• KOREAN JOURNAL OF CROP SCIENCE
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• v.49 no.5
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• pp.373-380
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• 2004

The production of sweet (su) and super sweet corns (sh2) has been economically feasible in Korea in recent years. Major factors limiting super sweet corn production are low germination and low seedling vigor. Since seed quality is closely related to seed maturity, the optimum harvest time for the seed production of sweet and super sweet corns was studied and the quality of seeds with varying maturities was investigated in 2001 and 2002 cropping seasons. The parents of the sweet corn seeds were Hybrid Early Sunglow and 'Golden Cross Bantam 70' and those of super sweet corn were Xtrasweet 82 and 'For­tune'. Seeds were harvested at 21, 28, 35, 42, 49, and 56 days after silking (DAS). As the seeds developed, seed weight of sweet corn increased and the seed moisture content decreased faster than that of super sweet corn. Germination rates of sweet corn seeds harvested 21 and 28 DAS at $25^{\circ}C$ and emergence rates in the cold soil test were significantly lower than those of seeds harvested after 42 DAS in both years. Although the germination rates of super sweet corn seeds with varying maturities showed similar patterns as sweet corn seeds at $25^{\circ}C$, the emergence rate of super sweet corn seeds in cold soil test continuously increased with seed maturity. This suggests that seed quality of super sweet corn should be tested in a cold soil test to estimate field emergence. As the seeds developed, leakage of total sugars and electrolytes from the both sweet and super sweet corn seeds decreased up to 42 or 49 DAS. The $\alpha-amylase$ activities of both sweet and super sweet corn seeds increased with seed maturity from 21 to 35 or 49 DAS depending on genotype and year. The optimum harvest time for the seed production of sweet corn was 42 DAS and 49 DAS for super sweet corn considering emergence rate and plumule dry weight in the cold soil test, leakage of sugars and electrolytes from the seeds, and $\alpha-amylase$ activity.

• KOREAN JOURNAL OF CROP SCIENCE
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• v.49 no.5
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• pp.381-388
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• 2004

In Korea, production of super sweet corn has been economically feasible and is substituting for traditional sweet corn due to better flavor in recent years. Major limiting factors for super sweet corn production are low field emergence and low seedling vigor. The optimum water potential (WP) for the priming of normal and aged seeds of dent, sweet (su) and super sweet (sh2) corns was studied to improve low seed quality. Seeds were primed at 0, -0.3, -0.6, -0.9, and -1.2 MPa of polyethylene glycol (PEG) 8000 solution at $15^{\circ}C$ for 2 days. Priming effects differed depending on the type of corn, seed quality, and WP of PEG solution. Although WP of priming solution did not influence the emergence rate of extremely high quality normal dent corn seeds, it reduced time to $50\%$ emergence (T50) and increased plumule weight. In contrast, the emergence rate of aged field corn was improved by seed priming at 0 MPa and plumule weight and $\alpha-amylase$ activity was enhanced. The optimum WP for both normal and aged sweet and super sweet corn seeds was between -0.3 and -0.6 Mpa. At the optimum WP emergence rate, $\alpha-amylase$ activity, and content of DNA and soluble protein increased, while T50 and leakage of total sugars and electrolytes reduced.

• KOREAN JOURNAL OF CROP SCIENCE
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• v.47 no.5
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• pp.361-367
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• 2002

In order to determine the optimum harvest time for the seed production of inbreds and hybrids in silage corn, the ears of sib-pollinated 'KS5', 'KS7rhm', and 'Ga209' and cross-pollinated 'KS5' $\times$ 'KS6' (Suwon19), 'KS7 rhm' $\times$ 'KSl17' (Suwonok), and 'Ga209' $\times$ 'DB544'(Kwanganok) were harvested at the one-week intervals from 4 to 10 weeks after silking. The optimum harvest time for the seed production for 'KS5', 'KS5' $\times$ 'KS6', 'KS7 rhm', and 'KS7rhm' $\times$ 'KS117' was 7 weeks after silking considering both emergence rate and plumule growth in cold test. Although earlier harvested seeds showed similar germination rate as the seeds harvested at the optimum time at $25^{\circ}C$, their emergence rate were lower in cold test. Seed weight and $\alpha$-amylase activity of earlier harvested seeds were lower compared to those of seeds harvested at the optimum time, while leakage of total sugars and electrolytes were higher. However, the later harvested seeds showed lower germination rates at $25^{\circ}C$ and emergence rates in cold test probably due to the lower $\alpha$-amylase activity although they showed increased seed weight and reduced leakage of total sugars and electrolytes. In contrast, the emergence rate of 'Ga209' and 'Ga209' $\times$ 'DB544' in cold test increased up to 10 weeks after silking probably due to the increased seed weight and $\alpha$-amylase activity and reduced sugar and electrolyte leakages during the germination. The cross-pollinated F$_1$ hybrid seeds showed higher germination and emergence rates at $25^{\circ}C$ and in cold test, and higher plumule growth and $\alpha$-amylase activity compared to those of sib-pollinated inbreds.

