[Evaluation on some physiological and biochemical characteristics of corn seed from some maturity level and delayed drying]

English. A research to study the effect of maturity level and delayed drying to physiological and biochemical characteristics of seed and its relation to storability was carried out in the district of Bone (field research), laboratory and green house of Research Institute for Maize and Other Cereals from April 1997 to September 1998. The treatments was arranged using randomized block design in two factors with three replications (1) level of maturity (delayed harvest); 0, 5, 10, 15, 20 days after physiological maturity and (2) delayed drying; 0, 5, 10 days after harvest. Seeds were dried until 12 percent moisture content and store in airtight container with five times observation; 0, 3, 6, 9, 12 months after storage. Observation was done on moisture content, germination, rate of germination, percentage of free fatty acid, carbohydrate, electric conductivity and pH of solute leakage. The results showed that the seeds which were harvested at physiological maturity until 10 days after physiological maturity still have good viability and high storability until 12 months storage. The best seed viability could be reached by drying soon after harvest. Delayed drying could be done not late than five days after harvest. There was the decrease of seed carbohydrate content about 20 percent in the whole treatments. Electric conductivity of solute leakage and free fatty acids content were the good biochemical indicator for earlier detection of seed viability

unknown. Penelitian untuk mengetahui pengaruh tingkat masak dan beberapa waktu penundaan pengeringan terhadap sifat fisiologi dan biokimia benih jagung serta pengaruhnya terhadap ketahanan simpan dilaksanakan di Kab. Bone (penelitian lapang), laboratorium dan rumah kaca Balai Penelitian Tanaman Jagung dan Serealia Lain mulai bulan April 1997 hingga September 1998. Perlakuan disusun dalam rancangan faktorial 2 faktor dengan 3 ulangan, (1) faktor penundaan panen 0, 5, 10, 15, 20 hari setelah masak fisiologis dan (2) faktor penundaan pengeringan 0, 5, 10, hari setelah panen. Hasil panen dikeringkan pada kadar air 12 persen disimpan pada kondisi kedap udara pada suhu kamar di Maros dengan periode pengamatan 0, 3, 6, 9, 12 bulan. Pengamatan dilakukan terhadap kadar air, daya berkecambah, kecepatan tumbuh, kandungan asam lemak bebas, serat kasar, karbohidrat, daya hantar listrik dan pH air terendam benih. Hasil penelitian menunjukkan bahwa benih yang dipanen pada kondisi masak fisiologis hingga 10 hari setelah masak fisiologis masih menunjukkan viabilitas dan ketahanan simpan yang lebih baik dibandingkan dengan panenan yang lebih lambat. Benih yang terbaik viabilitasnya adalah benih yang dipanen langsung dikeringkan. Penundaan pengeringan yang masih dapat ditolerir hingga 5 hari. Penurunan mutu hasil terjadi dalam penyimpanan selama 12 bulan. Indikator biokimia yang paling peka menunjukkan penurunan viabilitas awal secara dini adalah daya hantar listrik air rendaman benih dan kandungan asam lemak bebas biji