Seed production quality in Trifolium balansae and T. resupinatum: The role of seed colour
1995
Jansen, P.I. (University of Sydney, Sydney (Australia). Department of Crop Sciences)
Seed production is a crucial factor determining the survival of the smallseeded annual pasture legumes Trifolium balansae and T. resupinatum, which are new to Australian farming systems. Work with other species suggests that seed colour may be an indicator for seed quality and hardseededness, which play a role in successful establishment of plants at the start of the growing season. Seed of Trifolium balansae cv. Paradana and T. resupinatum lines SA 12240, SA 14433 and cv. Kyambro, harvested directly from plants or retrieved from the seed bank, was investigated. Seed characteristics in all T. resupinatum lines were influenced by colour; brown seed was mainly soft, but little was produced by plants in the field. The percentage of brown seed in the seed bank was positively related to the percentage of soft seed and varied throughout the year. The difference between green and yellow T. resupinatum seed was less pronounced. Yellow seed had a lower thousand seed weight and germinated more slowly. The formation of green or yellow seed by plants was found to be controlled by both environmental and genetic factors
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