In this PPT seed treatment, definition, Physical, Chemical, and Biological seed treatment methods are given.

1. Seed
Treatment &
Methods
Plant Breeding

2. Seed Treatment -Definition
• “Seed Treatment is defined as the application of fungicide,
insecticide, bio-fertilizer or any other growth regulator
either to control the pathogens / insects / to improve the
germination potential”
• “Seed treatment is a genetic term which does not specify
the application method but indicates that the seeds are
subjected to a compound (Nutrient, Chemical, Hormones) a
process (such as wetting and drying) or to vigorous energy
forms (such as heat, radiation, electricity, magnetism) etc.,
to enhance the planting value of Seed”.
- Scott 1989

3. Seed Treatment
• In modern times, more attention is paid to protecting
plants from different kinds of diseases
• It is accomplished by breeding varieties that are
resistant to diseases.
• When resistant varieties are not available, or the level
of resistance is not sufficient under high disease, seed
treatment is an excellent alternative.
• Apply crop protection compounds directly to the seed
before sowing.
• https://youtu.be/RLd_sUGZT94

4. • Seed treatment are a valuable tool for Integrated
Pest Management (IPM).
• It promotes seedling establishment
• It helps to reduce yield and quality losses due to
many pathogens & insects.
• It can be an environmentally more friendly way of
using pesticides as the amounts used can be very
small.

5. Why do we treat seeds?
• S.T is a process by which seeds are treated with physical,
chemical or biological agents to prevent the infection of
seedlings and the subsequent development of the crops.
• Why?
• To prevent the germination failure
• Infection of seedlings & subsequent crops by destroying
externally contaminated & internally seed-borne pathogens.
• To prevent the germinating seed and seedling from the
attack of soil-borne pathogens by developing a protective
zone around the seed in soil.

6. Seed Treatment are grouped according to
the purpose
• 1. Seed disinfestation:
• Disinfestation is the control of spores & other forms of disease
organisms on the surface of seed.
• 2. Seed Disinfection:
• Disinfection is the elimination of a pathogen that has penetrated
into living cells of seed, infected it, and established.
• The purpose is to eradicate seed-infecting pathogens from the
seed-coat, the embryo, or both.
• 3. Seed Protection:
• The purpose is to prevent seed roots and damping-off caused by
soil-inhabiting fungi.

7. Diseases & Pathogens associated with
Seeds
• Diseases
• A) Seed rot – rotting of seed before germination
• B) Damping-off & Seedling-blight – Soft rot of stem
tissues near ground level & water soaking of seedling
tissues.
• C) Seedling Wilt – Gray coloration starting at the leaf
tips & Causing collapse of seedlings in 24-28Hrs.
• D) Root rot – Water soaking, browning & Sloughing of
rootless.
• E) Loose & covered smut of small grains.

8. Disease causing Organisms
• Pythium sp.,
• Fusarium sp,
• Diplodia sp,
• Penicillium sp,
• Helminthosporium sp,
• Ustilago,
• Rhizoctonia,
• Alternaria sp, etc.,

9. Seeds commonly treated
• Field Crops
• Corns, small grains or cereals (Barley, Oats, Rhy, Wheat, &
Rice), Sorghum, Forage grasses, Millets, Soybean, Sugar
cane, Sugar beets, Sunflowers, Cotton, & Flax
• Vegetable & Other Seeds
• All Vegetable seeds benefits from S.T
• A wide range of garden & Green house flowering plants as
well as nursery & forest plants benefits from seed
treatment.
• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w5PRqOmpoC8

10. Methods of Seed treatment
• A. Physical Methods
• B. Chemical Methods
• C. Biological Methods

11. Physical Methods – Hot water treatment
• Seeds inn a cotton fabric bag were soaked in normal water for 3-4 hrs.
• Fill the treatment bag no more than half full
• Gently squeeze it during this soak to eliminate all air pockets & to make sure all seeds are
wetted.
• Two liters of water were poured.
• Then the plant was connected with electricity.
• The water in plant was stirred frequently for even distribution of heat after waiting 10 mints. To
get the temp. 53oC
• Then the seed (in Bag) was dipped in Hot water & the bag was stirred.
• The seed bag was kept immersed in hot water for 15 minutes.
• Immediately after the require treatment time has elapsed, place the sacks in cold water for a
few minutes.
• Spread the seeds out to dry. Apply a protective seed treatment and make seeds ready for
sowing.

12. Examples – Hot water treatment
• Loose Smut of Wheat – Ustilago segetum – 49oC –
90-120 mints.
• Downey Mildew of Pearl Millet – Sclerospora
graminikola – 55oC – 10 mints.
• Black rot of Crucifers – Xanthomonas campestris –
52oC – 10 mints.
• Pea blight – Pseudomonas syringae – 55oC –
15mints.

