1 MPa, -0.2 MPa, -0.3 MPa and -0.4 MPa. A completely randomized design, in a 4 x 5 factorial scheme (water content x osmotic potential, with four replications of 50 seeds, was used. First count and germination percentage, germination speed index and mean time, shoot and root length and seedlings dry weight were evaluated. The reduction in the substrate osmotic potential decreases the niger seed germination and seedling growth, regardless of water content, but with a higher evidence in seed water contents below 32.2 % and 12.8 %, respectively.

7 CFR 201.15 - Weed seeds.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-01-01

... 7 Agriculture 3 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Weed seeds. 201.15 Section 201.15 Agriculture... REGULATIONS Labeling Agricultural Seeds § 201.15 Weed seeds. The percentage of weed seeds shall include seeds of plants considered weeds in the State into which the seed is offered for transportation or...

[Soil seed bank and its correlations with aboveground vegetation and environmental factors in water level fluctuating zone of Danjiangkou Reservoir, Central China].

Science.gov (United States)

Liu, Rui-Xue; Zhan, Juan; Shi, Zhi-Hua; Chen, Long-qing

2013-03-01

Taking the water level fluctuating zone of the Danjiangkou Reservoir as a case, and by the method of hierarchical cluster analysis, the soil seed banks at 37 sampling plots within the areas of 140-145 m elevation were divided into 6 groups, and the species composition, density, and diversity of the soil seed banks among the groups were compared. The differences between the soil seed banks and the aboveground vegetations were analyzed by S0rensen similarity coefficient, and the correlations among the soil seed banks, aboveground vegetations, and environmental factors were explored by principal component analysis (PCA) and multivariable regression analysis. At the same altitudes of the water level fluctuating zone, the species composition of the soil seed banks had obvious heterogeneity, and the density and diversity indices of the soil seed banks among different groups were great. The similarity coefficient between the soil seed banks and aboveground vegetations was low, and the species number in the soil seed banks was obviously lesser than that in the aboveground vegetations. The density of the soil seed banks was highly positively correlated with the aboveground vegetations coverage and species number and the soil texture, but highly negatively correlated with the soil water-holding capacity and soil porosity.

Identification of a single gene for seed coat impermeability in soybean PI 594619.

Science.gov (United States)

Kebede, Hirut; Smith, James R; Ray, Jeffery D

2014-09-01

Inheritance studies and molecular mapping identified a single dominant gene that conditions seed coat impermeability in soybean PI 594619. High temperatures during seed fill increase the occurrence of soybeans with impermeable seed coat, which is associated with non-uniform and delayed germination and emergence. This can be an issue in soybean production areas with excessively high-temperature environments. The objectives of the present study were to investigate the inheritance of impermeable seed coat under a high-temperature environment in the midsouthern United States and to map the gene(s) that affect this trait in a germplasm line with impermeable seed coat (PI 594619). Crosses were made between PI 594619 and an accession with permeable seed coat at Stoneville, MS in 2008. The parental lines and the segregating populations from reciprocal crosses were grown in Stoneville in 2009. Ninety-nine F2:3 families and parents were also grown at Stoneville, MS in 2011. Seeds were assayed for percent impermeable seed coat using the standard germination test. Genetic analysis of the F2 populations and F2:3 families indicated that seed coat impermeability in PI 594619 is controlled by a single major gene, with impermeable seed coat being dominant to permeable seed coat. Molecular mapping positioned this gene on CHR 2 between markers Sat_202 and Satt459. The designation of Isc (impermeable seed coat) for this single gene has been approved by the Soybean Genetics Committee. Selection of the recessive form (isc) may be important in developing cultivars with permeable seed coat for high-heat production environments. The single-gene nature of impermeable seed coat may also have potential for being utilized in reducing seed damage caused by weathering and mold.

A system for generating virtual seeds

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Sako Y.

1998-01-01

Full Text Available Seed analysts need to identify seeds, and seed catalogs are used as a reference to accomplish this task. Conventional seed catalogs supply two-dimensional photographs and hand-drawn diagrams. In this study, a new, three-dimensional representation of seeds is developed to supplement these traditional photographs and drawings. QuickTime VR is a promising method for viewing three-dimensional objects on a computer screen. It permits manipulation of an object by rotating and viewing it from any pre-specified angle at an interactive speed, allowing the viewer the sense of examining a hand-held object. In this study, QuickTime VR object movies of seeds were created as interactive "movies" of seeds that can be rotated and scaled to give the viewer the sensation of examining actual seeds. This approach allows the examination of virtual seeds from any angle, permitting more accurate identification of seeds by seed analysts.

Relationship between seed bank expression, adult longevity and aridity in species of Chaetanthera (Asteraceae) in central Chile.

Science.gov (United States)

Arroyo, M T K; Chacon, P; Cavieres, L A

2006-09-01

Broad surveys have detected inverse relationships between seed and adult longevity and between seed size and adult longevity. However, low and unpredictable precipitation is also associated with seed bank (SB) expression in semi-arid and arid areas. The relationship between adult longevity, SB formation, seed mass and aridity is examined in annual and perennial herbs of Chaetanthera (Asteraceae) from the Chilean Mediterranean-type climate and winter-rainfall desert areas over a precipitation range of one order of magnitude. Seeds of 18 species and subtaxa (32 populations) were buried in field locations, and exhumed after two successive germination periods. Seeds not germinating in the field were tested in a growth chamber, and remnant intact seed tested for viability. Seed banks were classed as transient or persistent. The effect of life form, species, population and burial time on persistent SB size was assessed with factorial ANOVA. Persistent seed bank size was compared with the Martonne aridity index (shown to be a surrogate for inter-annual variation in precipitation) and seed size using linear regression. ANCOVA assessed the effect of life-form on SB size with aridity as covariate. Three species had a transient SB and 15 a persistent SB. ANOVA revealed a significant effect of life-form on SB size with annuals having larger SB size and greater capacity to form a persistent SB than perennials. Significant inter-population variation in SB size was found in 64% of cases. Seed mass was negatively correlated with persistent SB size. Persistent seed bank size was significantly correlated with the Martonne aridity index in the perennial and annual species, with species from more arid areas having larger persistent SBs. However, when aridity was considered as a covariate, ANCOVA revealed no significant differences between the annual and perennial herbs. Persistent seed bank size in Chaetanthera appears to reflect environmental selection rather than any trade-off with

Reference Function Based Spatiotemporal Fuzzy Logic Control Design Using Support Vector Regression Learning

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Xian-Xia Zhang

2013-01-01

Full Text Available This paper presents a reference function based 3D FLC design methodology using support vector regression (SVR learning. The concept of reference function is introduced to 3D FLC for the generation of 3D membership functions (MF, which enhance the capability of the 3D FLC to cope with more kinds of MFs. The nonlinear mathematical expression of the reference function based 3D FLC is derived, and spatial fuzzy basis functions are defined. Via relating spatial fuzzy basis functions of a 3D FLC to kernel functions of an SVR, an equivalence relationship between a 3D FLC and an SVR is established. Therefore, a 3D FLC can be constructed using the learned results of an SVR. Furthermore, the universal approximation capability of the proposed 3D fuzzy system is proven in terms of the finite covering theorem. Finally, the proposed method is applied to a catalytic packed-bed reactor and simulation results have verified its effectiveness.

