Influence of Solarization on Seed Quality of Bruchid Infested and Fresh Cowpea (Vigna unguiculata (L.) Walp.) Seeds during Storage
Kiran Dasanal *
Department of Seed Science and Technology, College of Agriculture, UAS, GKVK, Bengaluru – 560 065, India.
R. Siddaraju
Department of Seed Science and Technology, College of Agriculture, UAS, GKVK, Bengaluru – 560 065, India.
P. Venkappa
Department of Seed Science and Technology, College of Agriculture, UAS, GKVK, Bengaluru – 560 065, India.
C. Manjanaik
Department of Agricultural Entomology, College of Agriculture, UAS, GKVK, Bengaluru - 560 065, India.
K. Madhusudan
Department of Genetics and Plant Breeding, College of Agriculture, UAS, GKVK, Bengaluru – 560 065, India.
*Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Abstract
During July 2018 and April 2019, the laboratory study was conducted at the Department of Seed Science and Technology and National Seed Project, University of Agricultural Sciences, Bengaluru, to investigate the influence of solarization on the seed quality of both bruchid-infested and fresh cowpea seeds (cv. IT38956-1). The findings indicated that subjecting fresh seeds to solarization in clear polyethylene packets (700 gauge) for 3 hours daily over 6 days resulted in the lowest seed moisture content (11.03%), highest germination rate (70.67%), longest mean seedling length (21.80 cm), highest mean seedling dry weight (46.10 mg), enhanced seedling vigour indices I and II (1541 and 3258), improved field emergence (68.33%), elevated TDH activity (1.43), higher protein content (19.73%), and reduced electrical conductivity of leachate (927 µS cm-1) after nine months of storage, compared to the control.
Keywords: Solarization, germination, bruchids and field emergence