13. Dry Heat Treatment
• This method could be useful while some fungal
pathogens gave negative results in Hot water
treatment.
• Ex: Colletotrichum gossypii in Cotton
• Puccinia antirrhini in Snapdragon
• Dry air treatment of tomato seed at 70oC for 3-4 days is
partly effective against TMV.
• Lettuce seed infected with Lettuce Mosaic virus can be
inactivated by treating seeds at 55oC for 80-120 days.

14. Aerated Steam Treatment
• The principle is to treat dry seed in moving vapor
by pressure flow.
• Ex: Cabbage seed reported to be treated at 56oC
for 30 minutes to eliminate Alternaria brassicae.

15. Radiation
• In countries with a hot climate like India, has its great use.
• Grain is presoaked in normal water for 4-5 hours in room or
in the shade
• And then drained the water
• And dried the seeds on ground under sun for 4-6/8 Hrs.
• In our country drying of paddy on concrete road or pucca
floor under the sun is a sort of seed treatment by solar heat.
• The procedure has proved effective against loose smut of
Barley and Wheat.

16. Chemical Methods of Seed Treatment
• 1. Steep Treatment
• The seed is soaked in fungicidal solution/ suspension for a
definite period and then drained and dried.
• 2. Sprinkle treatment
• The seed is sprinkled with a fungicidal liquid solution or
suspension, left damp with this for a definite period of time and
then dried.
• 3. Dust treatment
• Place the seed and fungicide (2g/kg seed) in a closed
container(Drum) and agitate vigorously for several minutes until
the seed is uniformly coated with dust.

17. Chemical Methods of Seed Treatment…..
• 4. Slurry Treatment
• Add enough water to a wettable powdery formulation of the
selected fungicide to make a sloppy paste.
• Place the seed in the slurry and stir or swirl until the seeds are
thoroughly coated.
• Dry the seed before planting.
• 5. Wet treatment
• The seed is mixed with a relatively small amount of concentrated
liquid (about 100-300 ml/kg seed).
• There is no recovery of liquid after treatment but drying is
necessary.

18. Chemical Methods of Seed Treatment….
• 6. Fumigation
• The seed is treated in an air-tight container, for a
definite period of time by use of volatile material (a
fungicide or a nematicide).
• 7. Pelleting
• Application of sticker prior to mixing the seed with a
dust fungicide. Tween-20 may be used as sticker.
• The seed is coated, first with the sticker in dilute
solution in such as way that each seed becomes a
pellet containing an outer zone of protectant.

19. Some commonly used seed treatment
fungicides
• Captan
• Carboxin
• Mancozeb & Maneb
• Metalaxyl
• Pentachloronitrobenzene or PCNB
• Streptomycin
• Tebuconazole
• Thiabendazole or TBZ
• Thiram

20. Some seed treating chemicals & their
doses
• Thiram 75 WP @ 0.25% (2,5g/kg seed)
• Captan 75 WP @ 0.25% (2,5g/kg seed)
• Carboxin @ 0.25-0.4% (2.5-4.0g/kg seed)
• Vitavax @ 0.25% (2.5 g/kg seed)
• Bavistin – 0.25 % (2.5 g/kg seed)

21. Biological Method
• Botanicals (Garlic & Allamanda tablet)
• BAU – Biofungicide are the promising bio agents
used for the treatment of seeds.
• These are reported as efficient and eco-friendly
means to control the seed borne diseases.

22. BAU-Biofungicides
• It is formulated from naturally occurring fungus, Trichoderma by
growing on an organic substrate (Agro-wastes) to protect crops
from different diseases (root rot, foot rot, wilt etc) caused by
different harmful fungi (Fusarium, Sclerotium, Rhizoctonia,
Pythium, Phytophthora, Macrophomina, etc.,)
• BAU Biofungicide protects seeds in the soil from large number of
soil borne as well as seed borne fungi that can attack the seeds
before germination as well as after germination.
• It can also be used for protecting crop plants from the attack of
nematode.

23. Seed treatment with BAU-Biofungicide
• Seeds of different cereals, pulses and vegetale crops
such as sweet gourd, snake gourd, Cabbage,
Cauliflower, Kalmi shak, Raddish, Indian Spinach,
Spinach etc., can effectively be treated with BAU-
Biofungicide.
• Use & Application:
• 1. Seed Treatment: 2.5-3.0% of seed weight
• 2. Soil Drenching: 2% in water
• 3. Foliar Spray: 2% in water.

24. The benefits of using BAU-Biofungicide
• There is no health risk.
• The product can be manufactured easily using locally
available machinery & raw materials.
• The product can be stored for 6 months at room
temperature even in farmer’s house.
• It is easy to handle, packaging, distribution and marketing.
• The product is Eco-friendly and improves soil quality
• It can be used as seed treatment, soil treatment & foliar
application.
• The cost of production is low.

25. References
• https://www.slideshare.net/paudel1/see
-biopriming-biological-method-of-seed-treatment
• https://www.agrifarming.in/seed-treatment-
information
• https://www.researchgate.net/publication/31423193
8_Introduction_of_seed_treatment_techniques_seed
_priming_International_Journal_of_Biosciences_IJB
• doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.12692/ijb/3.5.1-12