Seed filling and oil accumulation in noug [Guizotia abyssinica (L.F.) Cass.]

Abstract

A field experiment was carried out to study the pattern, rate and duration of seed dry weight (SDW) and oil accumulation in two improved noug varieties during 1995 and 1996. Seeds from uniformly flowered heads were harvested manually seven days after anthesis initiation (DAAI) and continued for 60 days with four days interval. Thousand seed weight and percent oil content were determined for each harvest. The study shows that the extended reproductive period in noug could be well shortened by selecting plants with determinate or semi-determinate growth habit without affecting seed and oil yield. Plants with determinate or semi-determinate growth habit are, hence, morphological ideotypes to look for in noug improvement.

Key words/phrases: Guizotia abyssinica, oil accumulation, noug, seed dry weight accumulation

SINET: Ethiopian Journal of Science Vol.27(1) 2004: 25-32