Detailed information about the seed treatments, methods of seed treatments, different equipment used in seed treatments, seed germination, component related to seed germination and establishment of crop in relation to soil moisture content. To get the presentation contact me on alkesh.patel,2711@gmail.com

1. Seed Treatment
Seed Germination And Crop
Establishment In Relation To
Soil Moisture Contents
Submitted To: Dr. K. M. Gediya
Associate Professor
BTRS, AAU, Anand-388 110
Submitted By: Alkesh Patel
Sulay Baraiya
Ravi Chaudhari
Kamlesh Chaudhary
1

2. 2

3. Seed treatment refers to the application of fungicide , insecticide
or both to the seeds to disinfect (deep seated ) and disinfest
( over seed coat ) them from seed borne or soil borne pathogenic
organisms and storage insects.
Benefits of seed treatment
1.Prevention of spread of plant diseases both systemic
and non systemic
2.Protects seed from seed rot and seedling blights
3. Improves germination
4. Provides protection from storage insects and pests.

4. Dates back to 17th century when salt water was accidently
discovered to control bunt and stinking smut of wheat seed.
In 1755, M.D Tillet, a french botonist recommended the use of
lye and lime as a chemical treatment for wheat seed
Some 50 years later ,Prevost a Swiss botanist ,discovered the
use of copper fungicides as seed treatment.
New concepts of treating seeds with Organomercurials like
Ceresan and Semesan were introduced in 1920.
4

5. 1.SYSTEMIC
DISEASES
2.NON
SYSTEMIC
DISEASES
3.SEED ROT
AND
SEEDLING
BLIGHTS
4. STORAGE
AND SOIL
INSECTS
The major diseases and insect pests that can be
controlled by seed treatment are
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6. Stinking smut of wheat
6

7. Loose smut of wheat Helminthosporium stripe of barley
Loose and covered smut of oats
7

8. Helminthosporium spot of RICE and Wheat
8

9. 9

10. Wire worms
Seed corn maggots
10

11. Hanson et al. divided seed treatment methods into three groups
MECHANICAL METHODS
PHYSICAL METHODS
CHEMICAL METHODS
OTHER METHODS
11

12. 1. MECHANICAL METHODS
These are designed to remove infectious materials mixed
with seeds.
Seeds can be mechanically cleaned thoroughly before
seeding to remove pathogenic organisms from the seed
surfaces.
This often requires further treatment.
12

13. 2. PHYSICAL METHODS
 Physical methods include hot-water and water-soak
treatments and ultraviolet, infrared, X-ray and other types of
irradiation.
 Do not protect seeds from soilborne organisms
13

14. 3. CHEMICAL METHODS
Most commonly used method because of its
effectiveness and ease of handling.
IDEAL CHEMICAL would be;
Highly effective in controlling the pathogen
Harmless to the seed, animals and non toxic to
people
Economic to use
Easy to apply
Non corrosive to machinery
Stable for long periods
14

15. A) Mercurial Compounds
1. Organo mercurials: Small grains , flax cotton and
safflower
Eg: PMA (Phenyl Mercuric acetate), MEMC (Methoxy
ethyl Mercury chloride), EMC (Ethyl mercuric chloride )
2.Inorganic mercurials: Mercuric chloride, mercurious
chloride and mercuric oxide
Tuber and root crops , Garden and vegetable crops
Chemicals used for Seed treatment
15

16. B) Non Mercurials
1.Organic non mercurials
 Less effective than the organic mercurials
 Less damaging to the seeds
 Less damaging to the persons handling the seeds
Over dose is not harmful and viability is not effected
Eg Thiram, Captan, Carbendazim, Metalaxyl
2. Inorganic Non Mercurials:
Copper carbonate, Copper sulphate – Bunt disease in
wheat
Cuprous oxide- seed decay and damping off in
vegetables
16

17. I. Chemical treatments to improve germination and
vigour potential
Soaking / treating the seeds with nutrients vitamins and
micronutrients etc
1.Paddy: Seeds can be soaked in 1 % KCl solution for 12 hours
to improve the germination and vigour potential.
17

18. 2.Sorghum: Seeds could be soaked in NaCl2 (1 %) or KH2PO4
(1%) for 12 hours for improving the germination and vigour
potential.
18

19. 3.Pulses : Seeds can be soaked in ZnSO4, MgSO4
and MnSO4 100 ppm solution for 4 hours to improve
the germination and vigour potential.
19