Effects of the irradiation in seeds of cotton

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Araujo, Ana Leticia; Arthur, Paula Bergamin; Arthur, Valter; Franco, Camilo Flamorion de Oliveira

2017-01-01

The experiment aimed to verify if seeds of cotton of variety FiberMax FM 993, irradiated with the doses of 0 (test); 25; 50; 75; 100 Gy can induce the production increase in cotton culture. For all treatments with irradiation, was used a source of cobalt-60, type Gammacell 220. After the irradiation, the seeds were planted in the experimental field of the Department of Plant Production ESALQ-USP, Piracicaba-SP. The experimental design was randomized blocks with four replications and 60 g of seed were used for each repetition, the rows were 5m and the spacing of 0.90m, using randomized blocks and rows of edging. After planting the final height and productivity were evaluated. The obtained data were statistically analyzed in the Tukey test at 5% level of probability. From the results obtained, it was concluded that the dose of 50Gy was the one that induced a greater production of cotton. (author)

Effects of the irradiation in seeds of cotton

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Araujo, Ana Leticia [Centro de Energia Nuclear na Agricultura (CENA/USP), Piracicaba, SP (Brazil); Arthur, Paula Bergamin; Arthur, Valter, E-mail: paula.arthur@hotmail.com [Instituto de Pesquisas Energéticas e Nucleares (IPEN/CNEN-SP), São Paulo, SP (Brazil); Franco, Camilo Flamorion de Oliveira [Empresa Brasileira de Pesquisa Agropecuária (EMBRAPA/EMEPA), João Pessoa, PB (Brazil)

2017-07-01

The experiment aimed to verify if seeds of cotton of variety FiberMax FM 993, irradiated with the doses of 0 (test); 25; 50; 75; 100 Gy can induce the production increase in cotton culture. For all treatments with irradiation, was used a source of cobalt-60, type Gammacell 220. After the irradiation, the seeds were planted in the experimental field of the Department of Plant Production ESALQ-USP, Piracicaba-SP. The experimental design was randomized blocks with four replications and 60 g of seed were used for each repetition, the rows were 5m and the spacing of 0.90m, using randomized blocks and rows of edging. After planting the final height and productivity were evaluated. The obtained data were statistically analyzed in the Tukey test at 5% level of probability. From the results obtained, it was concluded that the dose of 50Gy was the one that induced a greater production of cotton. (author)

Utilization of sunflower seed in laying hen rations

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Tsuzuki ET

2003-01-01

Full Text Available The objective of this trial was to evaluate the effect of sunflower seed inclusion (0, 1.4, 2.8, 4.2 and 5.6% in a laying hen diet containing corn, soybean meal, wheat meal and soybean oil as main ingredients on performance and egg quality. The evaluated variables were daily feed intake, average egg weight, feed conversion (kg.kg-1 and kg.dz-1, eggshell percentage, yolk color and Haugh unit. One hundred and sixty 25 week-old Lohmann laying hens were used in a completely randomized design with five treatments and four replications of eight birds per experimental unit. Four periods of 28 days were evaluated during 112 days. The inclusion of sunflower seed in the diet had no effect on production parameters during the experimental period. Thus, can be concluded that sunflower seed might be used at concentrations up to 5.6% in laying hen diets without affecting performance and egg quality.

Seed coat development in Velloziaceae: primary homology assessment and insights on seed coat evolution.

Science.gov (United States)

Sousa-Baena, Mariane S; de Menezes, Nanuza L

2014-09-01

• Seed coat characteristics have historically been used to infer taxonomic relationships and are a potential source of characters for phylogenetic reconstruction. In particular, seed coat morphoanatomy has never been studied in detail in Velloziaceae. One character based on seed surface microsculpture has been used in phylogenies, but was excluded from recent studies owing to problems in primary homology. This work aimed to clarify the origin and general composition of seed coat cell layers in Velloziaceae and to propose hypotheses of primary homology among seed characters.• Seed coat development of 24 Velloziaceae species, comprising nine genera, and one species of Pandanaceae (outgroup) was studied using standard anatomical methods. Developmental data were interpreted in the light of a recently published phylogeny.• Eight types of seed coat were identified. Whereas the most common type has four distinct cell layers (two-layered tegmen and testa), we encountered much more variation in seed coat composition than previously reported, the analysis of which revealed some potential synapomorphies. For instance, an exotesta with spiral thickenings may be a synapomorphy of Barbacenia.• Our results showed that the character states previously used in phylogenies are not based on homologous layers and that the same state was misattributed to species exhibiting quite different seed coats. This study is a first step toward a better understanding of seed coat structure evolution in Velloziaceae. © 2014 Botanical Society of America, Inc.

Water Productivity of Irrigated Rice under Transplanting, Wet Seeding and Dry Seeding Methods of Cultivation

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Murali, NS.

1997-01-01

Full Text Available Water productivity (WP of irrigated lowland rice was determined during the 1994 dry (January to May and wet (August to December seasons on a heavy clay acid sulphate soil. Treatments consisted of three cultivation methods : transplanted rice, pregerminated seeds broadcasted on puddled soil (wet seeding and dry seeds broadcasted on unpuddled soil (dry seeding. In wet and dry seeded plots, continuous standing water condition was initiated 17 days after sowing. Total water requirement for rice production was highest in transplanted plots (755 mm in wet season and 1154 mm in dry season and was lowest in dry seeded plots (505 mm in wet season and 1040 mm in dry season. Dry seeding required no water for land preparation but transplanting and wet seeding methods required 18 - 20 % of total water requirement in dry season and 27 - 29 % in wet season. Total percolation was maximum (99 mm in wet season and 215 mm in dry season in dry seeding method and was minimum (62 mm in wet season and 94 mm in dry season in transplanting method. In dry and wet seeding methods, daily percolation gradually decreased with the age of the crop. Total seepage loss did not show any significant difference between the cultivation methods in the two seasons. Grain yield was not affected by the three cultivation methods in both seasons. Water productivity (the ratio between grain yield and total amount of water used in production was 3.5 - 4.1 kg ha-1 mm-1, 3.8 - 4.4 kg ha-1 mm-1 and 4.1 - 5.5 kg ha-1 mm-1 in transplanted, wet seeded and dry seeded rice, respectively. Labour requirement for land preparation and sowing was maximum in transplanted (219 - 226 man-hours ha-1 followed by wet (104 -112 man-hours ha-1 and dry seeded (94 - 99 man-hours ha-1 methods. However, in wet season extra labour (77 man-hours ha-1 was required for weeding after crop establishment in dry and wet seeding methods. Crop maturity was 20 days earlier in wet and dry seeding methods compared to

Capacitance Regression Modelling Analysis on Latex from Selected Rubber Tree Clones

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rosli, A D; Baharudin, R; Hashim, H; Khairuzzaman, N A; Mohd Sampian, A F; Abdullah, N E; Kamaru'zzaman, M; Sulaiman, M S

