Description
The coleoptile is the protective sheath covering the emerging seedling. The length of the coleoptile determines the depth at which seeds should be sown. Typically, cultivars with longer coleoptiles may be more vigorous than those with shorter coleptiles in dry soils and when sown into stubble.
A wide range of Emergence from Deep Planting (EDP) within each coleoptile length class suggests the involvement of genes other than those controlling coleoptile length. Emergence was correlated with coleoptile length, but some lines with short coleoptiles ranked among the top emergers. Coleoptiles longer than 90 mm showed no advantage for EDP and may even have a negative effect.
Read More: http://www.plosone.org/article/info:doi/10.1371/journal.pone.0073314