Comparative Study on Seed Traits of Purple Flower Platycodon grandiflorum and White Flower Platycodon grandiflorum

[ Objective] The experiment aimed to carry out investigation and analysis on seed traits of white flower Platycodon grandiflorum and purple flower Platycodon grandif/orum. [Method] 13 white flower Plalycodon grandiflorumand purple flower Platycodon grandiflorumfrom China and foreign countrias were taken as research objects. Their seed traits such as seed length, seed width, thickness of seed and 1 000-grain weight were comparatively analyzed. [ Result] The average seed length, average seed width, average seed thickness and average 1 000-grain weight of white flower Platycodon grandiflorum were all smaller than these of purple flower Platycodon grandiflorum. The seed length of Korean white flower Platycodon grandiflorum was relatively longer and seed lengths of other white flower Platycodon grandiflorum were all shorter than these of purple flower Platycodon grandiflorum. The seed widths of white flower Platycodon grandiflorum were smaller than these of purple flower P/atycodon grandiflorum, except these of Korean white flower Platycodon grandiflorum, Heilongjiang Ning＇an and South Korean Jiangyuan. The 1 000-grain weights of white flower Platycodon grandiflorum were all smaller than these of purple flower Platycodon grandiflorum, except these of Korean Rajin and Sancheng white flower Platycodon grandiflorum. [ Conclusion] The result of this experiment provided reference for rational utilizations of purple flower Platycodon grandiflorum and white flower Platycodon grandiflorum.

Impacts of snow on seed germination are independent of seed traits and plant ecological characteristics in a temperate desert of Central Asia

Seed germination profoundly impacts plant community composition within the plant life cycle.Snow is an important source of water for seed germination in the temperate deserts of Central Asia.Understanding how seed germination responds to variations in snow cover in relation to seed traits and plant ecological characteristics can help predict plant community sustainability and stability in Central Asia under a scenario climate change.This study investigated the seed germination of 35 plant species common to the Gurbantunggut Desert in Central Asia under the three snow treatments:(1)snow addition;(2)ambient snow;and(3)snow removal.Two-way analysis of variance(ANOVA)tests were performed to assess interactions among the impacts of snow treatments,seed traits and plant ecological characteristics on seed germination.Phylogenetic generalized least-squares(PGLS)model was used to test the relationships between seed traits and seed germination.The results demonstrated that snow variations had no significant impacts on seed germination overall.Seed germination under the snow addition treatment was similar with that under the ambient snow treatment,irrespective of seed traits and plant ecological characteristics.Snow removal only had negative impacts on seed germination for certain groups of seed traits and plant ecological characteristics.Seed mass positively affected seed germination,showing a linear increase of arcsin square root-transformed seed germination with log-transformed seed mass.Seed shape also profoundly impacted seed germination,with a higher germination percentage for elongated and flat seeds.Seed germination differed under different plant life forms,with semi-shrub species showing a significantly higher germination percentage.Most importantly,although snow treatments,seed traits and plant ecological characteristics had no interactive effects on seed germination overall,some negative impacts from the snow removal treatment were detected when seeds were categorized on the basis of seed mass and shape.This result suggests that variations of snow cover may change plant community composition in this temperate desert due to their impacts on seed germination.

Variability in seed traits and genetic divergence in a clonal seed orchard of Dalbergia sissoo Roxb.

The variations in seed and pod traits, genetic superiority and genetic divergence were evaluated for a Clonal Seed Orchard （CSO） of Dalbergia sissoo Roxb. at Bithmera, India consisting of 20 clones from different agro-climatic conditions of four northern states （Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Haryana and Rajasthan）. The seeds and pods of various clones in the orchard exhibited significant variability in size, weight and other characters. Significant positive correlations were observed between seed length and seed width （p〈0.05）, seed length and sccd thickness （p〈0.01）, seed length and seed weight （p〈0.01）, seed thickness and seed weight （p〈0.01）, seed length and germination value （p〈0.05）. The ge- netic parameters for seed and pod traits also showed a wide range of variations in the orchard. Heritability values were found to be over 50 percent for most of ~e seed and pod traits. Seed weight, seed length and seed thickness showed high heritability values coupled with maximum genetic gain for these characters. Ward＇s minimum variance dendrogram of clones of D. sissoo showed three distinct clusters; cluster I was the largest with 12 better clones whereas cluster 2 and 3 consisting of seven moderate clones and one poor clone, respectively. Mean cluster values showed sufficient variation among the clusters for seed weight, germina- tion value and seed length. The possible hybridization between best clones of cluster I to the disease resistant clone of cluster 2 （resistant against deadly Gandoderma lucidum root rot disease of D. sissoo） is also suggested for further breeding programmes of the species. The deploy- ment of clone 194 （better performed and disease resistant） is also rec- ommended in future plantation programmes of D. sissoo in northern India.

