The Method of Computer Morphometry in the Analysis of Vegetable Seeds

Abstract

The instrumental innovative methods for analyzing the quality of seeds have recently come to replace the traditional standard methods. The traditional methods differ unfavorably from instrumental ones, particularly in labor intensity, duration of plumpness, and information content. At the same time, with the introduction of new agricultural technologies in crop farming, the requirements for the quality of seeds are increasing. The paper focuses on the adaptation of the method of digital morphometry in relation to the seeds of vegetable crops. The matrix heterogeneity of the Persian onion seeds, driven by the different-tiered arrangement within the inflorescence, is analyzed. The research demonstrates that as the inflorescence grows, the seeds decrease in size and are less fulfilled. Within the inflorescence, the different quality of the seeds is expressed as follows: as we move away from the base of the inflorescence, the seeds acquire a darker color and become less mature. The authors conclude that digital morphometry is more accurate than the “manual” one. Their analysis of the smallest seeds of the perennial wall-rocket variety shows that different batches of seeds significantly differ in size characteristics against each other. We believe that there is no alternative to digital morphometry in these measurements. The innovative instrumental digital method of seed morphometry VideoTesT-Morphology (Argus-BIO) can be successfully used to assess the quality of seeds of vegetable crops, both by their linear parameters and by coloring the surface of the seeds.