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Ontario, Canada.

What does the average AGP seed weigh?
Is there any known correlation between seed weight and vigor?

9/5/2008 10:19:21 AM

Cochecton, NY

.001 Lbs. But that is just a guess. That means that there is probably no connection what so ever. The .001 weight would mean that you would need 1,000 seeds to weigh in at a pound. Only a first timer here, so any big guns feel free to help us both out!!

9/5/2008 2:36:22 PM

Pinedale, WY

From what I have read and heard, is that there is no corrleation between the seeds (size or color) and the pumpkin that will be grown from it. I am fairly new at this also, but that is what I have heard and seen. I had four seeds this year that came from good pumpkins and some had produced good pumpkins and they all looked different. I have never seen any discussion on this site about people wanting to grow specific seeds because of their size, shape, or color.

9/5/2008 4:43:38 PM

No Place Special

I know of a few HH's who like the white seeds. Not sure if there is anything to it or not.

9/5/2008 5:00:45 PM

Pataskala,OH

There are to many variables, we will never know.

9/5/2008 5:54:38 PM

Ontario, Canada.

Although this does not pertain to pumpkins I'm pretty satisfied there maybe something to this finding. I have placed my order for a scale on E-Bay today and I will begin to separate all of my seeds according placement within the fruit in order to try and find some future positive results.

Relationships of Seed Weight, Seedling Vigor

Seedling fresh weight, seedling mitochondrial protein and mitochondrial biochemical activity were positively correlated with seed weight. The increased quantity of mitochondrial protein of seedlings produced from heavy seeds is indicative of a higher respiratory rate and greater amount of energy (ATP) production. Thus, these seedlings have a greater growth potential than seedlings produced from lighter seeds of the same pure line. These experiments provided an accurate means of measuring the relative contributions of seed weight, genotype, and heterosis to seedling vigor

http://crop.scijournals.org/cgi/content/abstract/9/6/823

9/5/2008 6:55:52 PM

Dummer Twp - Ontario

Russ have you started another course at Guelph we don't know about. Sounds interesting but will need a scale that measures micro weights I would assume.

Kirk

9/5/2008 8:56:50 PM

Roblin, Manitoba

Just a thought, but I am guessing seeds closest to the stem end could be slightly heavier and better nurished than seeds near the blossom end, just like the fruits walls.

9/5/2008 10:00:50 PM

Ontario, Canada.

LOL at Kirk, Nope I'm taking this semester off to get my pesticide licence.

I have talked about this with a few growers over the past few years and Joe talked a bit about giving me a nice fat 1689 seed to try out. So it stuck in my mind. Last week while I was boring one of my staff with pumpkin details he blurted out about seed weights. He asked if there was any thing that related size to vigor. I said I didn't know. But I raced home that day and began to search the journals. As it turns out it looks as if there may be something to seed size, germination, early growth and vigor.

Early establishment is something we need to worry about up here in Canada. My plants this year are all good timely pollination's but they are all on relatively small plants. I believe that this may be hindering final weights to some degree.

I have only begun to research this topic. I will work it for a few more weeks in hopes of finding more questions. IMHO with pumpkin seed size may in fact matter.

9/6/2008 6:15:00 AM

Ontario, Canada.

Scott, Yes that is exactly my thoughts. It makes too much sense. I believe some growers may have already started to separate seeds according to the segments within the fruit.

My brother and I discussed this a month ago when we opened up my 752 the 729 Landry 08 that had split. This plant and fruit had a good growth curve and I will be growing it as I like the cross. We separated about 70 seeds from deep inside the pumpkins shoulder areas and dried them apart from the others.

In a few weeks I will attempt a germination test of both groups of these seeds and see if any vigor results can be determined. The first thing to show up should be early germination. I quess time will tell.

9/6/2008 6:26:37 AM