| Research Abstract |
Head Investigator, Maeda has reported the very long unshelled-seed longevity of groundnut more than 20 years, storaged under the dry, ca. 20-30% in relative humidity, and consealed container in room temperature, and he suggested the role of pericarp in this facts. Agro- and moropho-physiological studies on the pericarp had done and some new informations were obtained as follows : (1)Long-term unshelled-seed longevity, storaged 29-1 yeares, in 96 cultivars (187 cvs. in total of repeated experiments of 2 subspecies, was tested and recognized again a superior seed longevity of the cvs. of ssp.fastigiata compared with the cvs. of ssp.hypogaea. It was suggested that to clarlify the micro-environment and beheavior of gas, including vapor, in the space between pericarp and seed of the cured mature fruit during storage, is useful means to explain the physical mechanism of above-mentioned long-term seed longevity. (2)A remarkable "lag-time" in the water absorption by paricarp and seed was obserbed only in cultivar of ssp. hypogaea, which has thicker pericarp and large seed, and more instant water intake of water by the seed through the thinner pericarp of cultivar of ssp. fastigiata.
And contrary, more quick water release through the pericarp by the seed of fresh mature fruit was occurred in the latter cultivar. (3)Well-developed inter-cellular space, which was seemed to be lysigenous origin of parenchyma of mesocarp, was noted in relation to the function of water and gas movement during the curing, and also germination by the fruit of this geocarpic legume species. (4)Planting by the "HANZAYA", that is, a fruit broken into two parts, was proved as a method to save the labor of seed preparation of groundnut, both small and large seeded cultivars.
|
