Seed quality variation of crop plants during seed development and maturation.

Seed quality can potentially influence crop yield through affecting seedling establishment, particularly under adverse environmental conditions. Clearly, seed quality changes during seed development and maturation. Seed maturation is one of the main components of seed quality and a prerequisite for successful germination and emergence. Therefore, seed crops should be harvested when quality traits of seed are maximal. However, the time of the occurrence of maximum seed quality during development and its association with seed and fruit features are greatly debated and show variation among crops and growing locations. Maximum seed quality or physiological maturity may occur at the end of seed filling period or slightly after this phase. Clearly seed quality attributes changes during seed development where seed viability and seed weight are parameters that increase with developing seed maturation while electrical conductivity and seed moisture content decrease with seed maturity. However, after reaching maximum seed quality, seeds tend to age and deterioration processes begin. Thus, seed quality decrease after this phase.