Annual Report of Progress
to the
MISSISSIPPI SOYBEAN PROMOTION BOARD
for 1996

Objective

Determine if the cool test and or cold test can provide a more accurate appraisal of seed vigor and seedling establishment in early maturity soybean seeds.

Significant Accomplishments

Field experiments were conducted in the spring of 1996 at the Black Belt Branch Experiment Station, Delta Branch Experiment Station, and Brown Loam Branch Experiment Station. The three locations were selected for evaluating seedling emergence of all early maturity soybeans in the Variety Trials Test. Tests were replicated by use of a randomized complete block design.

Laboratory evaluations were conducted on the same seed material used in planting the early maturity Variety Trials Test at the three locations. The cold test uses cold wet soils for evaluation in the assessment of seed quality. Soils may exhibit excessive pathogenic activity and may result in erratic test results. The cool test was chosen to provide les s demanding yet sufficiently severe test conditions to enable the separation of vigorous from less vigorous seeds. The cool test procedure is established for cotton and prescribes a 18C temperature essential for the test. Preliminary tests indicated that the 18C temperature were not severe enough for soybean seeds. A trial test had to be conducted to identify a temperature to enable the separation of vigor levels. Test results indicated that a temperature of 16C would provide for this needed separation. Additional data will be needed in order to calculate a meaningful correlation between field establishment and cool test.

I am requesting an extension of this project. This extension will allow for the needed data to be collected under planting field conditions in 1997. Again three locations will be selected for determining field emergence of all early maturity soybeans subm itted for evaluation in the Variety Trial Tests. Laboratory data will be collected and the two years data will be analyzed. This will provide variability over years and enable a better predictability of the cool test to providing information to the farmer .

 A budget to accomplish this additional data collection in 1997 is provided in appendix B.

Soybeans in Mississippi Mississippi Agricultural and Forestry Experiment Station  Mississippi State University Extension Service Division of Agriculture, Forestry and Veterinary Medicine

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