Principles of Seed Science and Technology PDF
Preview Principles of Seed Science and Technology
PRINCIPLES OF SEED SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY 4th Edition PRINCIPLES OF SEED SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY 4th Edition by o. Lawrence Copeland Department of Crap & Soi! Sciences Michigan State University Miller B. McDonald Department ofH orticulture & Crap Science lJhioState University SPRINGER SCIENCE+BUSINESS MEDIA, LLC Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Copeland, L. O. (Lawrence 0.),1936- Principles of seed science and technology / by Lawrence O. Copeland, Miller B. McDonald. - 4th ed. p. cm. lncludes bibliographical references. ISBN 978-1-4613-5644-8 ISBN 978-1-4615-1619-4 (eBook) DOI 10.1007/978-1-4615-1619-4 1. Seeds. 2. Seed technology. 1. McDonald, M. B. II. Title. SB1l7 .C73 2001 631.5'21-dc21 2001029245 Copyright © 2001 by Springer Science+Business Media New York OriginalIy published by Kluwer Academic Publishers in 2001 Softcover reprint ofthe hardcover 4th edition 2001 AlI rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form or by any means, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without the prior written permission ofthe publisher, Springer Science+Business Media, LLC. Printed on acid-free pap er. Contents Preface vii Introduction ix Flowering Processes in Plants 1 Seed Formation and Development 17 The Chemistry of Seeds 39 Seed Ecology 58 Seed Germination 72 Seed Viability and Viability Testing 124 Seed Dormancy 140 Seed Vigor and Vigor Testing 165 Seed Storage and Deterioration 192 Seed Production 231 Seed Conditioning and Handling 252 Seed Drying 268 Seed Enhancements 277 VI Seed Certification 297 Seed Testing 316 Seed Pathology and Pathological Testing 354 Seed Marketing 380 Seed Legislation and Law Enforcement 390 Preface This Fourth Edition of Principles of Seed Science and Technology, like the fIrst three editions, is written for the advanced undergraduate student or lay person who desires an introduction to the science and technology of seeds. The fIrst nine chapters present the seed as a biological system and cover its origin, development, composition, function (and sometimes nonfunction), performance and ultimate deterioration. The last nine chapters present the fundamentals of how seeds are produced, conditioned, evaluated and distributed in our modern agricultural society. Two new chapters have been added in this fourth edition, one on seed ecology and the second on seed drying. Finally, revisions have been made throughout to reflect changes that have occurred in the seed industry since publication of the Third Edition. Because of the fundamental importance of seeds to both agriculture and to all of society, we have taken great care to present the science and technology of seeds with the respect and feeling this study deserves. We hope that this feeling will be communicated to our readers. Furthermore, we have attempted to present information in a straight-forward, easy-ta-read manner that will be easily understood by students and lay persons alike. Special care has been taken to address both current state-of-the-art as well as future trends in seed technology. We believe this Fourth Edition represents a new level in presenting information that appeals to advanced undergraduate students as well as to those desiring more fundamental information on seed form and function. At the same time, it continues to have the strengths of the fIrst three editions, in its readability as well as its comprehensive coverage of the broader area of seed science and technology. Introduction One for the buzzard, One for the crow, One to rot, and One to grow! The farmer hopes for better seed germination rates than the gardener in this old poem by Fay Yauger. But the fact is that most plants compensate beautifully by producing seeds in great abundance to assure survival of their species despite the formidable odds. And each seed that does survive is capable of producing a plant, more seeds, and still more plants and seeds to come. Deep within the seed are its own development forces, nutritive elements, and time and place mechanisms that signal the next growth stage. The seed itself is designed to disperse and scatter, using other forces ofnature--wind, water, insects, birds, and animals. Seed husbandry formed the basis for early agriculture and eventual civilization. As people learned to plant, harvest, and preserve the seeds of certain grasses for winter, they abandoned the nomadic life to build permanent settlements. All the major civilizations throughout history have been founded on the culture of cereal grains, because these staples have high food value and are easily stored. The Mesopotamians planted wheat along the banks of the Tigris and Euphrates. The Chinese grew rice along the banks of the Hwang Ho and Yangtze. And the Mayans cultivated corn along the dry flat plains of the Yucatan. Seeds for Survival and Subsistence Seeds have been, and still are, the mainstay of the world's diet. The Poaceae, or large seeded grasses, collectively known as cereals, contribute more food seeds than any other plant family. Cereal grains comprise by far the greatest share of all cultivated seeds. They provide people with their most important source of carbohydrates, as well as some protein and other vital substances. As in ancient times, rice, wheat, and corn are the three major grains. Oat, barley, sorghum, millet, and rye are other important food and feed grains. The