MECHANICAL INJURY IN SEEDS

The effect of mechanical abuse of bean and cabbage seeds at various moisture levels on seed injuries was investigated. Susceptibility of 23 cultivars of bean was also tested.

It was observed that the number of injured seeds of bean as well as of cabbage is related to moisture of seeds. When the seeds had less moisture they usually were more susceptible to injuries. The external damages were much larger in bigger bean seeds than in smaller seeds of cabbage. The mechanical abuse always caused not only visible cracking of seedcoats and breaking seeds in both species but also invisible, internal injuries. Because of this the germination was lowered /often down to 60–70%/ and the number of abnormal seedlings was increased.

Significant differences in susceptibility of bean cultivars to mechanical injuries were found and more and less resistant ones were distinguished.