| Budget Amount *help |
¥3,400,000 (Direct Cost: ¥3,400,000)
Fiscal Year 2000: ¥500,000 (Direct Cost: ¥500,000)
Fiscal Year 1999: ¥2,900,000 (Direct Cost: ¥2,900,000)
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| Research Abstract |
(1) Of adzuki bean and related species tested, rice bean ( Vigna umbellata) and green gram ( V.radiata) absorbed water more quickly than adzuki bean, while black gram ( V.mungo) and Yabutsuru-adzuki ( V.angularis var. nipponensis) produced hard seeds of 33 to 56%. However, a site of initial water entry was confirmed in all species to be essentially strophiole, a very small bulge located near one end of hilum, from data of water absorption tests after sealing strophiole.
(2) From the results of water absorption test for adzuki bean seeds of 91 cultivars and lines including foreign materials, the initial water absorption rate varied widely (2-82% after 4h-soaking). Although these differences became small with time, the final water absorption rate (after 36h-soaking) of seeds was positively related to initial water content, seed weight, and maturity (r=0.456^<***>,0.368^<***>, and 0.598^<***>, respectively).
(3) Seed morphology of adzuki bean was periodically investigated using a common microscopic observation method. Strophiole reached 90% of its full size at 9 days after flowering. Beneath the palisade layer of completed strophiole were parenchyma cells containing lignin-like substances and a line (raphe) ran in the center of surface.
(4) Plants harvested at maturity were threshed by hand and by a small thresher with varied operating times. Then, seeds were tested for water absorption and observed for strophiole surface using a SEM.The stronger mechanical impact on seeds was the faster seeds absorbed water. The extent was consistent with the degree of raphe separation. These findings indicate that water absorption of adzuki bean could be controlled by the state of raphe.
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