second most critical food family, the Fabaceae, provides crops such as peanut, soybean, lentil, bean, pea, and chickpea. Legume seeds generally contain more protein than cereal seeds, and the protein has a better balance of amino acids for human nutrition than that in cereals. In addition to being used directly as foods, seeds play other roles in human diets. Many seeds are used whole or ground as spices. The popular beverages coffee, cola, and cocoa are derived from seeds. Beers and ales are brewed from barley, and whiskey and gin are distilled from fermented mashes of cereal grains. Edible oils are obtained from seeds of corn, soybean, canola/rapeseed, cotton, peanut, coconut, palm, sunflower, and safflower. And seeds are used in the manufacture of some drugs and medicines. x Introduction The Mayans cultivated corn along the dry, flat plains oft he Yucatan. Improved varieties ofc orn are now the major cereal grain oft he United States, with production exceeding 6 billion bushels annually. In addition to being the most important source of food for human beings, seeds serve many commercial functions as well. Cotton, a major fiber, is spun from the cellulose hairs that surround the seeds of cotton plants. Seeds are also used in the manufacture of soaps, paints, varnishes, linoleum, jewelry, buttons, and many other products. The beginnings of the seed lie deep within the burgeoning flower, where tiny structures begin to grow and develop to form the integument, the seed coat. This outer covering provides protection for the mature seed; it may even contribute nutritive support for the embryonic seed. This package also furnishes the ideal environment for the development of the embryo and the endosperm of the young seed. From Orchids to Coconuts Seed size is every bit as varied as the end products of the seed. An orchid species boasts the smallest known seed-a dust-like particle hardly visible to the naked eye. Seeds oftobacco and Kingston velvet bent grass are so minute that one-half million of them weigh only an ounce. Perennial plants (usually woody) claim the largest seeds. including acorns, walnuts. and coconuts. Introduction Xl Seed shape runs the gamut from round, oval, triangular, elliptic, and elongated to irregular. Predominant colors are black and brown, but hues of red, yellow, purple, green, and white are also found. Some seeds are multicolored. Seed surfaces may be smooth, rough, or textured, with silky hairs, cottony masses, hooks, bristles, or wing-like structures. The intricacies of seed surfaces are often functional, serving as the mechanisms that ensure seed dispersal and survival. 'Blowin' in the Wind Not all seeds are distributed in brightly colored packets from Burpee Seed Company. The wind is probably the most effective agent in seed dissemination. It blows and scatters seeds in various ways-the cottony masses attached to cottonwood seeds, the hairy tufts oft he dandelion and milkweed, the wing-like appendages of the ash and maple seed, and the dust-like seed of the orchid. When the Russian thistle, the legendary tumbleweed, breaks off at the soil surface, the wind catches at the plant, blowing it across the western plains; it disperses seeds as it tumbles. Since seeds of almost all species will float on water, many that land in streams will sail from their home site. Farmers and gardeners extend the territory of useful plant seeds. Animals The legendary tumbleweed breaks off at the ground surface and tumbles across the fields with the wind, dispersing seeds as it goes. Some C!fthe weeds have lodged against a barbed wire fence in this field in southwestern Nebraska. xii Introduction and insects may also help seeds along their travels. Squirrels and packrats are notorious seed gatherers, while ants seem to be the most active seed collectors in the insect world. Innumerable plant species have fruits that are eaten by birds and animals. If the seeds pass through the digestive tracts, they may be transported great distances before being dropped to the ground to give rise to new plants. Some tenacious seeds manage to adhere to people's clothing or to animal's furry coats. Those who have tried to disengage the seeds of the beggar-tick from their clothes, cheatgrass from their socks, or cockleburs from the coat of their Irish setter know just how effective this dispersal method can be. Other seeds come equipped with spines or thorns that enable them to attach themselves to animals' feet and spread that way. The fruit of the mistletoe scatters its seed in a remarkable fashion. It is equipped with a propulsion mechanism that ejects the seed into the air. The seed is covered with a sticky substance that enables it to adhere to branches oft rees and to the feet of birds. Birds carry the seed from one tree to another, where it germinates and begins to grow. Just as seeds feature external structures that aid in dissemination, so they are equipped to germinate and resume their growth at a time and place that ensures the survival of their kind. Some seeds possess the ability to germinate and grow the instant they are dispersed. Others display almost uncanny mechanisms that prevent their germination until the time and place are right for continued growth. Some, especially weed seeds, may lie dormant in the soil for many years before they germinate. Birds relish the purplish-black/roils o/the mulberry tree, and they drop the seeds in/encerows and hedges, giving rise to new trees that grow as weeds.
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