Effects of wind speed,underlying surface,and seed morphological traits on the secondary seed dispersal in the Tengger Desert,China

The maintenance of sand-fixing vegetation is important for the stability of artificial sand-fixing systems in which seed dispersal plays a key role.Based on field wind tunnel experiments using 11 common plant species on the southeastern edge of the Tengger Desert,China,we studied the secondary seed dispersal in the fixed and semi-fixed sand dunes as well as in the mobile dunes in order to understand the limitations of vegetation regeneration and the maintenance of its stability.Our results indicated that there were significant variations among the selected 11 plant species in the threshold of wind speed(TWS).The TWS of Caragana korshinskii was the highest among the 11 plant species,whereas that of Echinops gmelinii was the lowest.Seed morphological traits and underlying surface could generally explain the TWS.During the secondary seed dispersal processes,the proportions of seeds that did not disperse(no dispersal)and only dispersed over short distance(short-distance dispersal within the wind tunnel test section)were significantly higher than those of seeds that were buried(including lost seeds)and dispersed over long distance(long-distance dispersal beyond the wind tunnel test section).Compared with other habitats,the mobile dunes were the most difficult places for secondary seed dispersal.Buried seeds were the easiest to be found in the semi-fixed sand dunes,whereas fixed sand dunes were the best sites for seeds that dispersed over long distance.The results of linear mixed models showed that after controlling the dispersal distance,smaller and rounder seeds dispersed farther.Shape index and wind speed were the two significant influencing factors on the burial of seeds.The explanatory power of wind speed,underlying surface,and seed morphological traits on the seeds that did not disperse and dispersed over short distance was far greater than that on the seeds that were buried and dispersed over long distance,implying that the processes and mechanisms of burial and long-distance dispersal are more complex.In summary,most seeds in the study area either did not move,were buried,or dispersed over short distance,promoting local vegetation regeneration.

Seed traits and taxonomic relationships determine the occurrence of mutualisms versus seed predation in a tropical forest rodent and seed dispersal system

Although many studies have been carried out on plant-animal mutualistic assemblages,the roles of function­al traits and taxonomy in determining both whether interactions involve mutualisms or predation and the struc­ture of such assemblages are unclear.We used semi-natural enclosures to quantitatively assess the interaction strengths between seeds of 8 sympatric tree species and 4 rodent species in a tropical forest in Xishuangban­na,Yunnan,Southwest China.We found 2 clusters of species in the seed-rodent network represented by 2 gen­era in the Fagaceae(Castanopsis,Lithocarpus).Compared to seeds of 3 Castanopsis species,seeds with heavy weight,hard coat or caloric content(including 3 Lithocarpus species)were eaten less and more frequently hoarded by rodents.In turn,hoarded seeds showed less predation and more mutualism with rodents.Our results suggest that seed traits significantly affected the hoarding behavior of rodents,and,consequently,the occurrence of mutualisms and predation as well as assemblage structure in the plant-animal seed dispersal system.Taxo­nomically-related species with similar seed traits as functional groups belong to the same substructures in the assemblage.Our results indicate that both seed traits and taxonomic relationships may simplify thinking about seed dispersal systems by helping to elucidate whether interactions are likely to be dominated by predation or mutualism.

Index selection on seed traits under direct,cytoplasmic and maternal effects in multiple environments

Crop seeds are important sources of protein, oil, and carbohydrates for food, animal feeds, and industrial products. Recently, much attention has been paid to quality and functional properties of crop seeds. However, seed traits possess some distinct genetic characteristics in comparison with plant traits, which increase the difficulty of genetically improving these traits. In this study, diallel analysis for seed models with genotype by environment interaction （GE） effect was applied to estimate the variance-covariance components of seed traits. Mixed linear model approaches were used to estimate the genetic covariances between pair-wise seed and plant traits. The breeding values （BV） were divided into two categories for the seed models. The first category of BV was defined as the combination of direct additive, cytoplasmic, and maternal additive effects, which should be utilized for selecting stable cultivars over multi-environments. The three genetic effects, together with their GE interaction, were included in the second category of BV for selecting special lines to be grown in specific ecosystems. Accordingly, two types of selection indices for seed traits, i.e., general selection index and interaction selection index, were developed and constructed on the first and the second category BV, respectively. These proposed selection indices can be applied to solve the difficult task of simultaneously improving multiple seed traits in various environments. Data of crop seeds with regard to four seed traits and four yield traits based on the modified diallel crosses in Upland cotton （Gossypium hirsutum L.） were used as an example for demonstrating the proposed methodology.

