Random ear samples were collected, to obtain ears with moisture
percentages ranging from
approximately 50 to 20vo, and dried to l2vo moisture at
35"C, 40'C, 45"C, and 50"C.
Inbred parents were found to differ in tolerance to
high drying temperatures.
4632 was the most tolerant to high drying temperatures
whereas 873 and MolT were relatively intolerant.
Field performance of dried seed
was similar to that observed in laboratory tests.
combined analyses yielded significant
inbred-parent by harvest-moisture by drying-temperature interactions for
germination and cold-test emergence percentages.
These interactions do not allow
for simple recommendations of safe harvest moistures and drying temperatures.
components from the combined analysis that had a P>F of 0.30 or less were then
used to predict mean values for A632, B73, and MolT germination, cold-test
emergence, seedling dry weight and the ratio of shoot to root dry weight.
Values
for the ratio variable indicated that root development is more susceptible to injury
than is shoot development.
These predicted values provide seed producers with
information on the quality responses that they could expect when seed of A632,
B73, or MolT is harvested at different moisture contents and dried at different
drying temperatures.