Assessment of quality of maize seed after cold storage

Abstract

A controlled atmosphere is essential for safe and long term storage of seeds. Two popular maize hybrids viz., DHM 117 and DHM121 were kept in cold storage unit for one year (2015-16) and seeds collected from different lots were evaluated in the following year (2016-17). Seed germination was found to be more than 90% up to 6 months with a reduction of 1.7 to 6.1 percent in seven different lots and there after drastically reduced in both the hybrids. Seedling vigour traits had more than 50 percent reduction under the ambient conditions after the one year of cold storage. The study suggested the seed material stored in cold storage can be revalidated for another six months and supplied for to farmers safely.