Seed traits and rodent community interact to determine seed fate:evidence from both enclosure and field experiments

Animal-mediated seed dispersal is an important ecological process in which a strong mutualism between animals and plants can arise.However,few studies have examined how a community of potential seed dispersers interacts with sympatric seed trees.We employed a series of experiments in the Qinling Mountains in both semi-natural enclosure and the field to assess the interactions among 3 sympatric rodent species and 3 Fagaceae tree seeds.Seed traits all showed similar tannin levels but markedly different physical traits and nutritional contents.We found that seeds with heavy weight,thick coat,and high nutritional contents were less likely to be eaten in situ but more often to be eaten after dispersal or hoarded by rodents.These results support both the handling time hypothesis and the high nutrition hypothesis.Surprisingly,we also found that rodents,maybe,preferred to consume seeds with low levels of crude fiber in situ,and to harvest and hoard those with high levels of crude fiber for later consumption.The sympatric rodent species,Cansumys canus,the largest rodent in our study,harvested and hoarded more Quercus variabilis seeds with high physical and nutritional traits,while Apodemus draco,the smallest rodent,harvested more Q.serrata seeds with low physical and nutritional traits,and Niviventer confucianus harvested and hoarded more Q.aliena seeds with medium physical and nutritional traits.Our study demonstrates that different seed traits play different roles in influencing the seed fate and the shaping of mutualism and predation interactions within a community of rodent species.

The effects of seed detectability and seed traits on hoarding preference of two rodent species

Seed traits play an important role in affecting seed preference and hoarding behaviors of small rodents.Despite greatly affected by seed traits,seed detectability of competitors represents pilfering risks and may also modify seed hoarding preference of animals.However,whether seed traits and seed detectability show consistent effects on seed hoarding preference of animals remain largely unknown.Here,we explored how seed traits and seed detectability correlate with seed hoarding preference of Leopoldamys edwardsi and Apodemus chevrieri in a subtropical forest.Despite the effects of seed coat thickness and caloric value on hoarding preference of L.edwardsi,we detected no significant effects of other seed traits on hording preference of the 2 rodent species.There was no correlation between larder-hoarding preference and inter-or intra-specific seed detectability of L.edwardsi;however,seed detectability of L.edwardsi was negatively correlated with its own scatter-hoarding preference.Although scatter-hoarding preference of A.chevrieri was not correlated with inter-and intra-specific seed detectability,larder-hoarding preference of A.chevrieri was positively correlated with intra-specific seed detectability.Our study may provide evidence that intra-specific seed detectability rather than seed traits and inter-specific pilfering risks play an important role in modifying seed hoarding preference of rodents.

Methods of Testing Seed and Seedling Physiological Traits for the Improvement of Rapeseed Yield Stability

The presented work is based on laboratory testing of seed germination speed, emergence and seedling growth under different stress conditions simulated by subnormal water revel, extreme high and low temperatures. It allows one to eliminate the plant materials （initial breeding materials and cultivars） which do not tolerate extreme temperatures and temperature changes during germination, have low water use efficiency and is intolerant to abiotic stressors all right at the seed level. It was confirmed that these genotypes also have poor t^eld emergence and initial root growth implications for further vegetation periods, mainly for over wintering and spring regeneration which has significant influence on the yield. The method also represents the tool for screening genetic resources with the resistance to the abiotic stressors and this technology process is also acceptable for other crops. The results confirm the importance of the seed and root characteristics for crop production. The deteriorating quality of soil in recent years, increasing variability of weather and long periods of drought directly support the need to intensify activities in this research. Obtained results also show the influence of seed quality characteristics on roots and above ground parts of the plant. A relationship exists also vice versa.

Identification of Quantitative Trait Loci Controlling Seed Physical and Nutrient Traits in Cotton

Cotton(Gossypium spp.) is the leading fiber crop,and an important source of the important edible oil and protein meals in the world.Complex genetics and strong environmental effects hinder

Identi cation of seed heat tolerance and its correlation with agronomic traits in Brassica napus L.

