Relationships between Seed Testing Traits, field Emergence and seed yield of sesame (sesamun indicum l.) Under different Plant population environments

Abstract

Relationships between variables of seed testing traits and field emergence as well as seed yield of 14 indigenous sesame genotypes were tested at three plant population densities. Seed samples were taken from different harvests to conducts seed quality tests in the laboratory and to determine field emergence and seed yield under the three plant population densities. The results indicated that significant differences existed among the genotypes for all traits examined except emergence rate index. Genotypes 530-6-1,69B-88Z, 530-3 and C-K-2 appeared to have good seed quality and high seed yield. Coefficients of correlation between field emergence or seed yield and seed testing traits differed for the three plant population densities. Seed germination, seedling vigour index, excess water stress germination (EWSG) and plumule length were positively correlated with field emergence at low plant density of 133,3333 plant ha¹ while at high population densities of 266,667 plant ha¹ seedling vigour index had high and positive correlation with field emergence. Results of regression coefficients showed that 1000-seed weight as the best contributor to the regression equation, accounting for 36% of variation in field emergence and 13% for seed yield per plant. However, the contributions of other seed testing traits to field emergence were significant but reduced the variations from 8 to 1%. From this, it appears that prediction of seed yield of sesame from seed testing traits in the laboratory is more difficult than field emergence and found to be inefficient for both traits.