2015-01-01

This paper investigates the capacitance regression modelling performance of latex for various rubber tree clones, namely clone 2002, 2008, 2014 and 3001. Conventionally, the rubber tree clones identification are based on observation towards tree features such as shape of leaf, trunk, branching habit and pattern of seeds texture. The former method requires expert persons and very time-consuming. Currently, there is no sensing device based on electrical properties that can be employed to measure different clones from latex samples. Hence, with a hypothesis that the dielectric constant of each clone varies, this paper discusses the development of a capacitance sensor via Capacitance Comparison Bridge (known as capacitance sensor) to measure an output voltage of different latex samples. The proposed sensor is initially tested with 30ml of latex sample prior to gradually addition of dilution water. The output voltage and capacitance obtained from the test are recorded and analyzed using Simple Linear Regression (SLR) model. This work outcome infers that latex clone of 2002 has produced the highest and reliable linear regression line with determination coefficient of 91.24%. In addition, the study also found that the capacitive elements in latex samples deteriorate if it is diluted with higher volume of water. (paper)

Seed dispersers, seed predators, and browsers act synergistically as biotic filters in a mosaic landscape.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Regino Zamora

Full Text Available In this study, we analize the functional influence of animals on the plants they interact with in a mediterranean mountain. We hypothesise that seed dispersers, seed predators, and browsers can act as biotic filters for plant communities. We analyse the combined effects of mutualistic (seed dispersal and antagonistic (seed predation, herbivory animal interactions in a mosaic landscape of Mediterranean mountains, basing our results on observational and experimental field. Most of the dispersed seeds came from tree species, whereas the population of saplings was composed predominantly of zoochorous shrub species. Seed predators preferentially consumed seeds from tree species, whereas seeds from the dominant fleshy-fruited shrubs had a higher probability of escaping these predators. The same pattern was repeated among the different landscape units by browsers, since they browsed selectively and far more intensely on tree-species saplings than on the surrounding shrubs. In synthesis, our work identifies the major biotic processes that appear to be favoring a community dominated by shrubs versus trees because seed dispersers, predators, and herbivores together favored shrub dispersal and establishment versus trees.

Tea seed upgrading facilities and economic assessment of biodiesel production from tea seed oil

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Demirbas, Ayhan [Sirnak University, Engineering Faculty, Sirnak (Turkey); Sila Science, Trabzon (Turkey)

2010-12-15

Green tea seed (Camellia sinensis L. Kuntze) oil was used in this work. The tea seed oil contains more than 84% unsaturated fatty acid, such as oleic acid (62.5% by weight), linoleic acid (18.1% by weight) and linolenic acid. The biodiesel from tea seed oil in itself is not significantly different from biodiesel produced from vegetable oils. However, tea seed oil has lower pour point and lower viscosity as different common vegetable oils. Crude tea seed oil is one of the cheapest vegetable oil feedstocks with average price, 514 (US$/ton). (author)

Tea seed upgrading facilities and economic assessment of biodiesel production from tea seed oil

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Demirbas, Ayhan

2010-01-01

Green tea seed (Camellia sinensisL. Kuntze) oil was used in this work. The tea seed oil contains more than 84% unsaturated fatty acid, such as oleic acid (62.5% by weight), linoleic acid (18.1% by weight) and linolenic acid. The biodiesel from tea seed oil in itself is not significantly different from biodiesel produced from vegetable oils. However, tea seed oil has lower pour point and lower viscosity as different common vegetable oils. Crude tea seed oil is one of the cheapest vegetable oil feedstocks with average price, 514 (US$/ton).

Genetic analysis of seed-soluble oligosaccharides in relation to seed storability of Arabidopsis

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Bentsink, L.; Alonso-Blanco, C.; Vreugdenhil, D.; Tesnier, K.; Groot, S.P.C.; Koornneef, M.

2000-01-01

Seed oligosaccharides (OSs) and especially raffinose series OSs (RSOs) are hypothesized to play an important role in the acquisition of desiccation tolerance and consequently in seed storability. In the present work we analyzed the seed-soluble OS (sucrose, raffinose, and stachyose) content of

Supplementing seed banks to rehabilitate disturbed Mojave Desert shrublands: where do all the seeds go?

Science.gov (United States)

DeFalco, Lesley A.; Esque, Todd C.; Nicklas, Melissa B.; Kane, Jeffrey M.

2012-01-01

Revegetation of degraded arid lands often involves supplementing impoverished seed banks and improving the seedbed, yet these approaches frequently fail. To understand these failures, we tracked the fates of seeds for six shrub species that were broadcast across two contrasting surface disturbances common to the Mojave Desert—sites compacted by concentrated vehicle use and trenched sites where topsoil and subsurface soils were mixed. We evaluated seedbed treatments that enhance soil-seed contact (tackifier) and create surface roughness while reducing soil bulk density (harrowing). We also explored whether seed harvesting by granivores and seedling suppression by non-native annuals influence the success of broadcast seeding in revegetating degraded shrublands. Ten weeks after treatments, seeds readily moved off of experimental plots in untreated compacted sites, but seed movements were reduced 32% by tackifier and 55% through harrowing. Harrowing promoted seedling emergence in compacted sites, particularly for the early-colonizing species Encelia farinosa, but tackifier was largely ineffective. The inherent surface roughness of trenched sites retained three times the number of seeds than compacted sites, but soil mixing during trench development likely altered the suitability of the seedbed thus resulting in poor seedling emergence. Non-native annuals had little influence on seed fates during our study. In contrast, the prevalence of harvester ants increased seed removal on compacted sites, whereas rodent activity influenced removal on trenched sites. Future success of broadcast seeding in arid lands depends on evaluating disturbance characteristics prior to seeding and selecting appropriate species and seasons for application.

Seed priming improves salinity tolerance of wheat varieties

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jamal, Y.; Shafi, M.; Arif, M.

2011-01-01

To evaluate the response of wheat varieties to seed priming and salinity, an experiment was conducted in completely randomized design (CRD) with three replications at Institute of Biotechnology and Genetic Engineering (IBGE), KPK Agricultural University, Peshawar, Pakistan. The performance of 6 wheat varieties (Tatara-96, Ghaznavi-98, Fakhri Sarhad, Bakhtawar-92, Pirsabaq-2004 and Auqab-2000) at two seed conditions (primed with 30 mM NaCl and un primed) under four salinity levels (0, 40, 80 and 120 mM) was studied. Statistical analysis of the data revealed that salinity, seed priming and varieties had significantly (P= 0.05) affected shoot fresh weight plant/sup -1/ shoot dry weight plant/sup -1/, shoot Na/sup +/ contents (mg g/sup -1/ dry weight), shoot K/sup +/ contents (mg g/sup -1/ dry weight) and shoot K/sup +/Na/sup +/ ratio. Maximum shoot fresh weight plant/sup -1/ (7.71 g), shoot dry weight plant/sup -1/ (1.68 g), shoot K/sup +/ contents (1.39 mg g/sup -1/ dry weight) and shoot K/sup +/ Na/sup +/ratio (1.45) were recorded from Bakhtawar-92 as compared with other varieties. Highest shoot Na/sup +/ contents (1.43 mg g/sup -1/ dry weight) were recorded from Auqab-2000 when compared with other varieties. All parameters were enhanced with seed priming except shoot Na/sup +/ contents, which reduced significantly (p= 0.05) with seed priming. (author)

Effect of processing conditions on oil point pressure of moringa oleifera seed.

