The document covers seed hardening, a technique to enhance seed quality and improve drought resistance through physiological preconditioning involving hydration. It outlines methods, including soaking dry seeds in water or chemical solutions, to facilitate rapid and uniform germination while detailing benefits such as quicker recovery from wilting and improved competitive ability against weeds. Various examples and treatments for different crops illustrate the application and effectiveness of seed hardening, while acknowledging limitations related to time and concentration.

1. SEED HARDENING
By,
VENKATESH R
201400400309-10-2018 1

2. VENKATESH R
B.Sc. AGRICULTURE
ANBIL DHARMALINGAM AGRICULTURAL
COLLEGE AND RESEARCH INSTITUTE
TRICHY-9
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INDIA – AN OVERVIEW

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5. LOW PRODUCTIVITY
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6. why?
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7. Poor quality seed
Soil moisture deficit
Low and erratic rainfall
Improper crop management
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8. SEED QUALITY ENHANCEMENT
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9. McDonald (2000) , “Any post harvest treatment
that improves germination or seedling emergence
or facilitate the development of more number of
normal, rapid, uniform and healthy seedlings in
the field conditions.”
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11. SEED HARDENING
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12. Henckel (1964) - “simple method to alter
the physiological and biochemical nature
of the seed in order to induce the factors
responsible for drought resistance”.
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13. It can be done with water / dilute chemical
solutions / growth regulating compounds or
using commonly available natural tonics like
coconut water or milk.
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14. CHEMICALS ROLE
Potassium nitrate Osmo-regulation, cell wall and
membrane permeability
Potassium chloride Activation of enzyme process
Potassium di hydrogen
phosphate
Constituents of phospholipids,
nucleotides and sugar phosphate
Calcium chloride Participate in starch metabolism
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BOTANICALS ROLE
Pongam Bio enhancement due to presence of plant
growth hormones
Prosopis Stimulatory effects caused by plant growth
hormones
Moringa Stimulatory effects caused by plant growth
hormones
Pulse sprout extract Induction of sugars and vitamins that
promotes growth

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MICROBIAL ENHANCERS ROLE
Rhizobium Induction of root nodulation
Azatobacter Source of PGR
Trichoderma viridi Fungal antagonist

17. PHYSIOLOGICAL REORGANIZATIONS
Change in hydrophilic property of the
protoplasmic colloids namely the viscosity and
elasticity.
Increase in osmotic potential.
Increase in water holding capacity of plants.
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18. METABOLIC CHANGES
Increased respiration.
Leaves of hardened plants have more starch.
Increased activity of the mitochondria.
Higher rate of photosynthesis because of increase
in the bound water.
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19. MORPHOLOGICAL CHANGES
More xeromorphic morphology.
Epidermal and stomata cells are smaller.
Foliage area is increased.
Faster recovery from atmospheric drought.
More absorbing surface in the root system,
as well as more number of primary roots.
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20. how ?
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21. DRY SEED
SOAKING IN WATER
IMBITION
PERMITS INITIAL GERMINATION PROCESS
DEHYDRATION
PREVENT RADICLE EMERGENCE
SHADE DRY
STOPS GERMINATION PROCESS
HARDENED SEED
SOWING IN DRY LAND
GERMINATION STARTS FROM WHERE IT STOPPED
RAPID ESTABLISHMENT,GROWTH AND YIELD
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24. Hardening techniques for
various crops
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25. Crop Chemical concentration Soaking
duration
(hrs.)
Seed
solution
ratio
Maize,varagu,tenai,samai KH2PO4 2% 8 1:0.6
Pearl millet KCl 2% 10 1:0.6
Sorghum KH2PO4 2% 16 1:0.6
Ragi NaCl 0.2% 6 1:0.7
Cotton KCl 2% 16 1:0.5
Sunflower KCl 2% 12 1:0.6
Red gram ZnSO4 100 ppm 3 1:0.3
Black gram ZnSO4 100 ppm 3 1:0:3
Ground nut CaCl 0.5 % 4 1:0.3
Paddy KCl 1% 16 1:0.6
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28. Effect of seed hardening in Bt. cotton
Treatment Germination Chlorophyll
content
mgg
No of
bollsplant
Yield kgha
CaCl21% 89.7 2.52 31 2518
CaCl2 2% 93.0 3.04 33 2629
CCC
100PPM
91.3 2.62 31 2557
CCC
150PPM
88.7 2.46 29 2492
WATER 84.7 2.15 26 2338
CONTROL 82.7 11.98 25 2276
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30. Effect of seed hardening in micro nutrients of sunflower (Muthuvel et
al.,1983)
Treatment Seed yield
kgha
Oil yield kgha Seed yield
kgha
Oil yield kgha
Water 1054 446 1252 552
2% ZnSO4 1195 488 1531 673
1% MnSO4 1160 482 1314 597
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31. Seed hardening using botanical leaf in green gram
Treatment Plant
height
Days to
50%
flowering
Pod length No of
seedpod
Yieldha
Control 37.00 40 5.20 7 616.30
Prosopis
1%
45.73 37 6.52 10 758.03
Pungam
1%
44.70 37 6.35 9 727.73
Neem 1% 39.83 38 5.52 9 680.30
Aduthodai
ilai 1%
40.60 36 5.64 9 686.83
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32. Seed hardening on finger millet ( Palanisamy and Punithavathi)
Treatment Germination
%
Root length
cm
Shoot length
cm
Control 82 7.4 5.6
Water 87 7.3 5.8
KCl 1% 86 8.2 6.2
KCl + pungam
leaf extract
93 9.5 8.3
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33. Effect of seed hardening on wheat ( Shivamurthy and Patil,2009)
Treatment Plant
height
cm
Straw
yield
kgha
Protein
content
%
Total
chlorophyll
mgg
Net
return
Rs.ha
CaCl͙2 72.94 3261 12.21 2.53 9039
Cow urine 74.12 3388 12.17 2.43 9471
water 68.60 3063 11.89 2.22 7927
control 66.90 2893 11.71 2.15 6924
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34. SUMMARY
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35. Seed hardening is physiological
preconditioning of the seed by
hydration to with stand drought under
rain fed condition.
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36. DRY SEED
Soaking in water/dilute solutions of chemicals
and growth regulators for 1-12hrs at 15-25°c
SHADE DRY (1-24HRS)
Sun drying (1-2 days) to bring back to its
original water content
HARDENED SEED
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37. BENEFITS
Rapid and uniform germination.
Rapid growth rate of seedlings.
Recover much more quickly from wilting.
Seed withstand higher temperature for prolonged
period.
Compete more efficiently with weed.
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38. LIMITATIONS
Time
Concentration
Type
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