Variation of morphological and physiological traits of maize hybrid seed over growing locations

Abstract

Physiological and morphological traits of seed and their variability in dependence on the growing location were studied in 2014. The analyses were carried out on hybrid seed of three commercial hybrid combinations produced in three locations. The following seed traits were observed under laboratory conditions: germination energy, total germination and 1000-seed weight. The highest, i.e. lowest values of germination and germination energy were recorded in the hybrid H3, i.e. H1, respectively. The greatest 1000-seed weight was detected in the hybrid H3. With regard to the growing location, the highest values of germination and germination energy were recorded in the location B (97.166%), while the location A was most suitable for the expression of 1000-seed weight. The greatest 1000-seed weight amounted to 394.67 g. The hybrid combination  location interaction significantly affected all three traits. The highest energy and germination were recorded in the hybrid H1 in the location B. The hybrid combination H2 and the location C had the highest effect on 1000-seed weight. This trait mostly varied in the hybrid combination H3 in the location C. Average values of germination energy, total germination and 1000-seed weight very significantly depended on the hybrid combination and the growing location