Interrelationships of seed reserve utilization components in desi cotton (Gossypium arboreum)

Abstract

Seedling growth is considered as a product of two components, namely, amount of seed reserve mobilized or seed reserve depleted (SRD) and conversion efficiency of mobilized seed reserve to seedling tissue or seed reserve utilization efficiency (mg seedling dry weight /mg seed reserve depleted). Studies on genetic variation and relationships among seed reserve and other standard seedling vigor traits such as seedling dry weight, rate/speed of germination, germination uniformity etc. in a few major crops [1, 2] indicated that utilization efficiency of seed reserve is a trait independent of the standard seedling vigour traits. Among the seed reserve parameters, total reserve depletion as well as reserve depleted per gm seed have been reported to decrease under moisture and salinity stress but seed reserve utilization efficiency was unaffected and the trait has been observed to be under genetic control [3, 4].