Science.gov (United States)

Aviara, N A; Musa, W B; Owolarafe, O K; Ogunsina, B S; Oluwole, F A

2015-07-01

Seed oil expression is an important economic venture in rural Nigeria. The traditional techniques of carrying out the operation is not only energy sapping and time consuming but also wasteful. In order to reduce the tedium involved in the expression of oil from moringa oleifera seed and develop efficient equipment for carrying out the operation, the oil point pressure of the seed was determined under different processing conditions using a laboratory press. The processing conditions employed were moisture content (4.78, 6.00, 8.00 and 10.00 % wet basis), heating temperature (50, 70, 85 and 100 °C) and heating time (15, 20, 25 and 30 min). Results showed that the oil point pressure increased with increase in seed moisture content, but decreased with increase in heating temperature and heating time within the above ranges. Highest oil point pressure value of 1.1239 MPa was obtained at the processing conditions of 10.00 % moisture content, 50 °C heating temperature and 15 min heating time. The lowest oil point pressure obtained was 0.3164 MPa and it occurred at the moisture content of 4.78 %, heating temperature of 100 °C and heating time of 30 min. Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) showed that all the processing variables and their interactions had significant effect on the oil point pressure of moringa oleifera seed at 1 % level of significance. This was further demonstrated using Response Surface Methodology (RSM). Tukey's test and Duncan's Multiple Range Analysis successfully separated the means and a multiple regression equation was used to express the relationship existing between the oil point pressure of moringa oleifera seed and its moisture content, processing temperature, heating time and their interactions. The model yielded coefficients that enabled the oil point pressure of the seed to be predicted with very high coefficient of determination.

Seed development and carbohydrates

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Wittich, P.E.

1998-01-01

Seeds assure the plant the onset of a next generation and a way of dispersal. They consist of endosperm and an embryo (originating from gametophytic tissue), enveloped by a seed coat (sporophytic tissue). Plants generate different types of seeds. For instance, the endosperm may either be

Breeding for Grass Seed Yield

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Boelt, Birte; Studer, Bruno

2010-01-01

Seed yield is a trait of major interest for many fodder and amenity grass species and has received increasing attention since seed multiplication is economically relevant for novel grass cultivars to compete in the commercial market. Although seed yield is a complex trait and affected...... by agricultural practices as well as environmental factors, traits related to seed production reveal considerable genetic variation, prerequisite for improvement by direct or indirect selection. This chapter first reports on the biological and physiological basics of the grass reproduction system, then highlights...... important aspects and components affecting the seed yield potential and the agronomic and environmental aspects affecting the utilization and realization of the seed yield potential. Finally, it discusses the potential of plant breeding to sustainably improve total seed yield in fodder and amenity grasses....

Effect of acetic acid on rice seeds coated with rice husk ash

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Lizandro Ciciliano Tavares

2013-06-01

Full Text Available Flooded rice cultivation promotes anaerobic conditions, favoring the formation of short chain organic acids such as acetic acid, which may be toxic to the crop. The objective of this study was to evaluate the effect of acetic acid on rice seeds coated with rice husk ash. The experiment was arranged in a 2 x 5 x 5 factorial randomized design, with two cultivars (IRGA 424 and BRS Querência, five doses of coating material (0, 2, 3,4 e 5 g kg-1 seed and five concentrations of acetic acid (0, 3, 6, 9 and 12 mM, with 4 replications, totaling 50 treatments. The variables first count of germination, germination, shoot and root length, dry weight of shoots and roots were recorded. The results showed that coating rice seeds with rice husk ash up to 5 g kg-1 seed does not influence the performance of rice seeds of cultivars IRGA 424 and BRS Querência when exposed to concentrations of 12 mM acetic acid. The presence of acetic acid in the substrates used for seed germination reduced the vigor and viability of seeds of cultivars IRGA 424 and BRS Querência, as well as seedling development, affecting mainly the roots of BRS Querência.

Dual Regression

OpenAIRE

Spady, Richard; Stouli, Sami

2012-01-01

We propose dual regression as an alternative to the quantile regression process for the global estimation of conditional distribution functions under minimal assumptions. Dual regression provides all the interpretational power of the quantile regression process while avoiding the need for repairing the intersecting conditional quantile surfaces that quantile regression often produces in practice. Our approach introduces a mathematical programming characterization of conditional distribution f...

Silicon application to the soil on soybean yield and seed physiological quality

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Sandro de Oliveira

2015-10-01

Full Text Available Use of quality seeds, balanced plant nutrition and the adoption of adequate cultivation techniques are critical to the success of the soybean crop. Use of silicon (Si is a clean technology from an environmental point of view, which can confer several benefits to the plants as stimulate growth and plant production, improve tolerance of plants to attack by insects and diseases, reduce perspiration and increase the photosynthetic rate and protect against abiotic stresses. The goal was to evaluate the effect of soil Si application derived from rice husk ash on the agronomic characteristics, productivity and physiological quality of soybean cultivars seeds. The experiment was conducted in pots of 18 L filled with soil, under a randomized block design with four replications. The soybean cultivars were BMX Turbo RR and NA 5909 RR, grown under five doses of silicon (0, 1, 2, 3, and 4 t ha-1. Agronomic traits and seed yield were evaluated (total number of pods on branches, total number of seeds on the branches, the total number of pods on the main stem, total number of seeds on the main stem, total number of pods per plant, total number of seeds per plant, seed weight per plant and seed weight of 1000. Physiological seed quality was evaluated by germination and vigor tests (first count of germination, cold test, accelerated aging, shoot length and root. The soil application of silicon is beneficial for the soybean crop, improving the main agronomic characteristics (total number of pods on branches, total number of seeds in the branches, total number of pods per plant, weight of seeds per plant and increasing seed yield per plant in soybean cultivar BMX Turbo RR. The mass of a thousand seeds is positively influenced by the dose of 1.67 t ha-1 for the cultivar BMX Turbo RR and up to a dose of 2.32 t ha-1 for the cultivar NA 5909 RR. Cultivar BMX Turbo RR seed vigor is increased with the use of silicon in the soil.

A Methodological Approach for Testing the Viability of Seeds Stored in Short-Term Seed Banks

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jose A. FORTE GIL

2017-12-01

Full Text Available Efficient management of ‘active’ seed banks – specifically aimed at the short-term storage at room temperature of seeds to be used locally in conservation/regeneration programmes of endemic or endangered plant species – requires establishing the optimal storage time to maintain high seed viability, for each stored species. In this work, germination of seeds of the halophytes Thalictrum maritimum, Centaurea dracunculifolia and Linum maritimum has been investigated. The seeds had been stored for different periods of time in the seed bank of ‘La Albufera’ Natural Park (Valencia, SE Spain after collection in salt marshes of the Park, where small populations of the three species are present. Seeds of T. maritimum and C. dracunculifolia have a relatively short period of viability at room temperature, and should not be stored for more than three years. On the other hand, L. maritimum seeds maintain a high germination percentage and can be kept at room temperature for up to 10 years. T. maritimum seeds, in contrast to those of the other two species, did not germinate in in vitro tests nor when sown directly on a standard substrate, unless a pre-treatment of the seeds was applied, mechanical scarification being the most effective. These results will help to improve the management of the seed bank, to generate more efficiently new plants for reintroduction and reinforcement of populations of these species in their natural ecosystems within the Natural Park.

Seeds and Synergies

International Development Research Centre (IDRC) Digital Library (Canada)

'Seeds and Synergies presents inspiring evidence of change in practice and policy ... Seeds of inspiration: breathing new life into the formal agricultural research .... and Urban Development and Poverty Alleviation and Agricultural Commodity ...

