In order to understand the relationship between seed coat color and seed dormancy of wheat,15 red and 15 white wheat varieties were selected to determine their seed coat color and dormancy level,and the physiological factors affecting seed dormancy of wheat were analyzed. The results showed that the index hue(H),saturation(S) and intensity(I) derived from RGB values extracted from digital camera images reflect the depth of seed coat color. The values of R,H,S and I were negatively correlated with seed dormancy(P<0.05),and R/(R+G+B) was significantly positively correlated with seed dormancy(P<0.05).There were significant dormancy differences between red and white wheat varieties. A sensitive variety Huachengmai 1688(W1) and a resistant variety Annong 0711(W15) of white wheat,and a sensitive variety Baihumai 1(R1) and a resistant variety Yangmai 27(R15) of red wheat were selected for physiological analysis.It was found that the water absorption,water content,the activity of α-amylase,β-amylase and acid phosphatase,the contents of soluble sugar,protein and gibberellin(GA3) in the sensitive varieties(W1 and R1) were higher than those in the resistant varieties(W15 and R15).However,the content of abscisic acid(ABA) in the sensitive varieties was lower than that in the resistant varieties during the release of dormancy. Compared to the same sensitive materials,the water absorption and water content in white wheat varieties were higher than that in red wheat varieties,and the overall trend was W1>R1>W15>R15. The soluble sugar content,protein consumption and GA3 content in seeds showed the similar trend,while the comparison of ABA content in seeds was opposite,ranking as R15>W15>R1>W1. As a consequence,R,H,S and I values can be used to quickly identify red and white wheat varieties,which indirectly assist the screening of pre-harvest sprouting resistant varieties. The physiological indicators,i.e. the water content,the activity of α-amylase,β-amylase and acid phosphatase,the content of soluble sugar and ABA,can be used as the reference index for identification of pre-harvest sprouting resistance. |