EFFECT OF GRAIN-SIZE ON THE SEED VALUE, YIELD QUANTITY AND QUALITY IN WHEAT

The effect of grain size was studied at Keszthely on Ramann's brown forest soil between 1987 and 1990 with variety Mv-4 for the initial development, yield quantity and bakery quality of wheat. The field observations were completed with laboratory analyses. The laboratory analyses proved that wheat grains with central (widest) diameter of 2,2-2,5 mm develop into seedlings with diminished mass. The results of 4-year field trials demonstrated that plants having developed from seeds with 2,2-2,5 mm sizes are left behind in initial development, leaf area and yield quantity by those emerged from larger seed fraction. In bakery quality no difference was observed depending on seed size. It is advisable to grade also the seeds based on the central diameter, because the seed value of the tested wheat variety with 41 g thousand-grain-mass may be increased by grading out the fraction smaller than 2,5 mm.