Effect of seed treatments on seed storability of fodder maize

Abstract

Fodder Maize is an important fodder crop, to maintain the seed quality in storage; it is advisable to take polymer coating with seed treatment chemicals. Seed treatment provides an opportunity to package effective quantities of material such that they can influence on the seed quality. Fodder maize seeds of variety African tall were used for the experiment.The experiment was laid out under completely randomized design (CRD) with ten treatments and three replications. The storage experiment was conducted with nine seed treatments viz., T1: Control, T2: Vitavax @ 2 g/kg of seed, T3: Polymer @ 3 ml/Kg of seed, T4: Vitavax @ 2 g/kg of seed + Polymer @ 3 ml/Kg of seed, T5: Spinosad @ 1 ml/kg of seed, T6: Azospirillum sp. @ 2 g/kg of seed, T7: Gluconacetobacter. @ 2 g/kg of seeds, T8: Azospirillum sp. @ 2 g/kg of seed + Gluconacetobacter. @ 2 g/kg of seeds in the Completely Randomized Design for a period of twelve months in the laboratory ambient conditions. Among the treatments, Seeds treated with Vitavax @ 2 g/kg of seed + Polymer @ 3 ml/Kg of seed recorded the significantly higher seed germination (83.0%), seedling length (23.49 cm), seedling dry weight (0.903 mg), seedling vigour index-I (1950) and seedling vigour index -II (75) as compared to control (T0) (76.3%, 19.33 cm, 0.765 g, 1476 and 58, respectively) at the end of twelve month of storage period.