1 research outputs found
Seed quality of high protein corn lines in low input and conventional farming systems
Seed quality is a major issue for crop establishment especially in low input
farming systems, where varieties often grow under more stressful conditions
than in conventional farming systems. Corn (Zea mays L.) seed for organic
(low input) production will eventually need to be grown organically, thus
research is needed to ensure excellent seed quality in organic corn seed
production. The objective of this study was to compare seed quality and
composition differences between a group of high protein corn genotypes grown
under low input and conventional farming systems, and to compare the
relative seed quality of these genotypes to two well known inbreds, B73 or
Mo17. Twenty high protein breeding genotypes were planted during two growing
seasons in conventional and organic nurseries near Ames, Iowa, to produce
seeds for laboratory tests. The germination, saturated cold, accelerated
aging, and soak test percentages of seeds produced organically were 5 to
11% lower than for seeds produced conventionally. Protein, measured by
near-infrared reflectance, was unaffected by the production location, but
the oil content of seeds produced organically was significantly higher
(between 0.2 and 0.3% higher) than in the conventional system. Location
by genotype interactions for most tests were non significant both years,
indicating that genotypes selected for high seed quality in a conventional
system will also have high seed quality when grown in a low input, organic
system