Track 2‐7‐1: Seed Production, Storage, Quality, Testing, Quarantine and Marketing Systems

Description

Poor ovule-to-seed ratio is one of the major constraints in quality seed production in range grasses. Plant hormones per se or in the influence of external cues were known regulate the seed setting and their subsequent maturation in many crops. External application of hormones on the standing crops has shown very promising results but the physiological and biochemical phenomenon underlying such changes are not studied in detail. Exogenous application of different chemicals particularly during anthesis and post anthesis phases has increased the seed set in a number of species. Improved seed germination in Panicum maximum after foliar spray of indole acetic acid (IAA) has been reported by Malaviya et al., (2013). but the reason for improved seed germination was not very much clear. Auxin application has also been shown to induce fruit-set in many crops. Auxins with its prominent role in cell division have been implicated to play vital role in integument growth during early seed formation (Wu et al., 2006) and increased integuments has been correlated with increased seed size in Arabidopsis (Schruff et al., 2006) where they postulate that increased integument provides larger seed cavity which in turn provides a greater area of contact for endosperm with the seed coat, leading to increased nutrient uptake. Increase in photosynthesis rate due to foliar application of many phytohormones has also been reported in many crops and understanding source sink relationship as influenced by different growth regulators might lead to significant breakthrough in understanding the seed production as a whole and seed filling in particular. Though the role of plant growth regulators in seed production is well researched in many crops but not much work has been undertaken to improve the production and quality of seeds in range grasses.

Panicum maximum and Cenchrus ciliaris are two most important range grasses of irrigated and non-irrigated conditions respectively and both produces seeds of very poor quality in terms of germination. Therefore, in present study we try to improve seed filling through foliar application of IAA in these crops and studied the photosynthesis behaviour post treatment.

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Increased Photosynthesis Contributes towards Improved Ovule-to-Seed Ratio in IAA Treated Range Grasses

Poor ovule-to-seed ratio is one of the major constraints in quality seed production in range grasses. Plant hormones per se or in the influence of external cues were known regulate the seed setting and their subsequent maturation in many crops. External application of hormones on the standing crops has shown very promising results but the physiological and biochemical phenomenon underlying such changes are not studied in detail. Exogenous application of different chemicals particularly during anthesis and post anthesis phases has increased the seed set in a number of species. Improved seed germination in Panicum maximum after foliar spray of indole acetic acid (IAA) has been reported by Malaviya et al., (2013). but the reason for improved seed germination was not very much clear. Auxin application has also been shown to induce fruit-set in many crops. Auxins with its prominent role in cell division have been implicated to play vital role in integument growth during early seed formation (Wu et al., 2006) and increased integuments has been correlated with increased seed size in Arabidopsis (Schruff et al., 2006) where they postulate that increased integument provides larger seed cavity which in turn provides a greater area of contact for endosperm with the seed coat, leading to increased nutrient uptake. Increase in photosynthesis rate due to foliar application of many phytohormones has also been reported in many crops and understanding source sink relationship as influenced by different growth regulators might lead to significant breakthrough in understanding the seed production as a whole and seed filling in particular. Though the role of plant growth regulators in seed production is well researched in many crops but not much work has been undertaken to improve the production and quality of seeds in range grasses.

Panicum maximum and Cenchrus ciliaris are two most important range grasses of irrigated and non-irrigated conditions respectively and both produces seeds of very poor quality in terms of germination. Therefore, in present study we try to improve seed filling through foliar application of IAA in these crops and studied the photosynthesis behaviour post treatment.