The power-sharing formula for a seed/blanket core-resolution of a paradox

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Radkowsky, A.; Segev, M.; Galperin, A.

1986-01-01

The ''classical'' formula for the sharing of power between a seed and blanket was based on the two-group diffusion theory model and gave good agreement with experiments conducted in the original Shippingport program and with transport theory. Recently an extensive series of calculations on seed/blanket assemblies showed that the power sharing deviates widely from the classical formula but paradoxically is in good agreement with the one-group formula, which neglects the back leakage of thermal neutrons from the blanket to the seed. The power-sharing formula has now been rederived, and the paradox is resolved by taking into account epithermal absorptions in the seeds. The diffusion theory model is important as a guide to formulating innovative concepts for improved core designs

Seed size, shape and vertical distribution in the soil : indicators of seed longevity

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Bekker, RM; Bakker, JP; Grandin, U; Kalamees, R; Milberg, P; Poschlod, P; Thompson, K; Willems, JH

1998-01-01

1. We investigated the vertical distribution of seeds in the soil, using data from nine studies in five European countries. We discovered significant correlations between seed shape and distribution in the soil. 2. The classification of the longevity of seeds of plant species has been improved by

Mechanical harvesting of pumpkin seeds

OpenAIRE

Sito, Stjepan; Ivančan, Stjepan; Barković, Edi; Mucalo, Ana

2009-01-01

One of the key problems in production technology of pumpkin seed for oil production is mechanized harvesting and losses of seed during mechanical harvesting. The losses of pumpkin seed during mechanical harvesting at peripheral velocity of 1.57 m/s (optimally adjusted machine) were 4.4% for Gleisdorf species, 5.2% for Slovenska species and 7.8% for pumpkin with husk. The higher average losses of pumpkin seed with husk were caused by tight connection of seed and pumpkin fruit.

The Seed Semipermeable Layer and Its Relation to Seed Quality Assessment in Four Grass Species

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Yan Y. Lv

2017-07-01

Full Text Available The existence of a semipermeable layer in grass seeds has been extensively reported, yet knowledge of its influence on tests for seed viability and vigor that depend upon measurement of electrical conductivity (EC is limited. This study determined the presence and location of the semipermeable layer, and its relation to seed viability and vigor assessment, in seeds of four important grass species-Elymus nutans Griseb., Lolium perenne L., Leymus chinensis (Trin. Tzvel., and Avena sativa L. Intact seeds of E. nutans, Lolium perenne, and Leymus chinensis exhibited little staining with triphenyl tetrazolium chloride (TTC, and there were no differences in EC between seeds with different germination percentage (GP (P > 0.05. After piercing the seed coat, however, all three species displayed positive staining with TTC, along with a significant negative correlation between EC and GP (E. nutans: R2 = 0.7708; Lolium perenne: R2= 0.8414; Leymus chinensis: R2 = 0.859; P < 0.01. In contrast, both intact and pierced seeds of A. sativa possessed a permeable seed coat that showed positive staining with TTC and EC values that were significantly negatively correlated with GP [R2 = 0.9071 (intact and 0.9597 (pierced; P < 0.01]. In commercial seed lots of A. sativa, a field emergence test indicated that EC showed a significant negative correlation with field emergence at two sowing dates (R2= 0.6069, P < 0.01 and 0.5316, P < 0.05. Analysis of seed coat permeability revealed the presence of a semipermeable layer located in the seed coat adjacent to the endosperm in E. nutans, Lolium perenne, and Leymus chinensis; however, no semipermeable layer was observed in A. sativa. This is the first report of the absence of a semipermeable layer in a grass species. The existence of a semipermeable layer is one of the most important factors affecting seed viability and vigor testing (based on EC measurement in E. nutans, Lolium perenne, and Leymus chinensis. Increasing the

Lipid peroxidation and seed emergency in progenies of the yellow passion fruit plant

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João Paulo Bestete de Oliveira

2012-09-01

Full Text Available The objective was to evaluate the percentage of emergency plantlets and lipid peroxidation in seeds of 29 half-sib progenies of yellow passion fruit (Passiflora edulis Sims. after 24 months under storage. The experimental design was completely randomized, with four replications of 50 seeds each, from which the treatments were the progenies (1-29. The evaluation of the percent plantlet emergency was accomplished at 14 and 28 days after sowing. The lipid peroxidation of the seeds was expressed as malondialdehyde (MDA content that was determined by the TBARS method. Approximately 21% of those half-sib progenies maintained the viability of their seeds for twenty-four months under storage. The results point out a remarkable genetic variability for vigor and emergency of the yellow passion fruit plantlets, with occurrence of individuals with high and other ones with low capacity to maintaining the physiologic quality of their seeds after storage.

Doses-effect regression equations for some growth indicators of rice plantules from CO60 irradiated seeds

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lopez, R.C.; Gonzalez, L.M.; Garcia, D.

1993-01-01

In the present work, dose-effect regression equations for energy and percentage germination, size, root length and dry mass of plantules from which values of DL-50 middle lethal dose were calculated and likely or unlikely equivalencies among them were established

Effect of GA3 treatment on seed development and seed-related gene expression in grape.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Chenxia Cheng

Full Text Available The phytohormone gibberellic acid (GA3 is widely used in the table grape industry to induce seedlessness in seeded varieties. However, there is a paucity of information concerning the mechanisms by which GAs induce seedlessness in grapes.In an effort to systematically analyze the cause of this GA3-induced seed abortion, we conducted an in depth characterization of two seeded grape cultivars ('Kyoho' and 'Red Globe', along with a seedless cultivar ('Thompson Seedless', following treatment with GA3. In a similar fashion to the seedless control, which exhibited GA3-induced abortion of the seeds 9 days after full bloom (DAF, both 'Kyoho' and 'Red Globe' seeded varieties exhibited complete abortion of the seeds 15 DAF when treated with GA3. Morphological analyses indicated that while fertilization appeared to occur normally following GA3 treatment, as well as in the untreated seedless control cultivar, seed growth eventually ceased. In addition, we found that GA3 application had an effect on redox homeostasis, which could potentially cause cell damage and subsequent seed abortion. Furthermore, we carried out an analysis of antioxidant enzyme activities, as well as transcript levels from various genes believed to be involved in seed development, and found several differences between GA3-treated and untreated controls.Therefore, it seems that the mechanisms driving GA3-induced seedlessness are similar in both seeded and seedless cultivars, and that the observed abortion of seeds may result at least in part from a GA3-induced increase in cell damage caused by reactive oxygen species, a decrease in antioxidant enzymatic activities, and an alteration of the expression of genes related to seed development.

