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Acta Prataculturae Sinica ›› 2016, Vol. 25 ›› Issue (8): 56-64.DOI: 10.11686/cyxb2015508

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Effects of drying temperature on water loss and germination rates of leguminous forage seeds

MA Jin-Xing1, 2, TU De-Peng1, KOU Jian-Cun3, *, LIU Fang1   

  1. 1.National Quality Control Inspection Centre for Grassland Industry Products M.O.A., National Animal Husbandry Service, Beijing 100125, China;
    2. College of Forestry, Beijing Forestry University, Beijing 100083, China;
    3. College of Animal Science and Technology, Northwest A& F University, Yangling 712100, China
  • Received:2015-11-10 Revised:2016-01-26 Online:2016-08-20 Published:2016-08-20

Abstract:

In order to understand the effects of drying temperature on the water loss and germination rates of seeds, seeds of 23 legume species were dried at (15±2) and (21±2) ℃ with (15±3)% relative humidity before they were put into the gene bank. The results showed that: 1) at 11 d the water contents of 14 species met the storage standard, below 7%, while all species with the exception of Coronilla varia met the standard at (21±2) ℃. 2) Compared with undried seeds, the drying temperature (15±2) ℃ had no effect on the seed germination rates of 11 species, increased the rates of 6 species and significantly decreased the rates of 6 species. The drying temperature (21±2) ℃ had no effect on 15 species, increased the germination rate of 5 species and decreased that of 3 species. In conclusion, the easily-dried seeds (Tephrosia candida, Lotus corniculatus, Trifolium pratense, Calopogonium mucunoides, Cajanus cajan, Medicago sativa, Astragalus adsurgens, Stylosanthes hamata, Pueraria lobate and S. guianensias) and the relatively-easy-dried seeds (Lespedeza bicolor, Caragana korshinskii and A. sinicus) should be dried at (15±2) ℃. Seeds that are more difficult to dry (T. repens, Macroptilium lathyroides, Onobrychis viciifolia, T. vesiculosm, Vicia sativa, T. incarnatum, Hedysarum leave, Macrotyloma uniflorum and Crotalaria pallida) should be dried at (21±2) ℃. The drying temperature for C. varia, which was very difficult to dry, requires further study.