A New Cheap and Efficient Single-Grain Shatter Tester for Use in Rice Breeding
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Date
2011
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Crop science
Abstract
Grain shattering, also called grain shedding, is
the relative ease with which rice (Oryza sativa
L.) seed is dislodged from the pedicel at maturity.
Several qualitative methods have been
used to assess grain shattering and they tend
to underestimate yield loss. Equipments available
for quantitative assessment of grain shattering
are mostly laboratory based. However,
a recently developed prototype in Japan for
fi eldwork can be used, but the cost is prohibitive.
An improved grain-shattering tester that
uses a hand-held device has been developed
and reported here. It is an improvement over
the stationary laboratory device. It has the following
modifi cations: a crocodile clip instead of
a bench clamp and a helical spring for testing
tensile material instead of tension gauge. The
new device is affordable, handy for fi eldwork,
and effective for large experimental trials. This
equipment was designed and developed at the
University of KwaZulu-Natal (UKZN) mechanical
workshop (Pietmeritzburg, South Africa).
Its effi ciency was tested at the National Crops
Resources Research Institute (NaCRRI) at Namulonge,
Uganda. The effi ciency was tested by
fi rst estimating yield loss in selected test plants
using a method that involves shaking panicles.
This fi nding was compared with the minimum
force required to dislodge the grains using
this new device and a high correspondence of
R2 = 99.9% was found. This new equipment has
therefore been recommended for fi eld assessment
of grain shattering.
Description
Keywords
Cheap, Single-Grain Shatter Tester, Rice Breeding
Citation
Lamo, J., Tongoona, P., Okori, P., Derera, J., Hendricks, R., & Laing, M. (2011). A New Cheap and Efficient Single‐Grain Shatter Tester for Use in Rice Breeding. Crop science, 51(2), 651-655. doi: 10.2135/cropsci2010.05.0267