Seed Size And Physiological Quality Of Three Cultivars Of Cotton

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Luiz Cesar Lopes Filho

2018-05-01

Full Text Available Cotton is one of the most important crops, both in the national context and worldwide. Being that, its fiber, constitutes an important raw material for the textile industry. The process of improving cottonseeds, favoured cultivars with smaller seeds. The goal of this work was to evaluate three cultivars of cottonseeds with different sizes through vigour tests. The work was developed in the seeds laboratory and the post-harvest Laboratory of plant products of the Instituto Federal Goiano – Campus Rio Verde. Cottonseeds of 3 cultivars were used (FiberMax 913 GLT, FiberMax 910 and DeltaPine 1648 B2RF, obtained in the crop of 2014 in the city of Primavera do Leste, Mato Grosso. The experimental design was entirely randomized, with eight replications of 50 seeds. Determinations of moisture content and weight of a hundred seeds, germination test and germination velocity index, emergency test, and emergency speed index, electrical conductivity and accelerated aging were conducted. The dimensions of the size of the seeds (length, width and thickness were also determined, with the aid of digital caliper, and the weight of the seeds, with the aid of a balance of precision of resolution 0, 001g. The data was subjected to analysis of variance and the averages compared to the Tukey test at 5% probability. There was no clear relationship between the size of the seed and its physiological performance in assessed cultivars/batches, making it necessary more studies that can prove that type of association.

Rambutan Seed (Nephelium Lappaceum L.) Optimization as Raw Material of High Nutrition Value Processed Food

Science.gov (United States)

Wahini, M.; Miranti, M. G.; Lukitasari, F.; Novela, L.

2018-02-01

Rambutan (Nephelium Lappaceum L.) is a plant that identical with Southeast Asian countries, in some areas of Indonesia no exception, but rambutan seed is considered as a waste. Therefore, it needs to be optimized into raw materials of food and processed with high nutritional value and has economic value. The purpose of this research were: 1) to find the best rambutan seed immersion formula; 2) to know the nutritional value of the best immersed rambutan seed; 3) to produce raw material and various processed of rambutan seed product. The research method was quasi experiment with 6 treatments and 2 factorial design, materials for immersion was NaCl and Ca(OH)2. The results showed that: 1) the best rambutan seed immersion formula was using Ca(OH)2; 2) the best rambutan seed contains 1,6 ash, 31,2 protein, 26,9 fat; 3) the best rambutan seed produce flour and processed of seasoned nuts. This research indicates that rambutan seed is very potential to be an alternative high-value raw materials.

Determination of some mechanical properties of Ugu seed ( Telfairia ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

products. Before the oil can be extracted, it has to pass through some processes like depoding, size reduction, cracking etc. The parameters needed in form of engineering properties of the seed to design and construct the processing, storage and ...

STORAGE OF Handroanthus umbellatus SEEDS

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Cibele Chalita Martins

2014-09-01

Full Text Available http://dx.doi.org/10.5902/1980509815725Seed storage under controlled environmental conditions represents one of the most important lines of research to be applied on short-lived forest species as Handroanthus. The present research aimed to identify the most suitable seed storage conditions and longevity behavior of Handroanthus umbellatus seeds subject to the following storage treatments: packaging permeable paper bags under a no-controlled laboratory temperature and humidity (control and multiwall semipermeable bag at temperatures of -18 ºC, 1 ºC and 25 ºC. Seeds were dried to 6.3% of water content. Stored seeds were evaluated every three months until 24 months for water content, germination percentage and vigor utilizing first counting test. Seeds of T. umbellata are orthodox, with low longevity under natural conditions, once they remain viable for less than 5 months. The best conditions of seed preservation of these species were obtained by storage at -18° C in multiwall bags. Under these conditions physiological seed quality remains unchanged for a 24-month period.

Seed dimorphism, nutrients and salinity differentially affect seed traits of the desert halophyte Suaeda aralocaspica via multiple maternal effects.

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Lei; Baskin, Jerry M; Baskin, Carol C; Cornelissen, J Hans C; Dong, Ming; Huang, Zhenying

2012-09-25

Maternal effects may influence a range of seed traits simultaneously and are likely to be context-dependent. Disentangling the interactions of plant phenotype and growth environment on various seed traits is important for understanding regeneration and establishment of species in natural environments. Here, we used the seed-dimorphic plant Suaeda aralocaspica to test the hypothesis that seed traits are regulated by multiple maternal effects. Plants grown from brown seeds had a higher brown:black seed ratio than plants from black seeds, and germination percentage of brown seeds was higher than that of black seeds under all conditions tested. However, the coefficient of variation (CV) for size of black seeds was higher than that of brown seeds. Seeds had the smallest CV at low nutrient and high salinity for plants from brown seeds and at low nutrient and low salinity for plants from black seeds. Low levels of nutrients increased size and germinability of black seeds but did not change the seed morph ratio or size and germinability of brown seeds. High levels of salinity decreased seed size but did not change the seed morph ratio. Seeds from high-salinity maternal plants had a higher germination percentage regardless of level of germination salinity. Our study supports the multiple maternal effects hypothesis. Seed dimorphism, nutrient and salinity interacted in determining a range of seed traits of S. aralocaspica via bet-hedging and anticipatory maternal effects. This study highlights the importance of examining different maternal factors and various offspring traits in studies that estimate maternal effects on regeneration.

The Effects of Physical Primings of Seeds on Agronomical Characteristics and Alkaloid Content of Datura

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S Baser kouchebagh

2015-08-01

Full Text Available To study the effects of physical seed primings on yield and alkaloid content of datura an experiment in a randomized complete block design with three replications and 10 different treatments was conducted at the Agricultural Research Station of Islamic Aazd University, Tabriz branch, Iran, during growing season of 2013. Treatments of moist seeds were: ultrasonic treatment of seeds with a maximum of 3 watts, gamma and beta irradiations of seeds at 2 microcurie (µc for 10 minutes, laser irradiation at 6328 angstrom (A° and magnetic field of seeds with 40 microtesla (mt each for 5, 10, 15 minutes respectively and control. Results indicated that seeds treated with gamma irradiation increased plant height over the control by 45%. Highest (206 g.m-2 and lowest (108.3 g.m-2 biological yields were produced when seeds treated with magnetic field for 10 minutes and laser for 5 minutes respectively. Similarly, highest (27.27 g.m-2 and lowest (14.96 g.m-2 seed yields were obtained by treating seeds with magnetic field for 15 minutes and ultrasonic respectively. Alkaloid content in the above ground plant parts was highest when seeds treated with gamma irradiation and lowest with the magnetic field irradiation for 5 minutes. It may be concluded that physical primings of seeds with magnetic field, gamma and laser irradiations would result in higher seed yields.

Seed longevity of Eragrostis plana Nees buried in natural grassland soil

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Renato Borges de Medeiros

2014-11-01

Full Text Available The objective of this research was to evaluate the seed longevity of Eragrostis plana Nees buried at different soil depths, in a natural-grassland area in the Pampa biome (46 m altitude, 30º05´S and 51º40´W of Rio Grande do Sul State, Brazil. The experimental design was a split-plot type in complete blocks with two factors: seeds buried at five different depth levels (soil surface and 2.5, 5, 10 and 20 cm and seven exhumation dates. The blocks were allocated in natural grassland grazed by cattle, allocated in a 12-m-long transection. Fifty-four permeable nylon bags filled with 100 seeds in each division, with five vertical divisions, were buried in each row. Seven exhumation dates were used: the first on October 14, 2003 and the last on January 14, 2006. The percentage of viable seeds of E. plana, collected at seven exhumation times and set at different depths in the soil horizon, were described by simple negative exponential equations. Based on the model, the percentage of viable seeds collected at the five depths, (soil surface and 2.5, 5, 10, and 20 cm, after 2.5 years of burial, were 0.1, 0.5, 1.0, 7.4 and 22.1%, respectively. Increase in depth is directly associated with physical and physiological seed integrity of E. plana. Negative simple exponential equations can be used to predict seed longevity of E. plana buried in nylon bags. This invader species accumulates soil seed-bank of high longevity.

