Analysis of the physical properties of spindle seeds for seed sorting operations.

The relationships between the basic physical properties of seeds of selected spindle species were evaluated for the needs of seed sorting operations. Physical properties were measured in the seeds of five spindle species, and the presence of relationships between these attributes was determined in correlation and regression analyses. The average values of the evaluated parameters were determined in the following range: terminal velocity-from 9.2 to 10.3 m s, thickness-from 2.57 to 3.26 mm, width-from 2.87 to 3.74 mm, length-from 3.94 to 5.52 mm, angle of external friction-from 20.7° to 24.6°, mass-from 16.5 to 33.8 mg. Spindle seeds were arranged in the following ascending order based on their geometric mean diameter: winged spindle, Hamilton's spindle, large-winged spindle, broadleaf spindle and European spindle. Spindle seeds should be separated in a sieve equipped with at least two mesh screens with slotted apertures. Depending on the processed spindle species, aperture size should range from ≠ 2.7 to ≠ 3.5 mm in the top screen, and from ≠ 2.4 to ≠ 3.0 mm in the bottom screen.