Review on effect of seed size on seedling vigour and seed yield

Abstract

Seed size is an important physical indicator of seed quality that affects vegetative growth and is frequently related to yield, market grade factors and harvest efficiency. Genetic variation is the cause for variation in size of seed between varieties. Based on size, the seeds are classified as very large, large, medium, small and very small. This variation is due to flow of nutrients into the seed at the mother plant. Since seed coat and embryonic axis are the first to develop in a seed within a pod and accumulation of food reserve is occur later one. This variation is exerted in size, later on, on mobilization of food reserve to growing seedling. It has been reflected in many crop species and many varieties. A wide array of different effects of seed size has been reported for seed germination, emergence and related agronomic aspects in many crop species. Generally, large seed has better field performance than small seed. © 2014 Academic Journals Inc.