High-Vigor Seeds Associated with Seed Hardness and Water Absorption Rate in Rice (<i>Oryza sativa</i> L.)
Zhenan Li,
Tianyu Zhang,
Minyi Zhu,
Chengyong Li,
Bin Li,
Xiujuan Lu,
Jianhua Wang,
Liangquan Jia,
Hengnian Qi,
Xiaomin Wang,
Guangwu Zhao
Affiliations
Zhenan Li
The Key Laboratory for Quality Improvement of Agricultural Products of Zhejiang Province, College of Advanced Agricultural Sciences, Zhejiang Agriculture and Forestry University, Hangzhou 311300, China
Tianyu Zhang
The Key Laboratory for Quality Improvement of Agricultural Products of Zhejiang Province, College of Advanced Agricultural Sciences, Zhejiang Agriculture and Forestry University, Hangzhou 311300, China
Minyi Zhu
Hangzhou Yuhang Yimin Agricultural Production Service Professional Cooperative, Hangzhou 311107, China
Chengyong Li
The Agro-Tech Extension Center of Quzhou, Quzhou 324000, China
Bin Li
The Key Laboratory for Quality Improvement of Agricultural Products of Zhejiang Province, College of Advanced Agricultural Sciences, Zhejiang Agriculture and Forestry University, Hangzhou 311300, China
Xiujuan Lu
The Key Laboratory for Quality Improvement of Agricultural Products of Zhejiang Province, College of Advanced Agricultural Sciences, Zhejiang Agriculture and Forestry University, Hangzhou 311300, China
Jianhua Wang
College of Agronomy and Biotechnology, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100193, China
Liangquan Jia
College of Information Engineering, Huzhou Normal University, Huzhou 313000, China
Hengnian Qi
College of Information Engineering, Huzhou Normal University, Huzhou 313000, China
Xiaomin Wang
The Key Laboratory for Quality Improvement of Agricultural Products of Zhejiang Province, College of Advanced Agricultural Sciences, Zhejiang Agriculture and Forestry University, Hangzhou 311300, China
Guangwu Zhao
The Key Laboratory for Quality Improvement of Agricultural Products of Zhejiang Province, College of Advanced Agricultural Sciences, Zhejiang Agriculture and Forestry University, Hangzhou 311300, China
Seed physical properties are stable and visualized, and believed to be reference indicators for screening high-vigor seeds. However, the detailed relationship between seed vigor and its physical properties is not fully understood in rice. To elucidate the relationship mentioned above, seed physical properties such as seed size, hardness, and water absorption rate, and seed vigor indicators including germination rate, salt-stressed germination rate, and drought-stressed germination rate were determined among different rice cultivars. Significant differences in seed vigor indicators and seed physical properties were recorded among different rice cultivars. Germination rate, salt-stressed germination rate, drought-stressed germination rate, seed hardness, and water absorption rate ranged from 32.0 ± 1.7% to 99.7 ± 0.3%, 14.4 ± 2.4% to 99.7 ± 0.3%, 3.3 ± 2.6% to 95.7 ± 2.1%, 69.15 ± 0.15 N to 74.56 ± 0.14 N, and 0.09 ± 0.00 g/h to 0.12 ± 0.00 g/h, respectively. Additionally, correlation analysis showed that seed hardness and water absorption rate were significantly positively related to seed vigor (r = 0.33 **−0.41 **, from 2014 to 2016; r = 0.45 **−0.65 **, in 2021). Moreover, principal component analysis determined that the first principal component explained 91.4%, 90.1%, and 89.9% of the variance of seed physical properties, respectively, and loaded on seed hardness and water absorption rate. These results indicate that seed hardness and water absorption rate can be recommended as efficient indicators for screening rice seeds with high vigor.
