Estimation of mechanical properties of seeds of common vetch accessions (Vicia sativa L.) and their chemical composition

Abstract

The attempt was made to estimate the mechanical loads on seeds, taking into account their geometric properties and chemical composition. Material chosen for the study comprised 46 samples of common vetch representing collection accessions originated from Europe. Additionally, accessions of other legume species were involved. The study included determinations of seed thickness and weight of 1,000 seeds (TSW) followed by static loading tests. Moisture content of the seeds did not exceed 10 %, and TSW of vetch determined at that moisture was from 19.7 g for small seeded Polish lines VSAT 42 to 73 g for VSAT 24 obtained from Slovakia. Seed thickness value ranged for common vetch accessions from 2.5 to 4.4 mm and for the rest of species from 2.6 mm for lentil to 7.2 mm for chickpea. Apart from the obvious accessions-related differences among various seeds in terms of TSW and seed thickness, the study revealed a wide range of differentiation in the resistance of seeds to static loading expressed by: maximum load, deflation at max. load stress at max. load and work to max. load. Obtained result allowed to select vetch accessions with a high resistance of seed to static loading. Fat content is low at the level of pea, grass pea and lentil as compared with high values of Andean lupin species and white lupin. Fatty acids composition of vetch is different in comparison with remaining species characterized by lowest content of monounsaturated oleic acid (29 %) and relatively high content of polyunsaturated linoleic and linolenic acids (respectively 44 and 11.7 %).

Variability of fat content and fatty acids profiles in seeds of a Polish white lupin (Lupinus albus L.) collection

“…Undesirable in each class of accessions was a negative correlation between erucic acid and fat content. Negative, although not statistically significant relationship between fat and erucic acid content was found in seeds of common vetch and lupins (Rybiński et al 2015). It indicates that selection for improvement of fat content must be not connected with increased amount of erucic acid what confirms ''low erucic acid'' accessions (using a definition applied to rapeseed oil) presented in Table 8.…”

“…The average fat content for 371 white lupin accessions is 9.81%. This value is markedly higher as compared to field pea, grass pea, common vetch and lentil (2.2, 1.5, 1.3 and 2.6%, respectively), higher as compared to narrow-leafed and yellow lupins (6.8%) and lower in comparison to Andean lupin (14.9%) (Rybiński et al 2015). Fat in lupin is located in embryos but 90% of total content is observed in cotyledons (Francki et al 2002).…”

“…According to data given by Oomah and Bushuk (1984) average content of oleic acid for three cultivars of white lupin (51.9, 55.5 and 54.2%) were on the same mean level as our results and comparable in the range: 43.6-54.4, 40.8-50.5 and 36.2-49.61% reported, by Green and Oram (1983), Boschin et al (2008) and Mierlita (2015), respectively. Presented mean content of oleic acid (55.7%) is higher as compared to narrow-leafed lupin (39.4%), yellow lupin (29.4%) and Andean lupin (44.8%) (Rybiński et al 2015) as well as in seeds of chickpea (33.5%), lentil (22.95) and pea (28.2%) (Ryan et al 2007). For examined MUFA belong also eicosenoic and erucic acid with mean content of 4.53 and 1.74% respectively, and in the range 4.36-4.79% for CO and CV and 1.61-1.99% for LR and CV accessions, respectively.…”

Estimation of the physicochemical variation of chickpea seeds (Cicer arietinum L.)

“…As regards the future production, a new chickpea crop improvement programme appears necessary. Similar to other grain legumes (Rybiński et al, 2015), the progress in chickpea cultivation, in terms of grain yield and yield-quality improvement, included an increase in the protein content (with an enhanced amino acids composition), a reduction in the content of anti-nutritive components, and a limitation of the plants' susceptibility to lodging and abiotic stresses (drought, diseases and pest). These should relate to the ultimate goal of the grower to make chickpea more competitive, as compared to other main species of grain legumes.…”

“…The mechanical properties of seeds are an element that is underestimated and still little known. The knowledge of the physical parameters of seeds has a particular importance for the harvest, drying and storage optimisation technologies, which are related to the minimisation of quantitative losses and mechanical damage caused, inter alia, by a decreased seeds germination ability (Rybiński et al, 2015). The biological values of seeds, which are characterised, inter alia, by their germination capacity, are determined by a number of external factors, beginning with the time of seed ripening under field conditions and ending with the effect of the forces acting in a harvester threshing assembly, seed cleaning devices, sorting and drying equipment, as well as transport and storage.…”