Journal
PLANT METHODS
Volume 13, Issue -, Pages -Publisher
BIOMED CENTRAL LTD
DOI: 10.1186/s13007-017-0220-4
Keywords
Sugar beet; Germination; Seeds; Seed-soil contact; X-ray Computed Tomography
Categories
Funding
- Syngenta
Ask authors/readers for more resources
Background: Seed-soil contact is important to ensure successful germination, however, there is a paucity of reported studies that have quantified the microstructure at and around this critical interface, mainly due to the opacity of soil. Results: Here we describe a novel methodology to non-destructively calculate the seed-soil contact area using X-ray Computed Tomography. Under controlled conditions, we observed that seed-soil contact was strongly influenced by the size and type of seed, with a seed-soil contact of ca. 15% for naked sugar beet seeds compared to ca. 32% for pelleted and coated seeds. Similar results were obtained for seeds sampled from the field albeit with a higher spatial variability. Conclusions: By application of this new quantification method it is hoped seed enhancement technologies can be optimised and ultimately seedbed preparation improved to ensure better germination.
Authors
I am an author on this paper
Click your name to claim this paper and add it to your profile.
Reviews
Recommended
No Data Available