Morphometric parameters of carrot seed quality and factors determining them.

Relevance.The contribution of varietal and environmental factors to the variability of the length of the endosperm and the embryo of carrot seeds was studied. Materials and methods. The objects of study were the original seeds of Rogneda, Lubava and Chernozemochka, Chantene 2461 and Boyarynya varieties. The seeds were grown at the Voronezh and West Siberian experimental stations. The linear dimensions of the seed and endosperm were measured using a caliper. The length of the embryo was measured using a microscope (Micromed) and a video eyepiece (DCM 300 MD) at х40 magnification. Statistical processing of the research data two-factor experiment was carried out using analysis of variance. Differences in the compared parameters were considered statistically significant at p 0.05.Results. The linear dimensions of all the main elements of seeds, as well as the index of Ie/z on average for three years significantly differed in the studied carrot varieties (P < 0.001). The maximum length of the seed (3.14±0.02 mm), the length of the endosperm (2.66±0.02 mm) and the length of the embryo (1.23±0.03 mm) on average for three years was observed in the Rogneda variety. The average coefficient of variation (V) of seed length was minimal and varied from 10.1% to 12.9%. The average values of the coefficient of variation (V) for the length of the endosperm varied in a wider range from 12.0% to 14.6%. The length of the embryo had a maximum level of variability from 18.7% in the Rogneda variety to 20.3% in the Chernozemochka variety 21.3%. The variety factor had a predominant influence (from 50.8 % to 86.5 %) on the size of the seed and its morphological elements. The contribution of the environmental conditions of the year of reproduction to the formation of morphometric parameters did not exceed 22.3 %. This allowed us to draw a conclusion about the prospects of selection and the possibility of selective changes in the morphological parameters of the seed.