The Impact of Seed Size and Aging on Physiological Performance of Lentil under Water Stress

A sub-sample of lentil (Lens culinaris Medik. cv. Kimia) seeds was kept as bulk (S1) and another sample was separated to large (S2) and small (S3) seeds. A sub-sample of each size was kept as control or high vigor seed lot (A1) and the two other sub-samples were artificially aged for 2 and 4 days (A2 and A3، respectively). Field performance and some physiological traits of plants from these seeds were evaluated during 2011. Relative water content (RWC)، ground cover and grain yield per unit area significantly decreased with decreasing water availability، but mean leaf temperature and proline content increased as water stress severed. Seed aging reduced RWC، MSI، ground cover and consequently grain yield per unit area. The superiority of plants from large seeds in ground cover and grain yield was increased with increasing seed aging and water limitation. It was، therefore، concluded that planting large seeds may reduce the deleterious effects of water stress and seed aging on field performance of lentil.