A comparison of seed cleaning techniques for improving quality of eastern gamagrass seed

Air screen cleaners (ASC) are not efficient in separating complete seed uni ts from incomplete seed units of eastern gamagrass [Tripsacum dactyloides ( L.) L.]. A study was conducted to determine the feasibility of utilizing tw o seed cleaning apparatus, an air fractionating aspirator (AFA) and a gravi ty separator (GS), to improve seed quality of eastern gamagrass that was in itially cleaned with an ASC. Three lots of eastern gamagrass seed harvested in 1992, 1993 and 1995 were separated into four fractions by an AFA and a GS separated one lot into two fractions. Fraction one from the GS and fract ions one and two from the AFA increased per cent seed fill and percent germ ination as compared to the other fractions and control. Fractions three and four from the AFA and fraction two from the GS were found to have low germ ination potential. Both the AFA and GS were effective in improving seed qua lity of eastern gamagrass lots used in this study.