Assessing climate change effects on long-term forest development: adjusting growth, phenology, and seed production in a gap model

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Meer, van der P.J.; Jorritsma, I.T.M.; Kramer, K.

2002-01-01

The sensitivity of forest development to climate change is assessed using a gap model. Process descriptions in the gap model of growth, phenology, and seed production were adjusted for climate change effects using a detailed process-based growth modeland a regression analysis. Simulation runs over

A role for seed storage proteins in Arabidopsis seed longevity

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Nguyen, Thu-Phuong|info:eu-repo/dai/nl/328228818; Cueff, Gwendal; Hegedus, Dwayne D; Rajjou, Loïc; Bentsink, Leónie|info:eu-repo/dai/nl/241338735

2015-01-01

Proteomics approaches have been a useful tool for determining the biological roles and functions of individual proteins and identifying the molecular mechanisms that govern seed germination, vigour and viability in response to ageing. In this work the dry seed proteome of four Arabidopsis thaliana

Influence of the Rubber Seed Type and Altitude on Characteristic of Seed, Oil and Biodiesel

OpenAIRE

Salni, Salni; Hariani, Poedji Loekitowati; Hanifa, Hanifa Marisa

2017-01-01

This research studies the influence of the type of rubber seed that is superior and local, altitude plant in South Sumatra province to the characteristic of seed, oil and biodiesel (methyl ester). Rubber plants planted from local rubber seed by seeds seedlings and superior rubber seed by selected clones. In the study, rubber plants planted at a different altitude, namely in Banyuasin district (18 m above sea level), Prabumulih District (176 m above sea level) and Lahat District (627 m above s...

Physical-chemical characteristics and antioxidant potential of seed ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Ximenia americana popularly known as wild plum grow wildly in Brazilian semiarid region and its fruit were harvested in two maturity stages and evaluated for quality. The experimental design was completely randomized with three treatments (immature, mature pulp and seeds), and treatment effect was evaluated for pulp ...

Do clinical and translational science graduate students understand linear regression? Development and early validation of the REGRESS quiz.

Science.gov (United States)

Enders, Felicity

2013-12-01

Although regression is widely used for reading and publishing in the medical literature, no instruments were previously available to assess students' understanding. The goal of this study was to design and assess such an instrument for graduate students in Clinical and Translational Science and Public Health. A 27-item REsearch on Global Regression Expectations in StatisticS (REGRESS) quiz was developed through an iterative process. Consenting students taking a course on linear regression in a Clinical and Translational Science program completed the quiz pre- and postcourse. Student results were compared to practicing statisticians with a master's or doctoral degree in statistics or a closely related field. Fifty-two students responded precourse, 59 postcourse , and 22 practicing statisticians completed the quiz. The mean (SD) score was 9.3 (4.3) for students precourse and 19.0 (3.5) postcourse (P REGRESS quiz was internally reliable (Cronbach's alpha 0.89). The initial validation is quite promising with statistically significant and meaningful differences across time and study populations. Further work is needed to validate the quiz across multiple institutions. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Effects of Hydro and Hormonal Seed Priming on Seed Germination of Milk Thistle under Saline Stress Condition

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Yousef NASIRI

2014-09-01

Full Text Available Salinity is an abiotic stress which has harmful effects on germination of many plants. Therefore, high germination rate and vigorous early growth under salty soils is preferred. Seed priming is a way to increase salt tolerance of plants. An experiment was conducted to investigate the effect of seed priming on germination of milk thistle under salinity condition. The treatments were 4 levels of seed priming (no priming, distilled water as hydro priming and 0.5 and 1.0 mM salicylic acid and 5 levels of salinity (0, 40 and 80 mM NaCl and 40 and 80 mM CaCl2. The experiment arranged as a factorial in a completely randomized design (CRD with three replications. Results showed that salinity decreased germination percentage and germination rate to about 16 and 32% in 80 mM CaCl2 level compared to control, respectively. The highest mean germination time (5.7 day were belonged to 80 mM CaCl2. Radicle and plumule length significantly decreased by 80 mM NaCl and 40 and 80 mM CaCl2. The lowest seedling weight and seed stamina observed in 80 mM CaCl2. 0.5 mM salicylic acid improved all traits except mean germination time as compared to control.  Salicylic acid (0.5 mM improved radicle length under 0, 40 and 80 mM NaCl salinity levels as well as increased plumule length at the 0 and 40 mM NaCl salinity conditions.

POOR FERTILITY, SHORT LONGEVITY AND LOW ABUNDANCE IN THE SOIL SEED BANK LIMIT VOLUNTEER SUGARCANE FROM SEED

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Johann S Pierre

2015-06-01

Full Text Available The recent development of genetically modified sugarcane, with the aim of commercial production, requires an understanding of the potential risks of increased weediness of sugarcane as a result of spread and persistence of volunteer sugarcane. As sugarcane is propagated vegetatively from pieces of stalk and the seed plays no part in the production cycle the fate of seed in the environment is yet to be studied. In this study sugarcane seed samples, collected in fields over a two year period, were used to determine the overall level of sugarcane fertility, seed dormancy and longevity of seed under field conditions. A survey of the soil seed bank in and around sugarcane fields was used to quantify the presence of sugarcane seeds and to identify and quantify the weeds that would compete with sugarcane seedlings. We demonstrated that under field conditions, sugarcane has low fertility and produces non-dormant seed. The viability of the seeds decayed rapidly (half life between 1.5 and 2.1 months. This means that, in Australia, sugarcane seeds die before they encounter climatic conditions that could allow them to germinate and establish. Finally, the soil seed bank analysis revealed there were very few sugarcane seeds relative to the large number of weed seeds that exert a large competitive effect. In conclusion, low fertility, short persistence and poor ability to compete limit the capacity of sugarcane seed spread and persistence in the environment.

Poor Fertility, Short Longevity, and Low Abundance in the Soil Seed Bank Limit Volunteer Sugarcane from Seed.

Science.gov (United States)

Pierre, Johann S; Perroux, Jai; Whan, Alex; Rae, Anne L; Bonnett, Graham D

2015-01-01

The recent development of genetically modified sugarcane, with the aim of commercial production, requires an understanding of the potential risks of increased weediness of sugarcane as a result of spread and persistence of volunteer sugarcane. As sugarcane is propagated vegetatively from pieces of stalk and the seed plays no part in the production cycle, the fate of seed in the environment is yet to be studied. In this study, sugarcane seed samples, collected in fields over a 2-year period, were used to determine the overall level of sugarcane fertility, seed dormancy, and longevity of seed under field conditions. A survey of the soil seed bank in and around sugarcane fields was used to quantify the presence of sugarcane seeds and to identify and quantify the weeds that would compete with sugarcane seedlings. We demonstrated that under field conditions, sugarcane has low fertility and produces non-dormant seed. The viability of the seeds decayed rapidly (half-life between 1.5 and 2.1 months). This means that, in Australia, sugarcane seeds die before they encounter climatic conditions that could allow them to germinate and establish. Finally, the soil seed bank analysis revealed that there were very few sugarcane seeds relative to the large number of weed seeds that exert a large competitive effect. In conclusion, low fertility, short persistence, and poor ability to compete limit the capacity of sugarcane seed spread and persistence in the environment.