To better understand the effect of high temperature on seed viability, artificial aging treatments were implemented on 472 accessions of rapeseed (Brassica napus L.) by constant high temperature at 70℃for 8h. Results showed a remarkable impact of constant heat on seed germination. After heat treatment, considerable variation was found in seed germinability, some genotypes even lost the ability to germinate. The effect of accelerated aging was highly significant. Germination parameters varied among ecotypes. Seed viability varied with different origin, and was significantly and positively correlated with seed yield per plant and dry weight of aboveground parts per plant among 14 agronomic traits. Germination traits were positively correlated with oil contents.

基于Seed Identification软件的棉籽机器视觉快速精选

为了研究Seed Identification软件在棉花种子加工工艺和精选参数选择上应用的可行性,以鲁棉28酸脱绒棉籽为材料,通过扫描仪获取400粒棉籽的PNG图像,利用Seed Identification软件快速提取图像中棉籽的RGB、Lab、HSB、灰度、长度、宽度和投影面积等物理指标,通过卷纸发芽获得每颗幼苗鲜质量作为种子的活力指标,种子物理指标与种子活力的相关性分析表明:幼苗鲜质量与R、S、B(HSB)、b、宽度、长度、投影面积的相关系数均达到0.05显著水平。按R<90、S≤18、B(HSB)≤36、b≤4、宽度>4 mm、长度>7.2 mm、投影面积≥25 mm2对种子进行精选,发芽率可由原来的89%分别提高到96.1%、95.1%、95.1%、95.3%、93.1%、93.5%、94.4%,获选率分别为96.6%、99.2%、98.9%、97.8%、98.6%、97%、94.7%。验证试验将种子按以上指标精选后,发芽率分别为95.1%、95.1%、94.8%、94.8%、94.4%、94.4%、94.8%。该研究为基于机器视觉技术对脱绒棉种实施快速、有效精选提供了理论依据。

Variability in cone,seed and seedling characteristics of Pinus kesiya Royle ex.Gordon

Investigations were made to determine the nature and extent of variations present for 10 morphological characters of cone,seed and seedlings of 17 plus trees（PTs）of Pinus kesiya growing in eastern Himalayas（Meghalaya state） of India.The significant variations has been observed in cone weight,cone length,cone diameter,seed length,seed diameter,seed weight,number of seeds per cone,seed germination,seedling height and seedling collar diameter among different PTs of the species.Significant positive correlation（p ／ 0.01） between seed weight,cone length and cone diameter showed that seed weight in P.kesiya depend more on the cone size.Seed germination is found positively correlated（p ／ 0.01） with seed weight,seed diameter,cone size and number of seeds per cone in the study.Among geographical factors,latitude and altitude are found positively correlated（p ／ 0.05） with cone weight and seed diameter,respectively.The genetic parameters for seed,cone and seedlings of PTs of P.kesiya also showed a wide range of variability in terms of variance,coefficient of variability,broad sense heritability,genetic advance and genetic gain.Seed weight,seeds per cone and seedling diameter showed high heritability values（[75） coupled with maximum genetic gain.Traits with such values indicate the presence of good amount of heritable additive components and are under strong genetic control.The findings of the study revealed that PTs expressed both phenotypic and genotypic differences in the seed,cone and seedling characters,which may be attributed to the differences in genetic makeup of various PTs and environmental factors i.e.genotypic and environmental interaction.The presence of high variability in P.kesiya PTs for different characters provide further opportunities to improve the population in subsequent generations so as to establish this species as an important timber tree to be grown on less fertile and degraded soils in its distributional ranges.

Variation in cone and seed characters in blue pine (Pinus wallichiana) across natural distribution in western Himalayas

We analyzed 17 seed sources （seed stands） ofPinus wallichiana for variations present in cone and seed characters, scattered over natural distribution in north-west Himalayan states （Uttarakhand and Himachal Pradesh） of India. The significant variations were observed in cone weight, cone length, cone width, seed length, seed width, seed weight, seed germination, radicle length, and plumule length among different seed sources of the species. Significant positive correlation between seed weight, cone weight and cone width showed that seed weight in the species depend more on the cone size. Seed germination was also positively correlated with seed weight, cone weight and radicle length in the study. The estimates of variability with regard to genetic parameters for seed weight, seed germination, cone length, cone width, cone weight showed wide range of variation in the study. Seed weight showed high heritability values coupled with maximum genetic gain. Traits with such values indicate presence of good amount of heritable additive components and are under strong genetic control. The findings of the study revealed that seed sources expressed both phenotypic and genotypic differences in the seed and cone traits which might be due to the differences in genetic make up of various seed sources and environmental factors i,e. genotypic and environmental interaction, The study suggests that the seed weight should be given the top priority for the further improvement of this species.

