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Embryo Drying Rates during the Acquisition of Desiccation Tolerance in Maize Seed

^a Colegio de Postgraduados (IREGEP), Montecillo Edo. de Mexico, 56230, Mexico
^b Burris Consulting, 1707 Burnett Ave. Ames, IA, 50010

View larger version (24K): [in a new window]   Fig. 1. Decreases in whole seed and embryo moisture content under the preconditioning (PC) drying conditions of seed harvested at: (A) 550, (B) 500, (C) 400, and (D) 320 g H2O kg-1 fw. Preconditioning phase denotes PC times for seed transfer to fluidized bed; MC = moisture content; Bars = standard error of the mean.

View larger version (25K): [in a new window]   Fig. 2. Decreases in intact seed and embryo moisture contents under field maturation-drying conditions. Pollination occurred about July 21 and samples were taken at irregular intervals from August to September. MC = moisture content; Bars = standard error of the mean.

View larger version (22K): [in a new window]   Fig. 3. Decreases in whole seed and embryo moisture content of seed harvested at: (A) 550, (B) 500, (C) 400, and (D) 320 g H2O kg-1 fw and subjected to fluidized bed (FB) drying without preconditioning. MC = moisture content; Bars = standard error of the mean.

View larger version (31K): [in a new window]   Fig. 4. Decreases in whole seed and embryo moisture content of seed harvested at (A) 550 and (B) 400 g H2O kg-1 fw under fluidized bed (FB) drying but having been preconditioned for 48 and 24 h, respectively, before FB. MC = moisture content; Bars = standard error of the mean.

View larger version (28K): [in a new window]   Fig. 5. Electrical conductivity (COND), standard germination (SGT), and accelerated aging (AA) tests of seed harvested at (A) 550, (B) 500, (C) 400, and (D) 320 g H2O kg-1 fw and subjected to preconditioning (PC) drying times before fluidized bed (FB) drying. Bars = standard error of the mean.

View larger version (171K): [in a new window]   Fig. 6. Hypothetical representation of maize seed drying on the ear, A) in an early stage of seed development, seed compaction will restrict air movement to the seed surface (endospermic area); B) with maturation or moisture loss space between seed is opened and air is able to reach lower levels. Arrows indicate space between seeds and curved arrows indicate dry air circulation.

View larger version (176K): [in a new window]   Fig. 7. Hypothetical model of water loss of an individual shelled maize seed, A) evaporation of water from seed surface; B) water migration from internal tissue as maturation drying progresses (Bar = 80 µm); C and D) water movement to intercellular space early during drying and more advanced drying stage (notice the alignment of lipid bodies along the plasma membrane). Arrows denote water movement; Bar = 2 µm.