Wheat Seeds Tolerance to Water Stress

B.Sc. Edmund Melusi Makowa, BSc

Master's thesis

Abstract:

Wheat is traditionally an important crop in the Czech Republic. It has now become evident thatin Central Europe, climate change probably increases the frequency of water stress conditions.Hence, the need to enhance the adaptive capacity of crop production. This research reviewsexisting knowledge on wheat seed development, its ability to germinate and tolerate moisturestress conditions as a function of seed vigour. The hypothesis is “It is possible to select stresstolerant seed lots by the detailed seed testing in stress conditions”. The practical part of theresearch were laboratory experiments conducted at the Faculty of Agrobiology, Food andNatural Resources of the Czech University of Life Sciences in Prague. Eight wheat cultivarsnamely Genius, Annie, Matchball, Turandot, Hyfi, Tobak, Bohemia and Julie were chosen forthis study to evaluate performance during seed germination and coleoptile emergence.Following the International Seed Testing Association (ISTA) rules, seed lots were prepared infour replications of 100 seeds per seed lot. Seed lots were subjected to two bed moisture levels:higher dose 30 ml (optimal) and lower dose 20 ml (stressed variant) of tap water at twoincubation temperatures of 20 °C and 15 °C (set in the climabox). The germination parametersevaluated were germination percentage (TG), germination energy (GE), mean germination time(MGT) and coleoptile emergence (COL). Results were statistically evaluated. The differencebetween a higher dose of moisture and the lower variant did not have a significant effect ontotal germination in 5 out of the 8 seed lots assessed: Genius, Annie, Turandot Hyfi and Julie.There were slightly significant differences between germination percentage in Bohemia, Tobakand Matchball. Bohemia showed maximum germination values (100%) in all interactions ofmoisture and temperatures. However, at 15 °C germination energy was slower, as it were in allcultivars. Under the influence of 15 °C and 20 ml, Annie showed the least germination values(92%). Although Bohemia had the best response, gemination energy was significantly slowerat 15 °C than 20 °C. Mean germination time varied between cultivars. Coleoptile emergencewas significantly affected by aberrant temperature rather than moisture differences. Inconclusion, the hypothesis was accepted on the premise that cultivars performed differently.Aberrant temperature significantly reduced germination energy and coleoptile emergence morethan bed moisture differences.

Keywords

germination, vigour, wheat seeds, water stress, tolerance

Language used: English

Date on which the thesis was submitted / produced: 20. 7. 2020

Thesis defence

• Supervisor: Ing. Kateřina Pazderů, Ph.D.

Czech University of Life Sciences Prague

Faculty of Agrobiology, Food and Natural Resources

Master programme / field:
Sustainable Agriculture and Food Security / Sustainable Agriculture and Food Security