Single-seed sowing increased pod yield at a reduced seeding rate by improving root physiological state of Arachis hypogaea

Double-seed sowing(two seeds per hole)is the dominant pattern of peanut sowing in China,but within-hole plant competition usually limits their growth and yield formation.Besides,the traditional double-seed sowing method does not facilitate mechanization during sowing.The objective of this study was to determine if single-seed sowing at a proper seeding rate yielded better than traditional double-seed sowing pattern and the differences of physiological metabolism of roots.A field experiment was conducted in two consecutive years to compare pod yields of single-seed sowing at 180000(S180),225000(S225),and 270000 seeds ha^-1(S270)with that of double-seed sowing at 270000 seeds ha^-1(D270)using a completely randomized block design with four replications.And the root bleeding sap rate,nutrient content,and the main hormone contents in root bleeding sap were also comparatively investigated.Although the pod yields of single-seed sowing at the three densities were higher than that of traditional double-seed sowing(D270),S225 yielded better than the other two single-seed sowing treatments(S180 and S270).The increased pod yield in single-seed sowing at 225000 seeds ha^-1 was mainly due to the higher pod dry weight per plant and harvest index.The improved pod dry weight and shoot growth had closely relationship with the enhanced root physiological traits such as the increased root bleeding sap rate,content of free amino acids,soluble sugars,K^+,Mg^2+,Zn^2+,and Ca^2+of the individual plant root.The improved activity of root reductive,nitrate reductase(NR)and ATPase and higher zeatin and zeatin riboside(Z+ZR)content of root bleeding sap were alsocrucial to the pod and shoot growth of peanut.Single-seed sowing at a moderate seeding rate(S225)is a potential practice to increase pod yield and to save seed cost.

Identification of QTLs for seed storability in rice under natural aging conditions using two RILs with the same parent Shennong 265

Seed storability （SS） is an important trait for agronomic production and germplasm preservation in rice （Oryza sativa L.）. Quantitative trait locus （QTL） for seed storability in three storage periods was identified using two sets of recombinant inbred lines （RILs） derived from the crosses with a colnmon female parent Shennong 265 （SN265）. Ten QTLs for seed storability were detected on chromosomes 1, 2, 3, 4, 6, 8, and 12in SL-RILs （SN265/Lijiangxingtuanheigui （LTH））, and a total of 12 QTLs were identified on chromosomes 2, 3, 4, 6, 9, and 10 in SH-RILs （SN265/Luhui 99 （LH99））in different storage periods. Among these QTLs, five major QTLs were identified in more than one storage period. The qSS3-1, qSS3-2, qSS12-1, and qSS12-2 were detected in SL-RILs. Similarly, qSS2-2, qSS2-3, qSS6-2, qSS6-3, qSS6-4, qSS9-1, and qSS9-2 were detected in SH-RILs. In addition, the maximum phenotypic variation was derived from the qSS6-1 and qSS9-2, explaining 53.58 and 29.09%, respectively, while qSS6-1 was a new stable QTL for seed storability. These results provide an opportunity for pyramiding and map-based cloning major QTLs for seed storability in rice.

The effects of grain texture and phenotypic traits on the thin-layer drying rate in maize(Zea mays L.) inbred lines

To explore the relation of maize grain texture and phenotypic traits with grain thin-layer drying rate,we observed the ultra-structure of maize grain,and tested three traits about the maize grain texture and four phenotypic traits.The vitreous part percentage was different（P〈0.05） among different maize inbred lines.There was a significant relationship between the drying rate with grain texture and phenotypic traits.Main factors that influenced the drying rate were different during different drying stages.New results observed that empirical constants（k and N） in drying equation were different for seed of the 30 inbred lines of maize.The k of simplified diffusion equation and N of page equation were significantly influenced by both grain texture and phenotypic traits.These results could be used as guideline parameters for drying maize seeds having different grain characteristics during different drying stages.

