Effect of Physiological Maturity on Hybrid Sunflower Seed Quality
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Abstract
Appropriate timing of seed harvesting is a crucial factor in producing high quality hybrid sunflower seeds. Specifically, harvesting during the physiological maturity stage, when seeds reach their highest dry weight and germination potential, is considered optimal. Proper timing of seed harvest is a critical factor in obtaining high-quality seeds, particularly at the stage of physiological maturity. This study aimed to determine the appropriate harvest time to obtain the best seed quality. The experiment was conducted at the Faculty of Agriculture, Rajamangala University of Technology Srivijaya, Thung Song District, Nakhon Si Thammarat Province, from May to July 2022, using a Completely Randomized Design (CRD) with four replications. The treatments consisted of five harvest times: 10, 20, 30, 40, and 50 days after flowering (DFA). Flowering dates were marked using different colored threads tied to the heads. Physical and seed quality traits were evaluated. The results revealed statistically significant differences (p ≤ 0.01) among all traits. The best results were obtained at 40 DFA, when sunflower heads showed 50% light brown and 50% dark brown coloration. Seed moisture content before and after drying was 17.00% and 8.33%, respectively. The 100-seed weight was 6.84 grams, germination was 84.75%, soil emergence was 78.25%, field emergence was 74.00%, and mean germination time was 4.32 days. Therefore, harvesting at 40 DFA is the most suitable stage for obtaining high-quality seeds of the hybrid sunflower cultivar Pacific Aquara 6.
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บทความ ข้อมูล เนื้อหา รูปภาพ ฯลฯ ที่ได้รับการเผยแพร่ในวารสารวิทยาศาสตร์และเทคโนโลยี มรย. นี้ ถือเป็นลิขสิทธิ์ของวารสารวิทยาศาสตร์และเทคโนโลยี มรย. หากบุคคลหรือหน่วยงานใดต้องการนำทั้งหมดหรือส่วนหนึ่งส่วนใดไปเผยแพร่ต่อหรือกระทำการใดๆ จะต้องได้รับอนุญาตเป็นลายลักษณ์อักษรจากวารสารวิทยาศาสตร์และเทคโนโลยี มรย. ก่อนเท่านั้น
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