DISE: A Seed-Dependent RNAi Off-Target Effect That Kills Cancer Cells.

Science.gov (United States)

Putzbach, William; Gao, Quan Q; Patel, Monal; Haluck-Kangas, Ashley; Murmann, Andrea E; Peter, Marcus E

2018-01-01

Off-target effects (OTEs) represent a significant caveat for RNAi caused by substantial complementarity between siRNAs and unintended mRNAs. We now discuss the existence of three types of seed-dependent OTEs (sOTEs). Type I involves unintended targeting through the guide strand seed of an siRNA. Type II is caused by the activity of the seed on the designated siRNA passenger strand when loaded into the RNA-induced silencing complex (RISC). Both type I and II sOTEs will elicit unpredictable cellular responses. By contrast, in sOTE type III the guide strand seed preferentially targets essential survival genes resulting in death induced by survival gene elimination (DISE). In this Opinion article, we discuss DISE as a consequence of RNAi that may preferentially affect cancer cells. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Lignification of the plant and seed quality of RR soybeans sprayed with herbicide glyphosate

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Cristiane Fortes Gris

2013-04-01

Full Text Available Differences in levels of lignin in the plant between conventional and transgenic cultivars RR has been reported by several authors, however, there are few studies evaluating the influence of spraying of glyphosate on the lignin in the plant and RR soybean seeds. The aim of this study was to evaluate the physiological quality of RR transgenic soybean seeds and the lignin contents of plants sprayed with the herbicide glyphosate. The assays were conducted both in greenhouse and field in the municipality of Lavras, MG, in the agricultural year 2007/08. The experiment was arranged in a splitplot design with four replicates, considering the treatments hand weeding and herbicide glyphosate as plots, and five RR soybean cultivars (BRS 245 RR, BRS 247 RR, Valiosa RR, Silvânia RR and Baliza RR as splitplots. In the greenhouse, the cultivars tested were BRS 245 RR and Valiosa RR in a randomized block design with four replicates. The sprayings were carried out at stages V3, V7 and early R5 (3L/ha. The 1000 seed weight, mechanical injury, germination and germination velocity index, emergence velocity index, accelerated aging, electrical conductivity and water soaking seed test, lignin content in the seed coat, in the stem and legumes were determined. The spraying of glyphosate herbicide, in greenhouse and field, did not alter the physiological quality of seeds and the lignin contents in the plant.

Nest-mediated seed dispersal

Science.gov (United States)

Robert J. Warren; Jason P. Love; Mark A. Bradford

2017-01-01

Many plant seeds travel on the wind and through animal ingestion or adhesion; however, an overlooked dispersal mode may lurk within those dispersal modes. Viable seeds may remain attached or embedded within materials birds gather for nest building. Our objective was to determine if birds inadvertently transport seeds when they forage for plant materials to...

Phylogenetic diversification of Early Cretaceous seed plants: The compound seed cone of Doylea tetrahedrasperma.

Science.gov (United States)

Rothwell, Gar W; Stockey, Ruth A

2016-05-01

Discovery of cupulate ovules of Doylea tetrahedrasperma within a compact, compound seed cone highlights the rich diversity of fructification morphologies, pollination biologies, postpollination enclosure of seeds, and systematic diversity of Early Cretaceous gymnosperms. Specimens were studied using the cellulose acetate peel technique, three-dimensional reconstructions (in AVIZO), and morphological phylogenetic analyses (in TNT). Doylea tetrahedrasperma has bract/fertile short shoot complexes helically arranged within a compact, compound seed cone. Complexes diverge from the axis as a single unit and separate distally into a free bract tip and two sporophylls. Each sporophyll bears a single, abaxial seed, recurved toward the cone axis, that is enveloped after pollinaton by sporophyll tissue, forming a closed cupule. Ovules are pollinated by bisaccate grains captured by micropylar pollination horns. The unique combination of characters shown by D. tetrahedrasperma includes the presence of cupulate seeds borne in conifer-like compound seed cones, an ovuliferous scale analogue structurally equivalent to the ovulate stalk of Ginkgo biloba, gymnospermous pollination, and nearly complete enclosure of mature seeds. These features characterize the Doyleales ord. nov., clearly distinguish it from the seed fern order Corystospermales, and allow for recognition of another recently described Early Cretaceous seed plant as a second species in genus Doylea. A morphological phylogenetic analysis highlights systematic relationships of the Doyleales ord. nov. and emphasizes the explosive phylogenetic diversification of gymnosperms that was underway at the time when flowering plants may have originated and/or first began to radiate. © 2016 Botanical Society of America.

High-Throughput Scoring of Seed Germination.

Science.gov (United States)

Ligterink, Wilco; Hilhorst, Henk W M

2017-01-01

High-throughput analysis of seed germination for phenotyping large genetic populations or mutant collections is very labor intensive and would highly benefit from an automated setup. Although very often used, the total germination percentage after a nominated period of time is not very informative as it lacks information about start, rate, and uniformity of germination, which are highly indicative of such traits as dormancy, stress tolerance, and seed longevity. The calculation of cumulative germination curves requires information about germination percentage at various time points. We developed the GERMINATOR package: a simple, highly cost-efficient, and flexible procedure for high-throughput automatic scoring and evaluation of germination that can be implemented without the use of complex robotics. The GERMINATOR package contains three modules: (I) design of experimental setup with various options to replicate and randomize samples; (II) automatic scoring of germination based on the color contrast between the protruding radicle and seed coat on a single image; and (III) curve fitting of cumulative germination data and the extraction, recap, and visualization of the various germination parameters. GERMINATOR is a freely available package that allows the monitoring and analysis of several thousands of germination tests, several times a day by a single person.

``From seed-to-seed'' experiment with wheat plants under space-flight conditions

Science.gov (United States)

Mashinsky, A.; Ivanova, I.; Derendyaeva, T.; Nechitailo, G.; Salisbury, F.

1994-11-01

An important goal with plant experiments in microgravity is to achieve a complete life cycle, the ``seed-to-seed experiment''. Some Soviet attempts to reach this goal are described, notably an experiment with the tiny mustard, Arabidopsis thaliana, in the Phyton 3 device on Salyut 7. Normal seeds were produced although yields were reduced and development was delayed. Several other experiments have shown abnormalities in plants grown in space. In recent work, plants of wheat (Triticum aestivum) were studied on the ground and then in a preliminary experiment in space. Biometric indices of vegetative space plants were 2 to 2.5 times lower than those of controls, levels of chlorophyll a and b were reduced (no change in the ratio of the two pigments), carotenoids were reduced, there was a serious imbalance in major minerals, and membrane lipids were reduced (no obvious change in lipid patterns). Following the preliminary studies, an attempt was made with the Svetoblock-M growth unit to grow a super-dwarf wheat cultivar through a life cycle. The experiment lasted 167 d on Mir. Growth halted from about day 40 to day 100, when new shoots appeared. Three heads had appeared in the boot (surrounded by leaves) when plants were returned to earth. One head was sterile, but 28 seeds matured on earth, and most of these have since produced normal plants and seeds. In principle, a seed-to-seed experiment with wheat should be successful in microgravity.

Intravitreal chemotherapy in retinoblastoma: expanded use beyond intravitreal seeds.

Science.gov (United States)