Efficacy of various chemicals spray in terminal heat stress condition on seed storability of mustard (Brassica juncea L.)

Abstract

The experiment was conducted during two consecutive years 2019-20 & 2020-21 at Oil Seed Farm of C. S. Azad University of Agriculture & Technology Kanpur. Two varieties namely Kanti (V1) and Maya (V2) seeds were sown in Rabi season (October-April 2019 & 2020), seven chemicals concentrations were applied as foliar spray treatments at vegetative stage, at anthesis stage and at both stage which were as Salicylic acid @ 800 ppm (T1, T8 and T15), Salicylic acid spray at vegetative stage @ 400 ppm (T2, T9 and T16), Ascorbic acid @ 10 ppm (T3, T10 and T17), Potassium chloride @ 1% (T4, T11 and T18), thiourea @ 400 ppm (T5, T12 and T19), Cycocel @ 800 ppm (T6, T13 and T20), Cycocel @ 400 ppm (T7, T14 and T21) and T0-Control (without spray). Freshly harvested seeds of each plot were stored under ambient condition in cotton bag for nine months and seed viability (%), seed germination (%), seedling length (cm) and seedling vigour index-I was recorded at every three month of interval. At the end of storage period significantly maximum seed viability (90.42%), seed germination (89.05%), seedling length (14.24cm) and SVI-I (1268) was found in sample collected from treatment T19-Thiourea spray at vegetative + anthesis stage @ 400 ppm followed by treatment T16 irrespective of varieties. Within varieties, variety Maya was significantly superior over variety Kanti.