Effect of seed treatment chemicals on storability of maize (Zea mays L.) Hybrids and their parental lines

Abstract

A storage experiment was conducted to study the effect of insecticide and fungicidal as seed treatments on seed viability of single cross maize hybrids and their parental lines for ten months at National Seed Project, University of Agricultural Sciences, Bengaluru. The study comprises of two hybrids and their parental lines and treated with seed treatment insecticide and fungicide and designed in factorial CRD with three replication. The experimental results revealed that hybrids maintained significantly higher germination at the end of storage; seeds treated with Spinosad @ 0.04 ml per kg of seeds recorded significantly high values for all the seed quality traits except moisture content fluctuations. Either seed treated with insecticide (Spinosad @ 0.04 ml/kg of seed) and fungicide (Thiram @ 2 g/kg of seed) retained germination (more than MSCS) and seedling vigour up to 10 months of storage period under ambient conditions.