Abstract
Seeds from mature cassava (Manihot esculenta Crantz) fruits exhibit low seed viability (one viable seed/fruit), possess hard seed coat and germinate poorly. Since the formation of hard seed coat is associated with the desiccation/last stage of seed development, we wondered whether cassava seed viability was related to seed moisture content. Therefore, the objectives of this study were: 1) to quantify the viability of seeds of two cassava varieties (TMS 98/0505 and TMS 95/0379) collected prior to the formation of hard coat, 2) to determine the relationship between seed viability and seed moisture content, and 3) to determine the suitability of top soil, moist filter paper, fine sand as growth medium for germinating young cassava seeds. Stem cuttings of the two varieties were cultivated on the field for seed production. Fruits were sampled two times at 6 and 10 weeks after first anthesis. Seeds extracted from the fruits had either thin, colorless seed coats or moderately thickened, light brownish seed coat. The seeds were subjected to flotation and tetrazolium chloride (TCL) tests for viability, evaluated for moisture content and subjected for germination in three growth media (top soil, fine sand and moist filter paper). Seed viability increased significantly (p<0.01) from approx. one seed/fruit (0.50) at 6 WAA to approx. all seeds per fruit (0.92) at 10 WAA in TMS 98/0505. In TMS 95/0379, seed viability was 0 at 6 WAA. Flotation test was found to overestimate seed viability at 6 WAA in both varieties. In TMS 98/0505, moisture content per seed significantly (p<0.01) declined from 0.80 g/seed to 0.50 g/seed as collection date was delayed from 6 WAA to 10 WAA. Moisture content was generally higher in TMS 95/0379 than TMS 98/0505. There was no interaction effect. The relationship between seed moisture content and seed viability was significant (p<0.001), and strongly linear (R²=0.89) and negative. There was no record of germination in the three-growth media which suggest that greater than one viable seed/fruit can be obtained before the formation of hard seed coat in TMS 98/0505 but methods that can germinate them needs to be developed.
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Claims 8
Claim · model-written summary
TMS 98/0505 viability increased from 0.50 at 6 WAA to 0.92 at 10 WAA.
- Taxon
- Cassava
Manihot esculentat0 - Material
- TMS 98/0505e0
- Outcome
- Seed viabilitye0
- Direction
- increasede0
- Value
- 0.92e0
- Qualifier
- 0.50e0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“Seed viability increased significantly (p<0.01) from approx. one seed/fruit (0.50) at 6 WAA to approx. all seeds per fruit (0.92) at 10 WAA in TMS 98/0505”
t0“Cassava”
Claim · model-written summary
TMS 95/0379 seed viability was zero at 6 WAA.
- Taxon
- CassavaManihot esculentat0
- Material
- TMS 95/0379e0
- Outcome
- seed viabilitye0
- Value
- 0e0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“In TMS 95/0379, seed viability was 0 at 6 WAA”
t0“Cassava”
Claim · model-written summary
Flotation overestimated viability at 6 WAA in both varieties.
- Taxon
- CassavaManihot esculentat0
- Outcome
- seed viabilitye0
- Direction
- overestimatee0
- Comparator
- both varietiese0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“Flotation test was found to overestimate seed viability at 6 WAA in both varieties”
t0“Cassava”
Claim · model-written summary
TMS 98/0505 seed moisture declined from 0.80 to 0.50 g/seed between 6 and 10 WAA.
- Taxon
- CassavaManihot esculentat0
- Material
- TMS 98/0505e0
- Outcome
- moisture content per seede0
- Direction
- declinede0
- Value
- 0.50 g/seede0
- Qualifier
- 0.80 g/seede0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“In TMS 98/0505, moisture content per seed significantly (p<0.01) declined from 0.80 g/seed to 0.50 g/seed as collection date was delayed from 6 WAA to 10 WAA”
t0“Cassava”
Claim · model-written summary
Moisture content was generally higher in TMS 95/0379 than TMS 98/0505.
- Taxon
- CassavaManihot esculentat0
- Material
- TMS 95/0379e0
- Outcome
- Moisture contente0
- Direction
- highere0
- Comparator
- TMS 98/0505e0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“Moisture content was generally higher in TMS 95/0379 than TMS 98/0505”
t0“Cassava”
Claim · model-written summary
The study found no interaction effect.
- Taxon
- CassavaManihot esculentat0
- Outcome
- interaction effecte0
- Direction
- noe0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“There was no interaction effect”
t0“Cassava”
Claim · model-written summary
Seed moisture and viability had a significant negative linear relationship with R²=0.89.
- Taxon
- CassavaManihot esculentat0
- Organ / stage
- seede0
- Outcome
- seed viabilitye0
- Direction
- negativee0
- Value
- R²=0.89e0
Not reportedCompound
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“relationship between seed moisture content and seed viability was significant (p<0.001), and strongly linear (R²=0.89) and negative”
t0“Cassava”
Claim · model-written summary
No seeds germinated in any of the three media.
- Taxon
- CassavaManihot esculentat0
- Treatment
- top soil, fine sand and moist filter papere1
- Outcome
- germinatione0
- Direction
- no record ofe0
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“There was no record of germination in the three-growth media”
e1“top soil, fine sand and moist filter paper”
t0“Cassava”
The same questions in other papers
growing medium · growth · Manihot esculenta (cassava)Positive and negative results
1 paper in the same direction as this paper · 4 in the opposite direction
- positive
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2 papers more in this group
See all 6 papers →Claims are grouped by organism, treatment and what was measured or targeted. A paper counts as positive when any of its claims in the group is positive.