• KOREAN JOURNAL OF CROP SCIENCE
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• v.51 no.5
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• pp.432-439
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• 2006

An experiment was conducted to characterize the seed vigour of sweet (su) and super sweet (sh2) corn seeds stored at different temperatures and relative humidities (RH). Hybrid seeds of Early Sunglow ${\times}$ Golden Cross Bantam 70 (su) and Xtrasweet 82 ${\times}$ Fortune (sh2) were stored at different temperatures ($5\;and\;15^{\circ}C$) and RH(70 and 85%) for 10 months. Results of the experiment show that seed deterioration of super sweet corn was much faster than that of sweet corn under all storage conditions. Germination rate of sweet corn seeds at $25^{\circ}C$ and emergence rate in cold test showed similar patterns. Emergence rate of super sweet corn in cold test was significantly lower than the germination rate at $25^{\circ}C$. Germination rate of both sweet and super sweet corns was positively correlated to the emergence rate in cold test, but the correlation coefficient of super sweet corn was much lower compared to the sweet corn. This implies that the viability of super sweet corn seeds should be tested in the cold test to estimate field emergence rate. Seeds of sweet corn could be stored for 5 months under all storage conditions without significant seed deterioration, while those of super sweet corn should be stored at low temperature and RH. The emergence rate of sweet corn in cold test was not correlated to the leakage of total sugars, electrolytes or ${\alpha}-amylase$ activity, while that of super sweet com was positively correlated to the ${\alpha}-amylase$ activity, negatively correlated to the leakage of electrolytes, and was not correlated to the leakage of total sugars.

• KOREAN JOURNAL OF CROP SCIENCE
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• v.51 no.7
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• pp.632-638
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• 2006

Characteristics of sweet (sugary, su) and super sweet (shrunken-2, sh2) corn seeds shelled by different threshing methods at different moisture content status were studied. Hybrid seeds of a su (Early Sunglow ${\times}$ Golden Cross Bantam 70, GCB 70) and a sh2 (Xtrasweet 82 ${\times}$Fortune) were dried to moisture content of 12, 15, 18, and 21%. Hand shelling did not give any mechanical damages to seeds, while an electrical corn thresher gave some visible mechanical damages. The emergence rate of hand shelled seeds was higher than that of machine shelled seeds by $6{\sim}14%$ for a su and by $9{\sim}18%$ for a sh2 hybrid depending on seed moisture contents in cold test. The optimum seed moisture content to reduce mechanical threshing damages and to improve seed quality was 15% for su and 12% for sh2 hybrid seeds. At the optimum seed moisture contents, germination rate at $25^{\circ}C$, emergence rate in the cold test and ${\alpha}-amylase$ activity were highest, while the percentage of damaged seeds and leakage of total sugars and electrolytes in soaking water were minimized.

• KOREAN JOURNAL OF CROP SCIENCE
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• v.48 no.3
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• pp.267-275
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• 2003

To observe the effects of seed matriconditioning on the emergence, plumule growth, and seed physiological properties of normal and aged seeds of three corn(Zea mays L.) genotypes (dent, sugary, and shrunken-2), normal and artificially aged seeds were matriconditioned at 50, 75, 100, and 125% moisture contents of vermiculite at $25^{\circ}C$ for 24 hours and the germinability was examined at $25^{\circ}C$ and in cold test (7 days at 1$0^{\circ}C$followed by $25^{\circ}C$). Emergence rate, emergence speed, and plumule growth were smaller in the order of dent＞sugary＞shrunken-2. Matriconditioning did not affect the emergence rate of normal dent and sugary seeds, while it enhanced emergence speed and plumule growth. In contrast, the emergence rate, emergence speed, and plumule growth of normal shrunken-2 and aged seeds of all genotypes were enhanced as the moisture content of vermiculite increased up to 125% both at $25^{\circ}C$ and in cold test. Matriconditioning promoted $\alpha$-amylase activity and DNA and soluble protein contents, while it reduced the leakage of total sugars and electrolytes from the seeds when soaked in water.