Influence of cereal seed size on shoot and root length

During the years 1996 and 1997, researches on the influence of winter wheat , spring barley and spring oats seed size on shoot and root length were car ried out in the laboratory of the Faculty of Agriculture in Osijek (Croatia ). During the research on four calibrations (three seed fractions as follow s: 2.8; 2.5 and 2.2 mm of diameter and unsieved seed being used as a contro l), it was found that large seeds had the longest shoot, whereas small seed s resulted in the shortest shoot. According two years average, the seed fra ctions of 2.8 mm have the highest values of shoot length by all cereals as follows: winter wheat 71.4 mm, spring barley 92.1 mm and spring oat 82.9 mm . Also, the lowest values of shoot length were attained with small seed (se ed fractions of 2.2 mm) by all tested cereals: winter wheat 48.3 mm, spring barley 48.1 mm and spring oat 64.0 mm. The differences found in shoot leng th between seed fractions with all cereals are statistically highly signifi cant (P < 0.01). Similar results were also achieved with the seed size influence on root len gth. The largest seeds had the highest values of root length, also the smal lest one had the shortest root, with all tested cereals. According to two y ear average, the seed fractions of 2.8 mm have the highest values of root l ength as follows: winter wheat 131.9 mm, spring barley 182.2 mm and spring oat 97.4 mm. Also, the lowest values of root length were attained with smal l seed (seed fractions of 2.2 mm): winter wheat 102.6 mm, spring barley 120 .7 mm and spring oat 79.4 mm. The differences found in root length between seed fractions by all cereals are statistically highly significant (P < 0.0 1).