Carrot seed size and progenies influence on seed physiological quality and plant productivity performance

Abstract

Size and the genetic material of seeds are factors capable of influencing seeds germination performance and plant yield, mainly in the case of short cycled species such as various vegetable root crops, like carrot. So, the objectives of this research work were to verify the influence of seed size and progenies of carrot cultivar 'Brasilia' on seed physiological quality and the plants productive field performance. Fifty populations of half-sib progenies of carrot of the 'Brasilia' cultivar were evaluated, the progenies resulting from the mixing of seeds from all umbels of individual plants. After being dried and processed, seeds were classified in small and large. In laboratory, seed moisture content, 100 seed mass, germination, and first count of germination test results were determined. In the field, premature flowering, yield of commercial and non-commercial roots 100 days after sowing were determined. The experimental units were distributed in the field according to a randomized complete block design with three replications. The experiment was a 50 x 2 factorial, that is, 50 progenies and two seed sizes. Each experimental unit had an area of 2 m2. In the laboratory, the experimental units were distributed according to a completely random design with four replications. Means were compared by the Scott-Knott test. The results showed that seed size effect on seed germination and vigor is progeny-dependent: 70% of the progenies showed no significant effect of seed size on seed germination or vigor. Seed size had no significant effect on any of the evaluated field parameters. The progenies showed different percentages of flowering and commercial root production but none of those differences were attributable to seed size. The practice of discarding carrot seeds smaller than 1.4 mm should be adopted on the dependence of the genetic material with which the seed company is working to avoid, during seed processing, throwing away high quality seeds.