Effects of Plasma Treatment of Maize Seeds (No.2-Zhunuo) on the Biological Properties and Yield

The plasma seed processor was used to treat maize seeds (No.2-Zhunuo), and the effects of plasma treatment of the maize seeds on the biological properties and yield were studied by different doses (250 mA - 2000 mA). The results showed that the effect of plasma treatment on the biological characters of maize was different, and the plant characters and yield of maize in the eight groups of plasma treatment were significantly higher than that of untreated (CK), especially the treatment current (dose) of 1500 mA, 1250 mA, and 750 mA, respectively, which had significant changes in the effect of maize plant traits. From the yield point of view, the top two are: plasma dose 1500 mA, and 1250 mA. The plasma doses of 750 mA, 1000 mA, and 1500 mA were selected from the fruit number of maize. The disease resistance of treated maize is also better than that of untreated maize (CK). In a word, the yield, plant traits, and disease resistance of maize seeds can be improved to different extent by different doses of plasma.

Distribution of the Classification Traits in the F_2 Progeny of Two Crosses of indica/japonica in Rice (Oryza sativa)

Comparison of seed setting rate, plant height and Cheng's morphological traits were made between the F_2 progeny of indica-japonica hybrids, 02428/Pei'ai 64 and Taichung 65/Teqing. There existed resemblance normal distribution in plant height, and the distribution had no relationship with the seed setting rate and plant height in F_1 progeny, suggesting that there were no gametic selection for the plant height in the F_2 progeny of indica-japoniea hybrids. An average seed setting rate of the F_2 was equal to the F_1 populations in the recombination of 02428/Pei'ai 64 in which there was an excellent cross compatibility, but the remarkable increase in the seed setting rate from the F_1 to F_2 in Taichung 65/Teqing, indicating that gametic selection only took place in the indica-japonica crosses with low cross compatibility while null or little in the hybrids with high compatibility. There were many intermediate types among the leaf pubescence, color of hull at heading, and length of the first and second panicle internode, and these Cheng's morphological traits was distributed normally; there were also a little intermediate types in hull hairness and phenol reaction with bi-peak distribution; while length to width ratio of grain was inclined to the japonica types obviously showing a skewed distribution in the F2 population. Although Cheng's morphological traits in F_2 populations had inconsistent distribution types, Cheng's morphological traits index showed normal distribution, which suggested that intermediate types, i.e. indicalinous or japonicalinous, were primary in F_2 population.

不同油茶品系果实、种子及砧木性状差异及其相关性分析

【目的】研究不同油茶品系间果实性状、种子性状及砧木性状的差异,并对果实、种子及砧木性状各指标间的相关关系进行分析,为油茶优良砧木的选育研究提供理论依据。【方法】测定不同油茶品系果实性状、种子性状及砧木性状18项指标,通过单因素方差分析研究不同油茶品系间的果实、种子及砧木性状的差异,筛选出综合表现较好的油茶品系;运用相关分析得出18项指标间的相关关系,选出与砧木性状相关性较强的指标。【结果】不同油茶品系间单果质量、果实纵径、果实横径、果实纵横比、果皮厚、果实籽数及籽质量均存在极显著差异,22个油茶品系单果质量为15.71~35.99 g,果实纵径为29.81~40.17 mm,果实横径为29.06~39.99mm,果形指数为0.85~1.28,果皮厚为1.85~4.19mm,果实籽数为2.20~9.67粒。不同油茶品系间单种质量、种纵径、种横径、种侧径、纵横比、横侧比、纵侧比均存在极显著差异,22个油茶品系单种质量为1.07~4.26 g,种子纵径为16.98~27.40 mm,种子横径为13.17~23.12 mm,种侧径为9.00~16.93 mm。不同油茶品系间上胚轴长、下胚轴长、上胚轴粗、下胚轴粗均存在极显著差异,22个油茶品系上胚轴长为5.38~9.08 cm,上胚轴粗为1.72~2.97 mm,下胚轴长为14.35~23.97 cm,下胚轴粗为1.80~3.14 mm。砧木性状中上胚轴长与果实横径、单种质量、种侧径及果实纵径的相关性较大,下胚轴长与种纵径、种侧径、果实纵径及果实籽数的相关性较大,上胚轴粗与单果质量、果实纵径、单种质量、种纵径、种横径、种侧径均呈极显著正相关,下胚轴粗与果实纵横比、果实纵径呈显著正相关。【结论】综合果实、种子及砧木性状各指标筛选出适合作优良砧木的油茶品系为赣无2、赣石83-4、长林53号、GLS赣州油1号。砧木性状中4个指标均与果实纵径呈极显著、显著正相关或相关性较大,故可从以上4个适合作优良砧木的油茶品系中选择果实纵径相对较大的果实进行砧木培育。