20. 4. OTHER METHODS
ABCD specifically controls Fusarium, Alternaria, Drechslera,
Aspergillus flavus
It was also very effective in controlling the major stored grain
pests
ABCD was also found effective in reducing seedborne
diseases
Siddiqui and Agarwal brought to light a
new material for seed treatment, ABCD
(attapulgite - based clay dust), developed
at the Indian Institute of Chemical
Technology (CSIR, Hyderabad) for seed
treatment and safe storage of seeds and
food grains.
20

21. 1. Seed disinfection: It refers to eradication of
fungal spores present within the seed coat or
more deep seated tissues
2. Seed disinfestations: It refers to the
destruction of surface borne organisms that
contaminated the seed surface but not
infected the seed.
3. Seed protection: To protect the seed and
young seedling from organisms in the soil
which might otherwise cause delay of the
seed before germination.
Seed Treatment Fungicides
21

22. Equipments for seed treatment
22

23. 1 .Slurry treaters
 A slurry is prepared by mixing the
chemical with water.
 The treatment material to be
applied as slurry is accurately
measured through a simple
mechanism comprised of a slurry cup
and seed dump pan.
 The cup introduces a given amount
of slurry with each dump of seed into
a mixing chamber where the seeds are
mixed thoroughly.
23

24. 2.Direct treater
 Panogen and Mist o matic treater
The "mist-o-matic" treater applies chemical as a mist
directly to the seed.
The treater is equipped with a large treatment tank, a
pump and a return that maintains the level in the small
reservoir from which the seed is fed.
24

25. 25

26.  A simple mixer can be made
by running a pipe through a
drum at an angle.
 The drum is then mounted
onto a stand.
 The seed and treatment are
placed in the drum and it is
rotated slowly until all the seeds
are cornered with the chemicals.
3. Drum Mixer
26

27. Liquid materials can be dripped on the seed as they
enter a grain auger or straw conveyer.
By the time seeds have left the auger the chemical is
spread on the seeds.
4. Grain Auger
5. Shovel
Seeds are spread on a clean dry surface 10-15 cm in depth.
The proper amount of chemical is diluted with water and
sprinkled over the seed.
Mixing is done with shovel or sloop turning the seed at
least 20 times.
27

28. 28

29. 1. SEED
COATING
Seed coating is the application of useful
materials to the seed without changing its
general size or shape.
Seed coating has been utilised to ameliorate environmental
stresses such as drought and flooding
Seed coating with peroxide compounds provide oxygen to
seeds under anoxic soil conditions
Hydrophilic polymers maintain a high water potential
around germinating seeds
29

30. 2. SEED PELLETING
Pelleting is enclosing of seed in a filler material using an
adhesive with bioactive chemicals to ensure singling of seed and
size increases for easy handling.
The binders for pelleting include gum arabic ,gelatin, starch
and the commonly used fillers are Lime stone, gypsum, talc,
vermiculite, peat etc.
The pellet may act as a physical barrier as well as mechanical
barrier.
30

31. 3. ENCAPSULATION OF SEEDS
Natural seeds also can be
encapsulated using hydrogels
Redenbaugh et al.[3] mixed
propagules with sodium alginate
solutions and then transferred
the coated propagules to a
calcium salt to form a soft
capsule.
This technology was developed to form
capsules of somatic embryos by gelation to
enhance their stability
31

32. 4. FLUID DRILLING AND SEED PRIMING
It consist of germinating
seeds in aerated water until
radicle emergence
The seeds are then mixed in
a viscous gel and sown with
an appropriate drill.
The gel prevents seeding
injury to the emerging
radicle and maintains seed
moisture
32

33. Seed priming allows for the regulation of the water content in
the seed, either by soaking the seeds in water or in a solute; or, by
exposing the seeds to water vapor.
Osmoticums such as PEG and inorganic salts have
been used as a priming agents
o Hydropriming
o Osmotic priming.
o Solid matrix priming.
o Drum priming
The seeds imbibe water for a time
interval. After the time interval, the process
is halted right before the first root, called
the radicle, emerges from the seed.
With priming the germination process is
activated so that seeds germinate more
rapidly and emerge more uniformly
33

34. 5. BIOLOGICAL SEED
TREATMENTS
Seed treatment with beneficial microorganisms like
Rhizobium spp. to treat leguminous seeds for nitrogen
fixation and Azospirillum and other nitrogen –fixing
bacteria has long been known.
Fathey [5] noted that an endophytic bacterium,
Clavibacter xylii, when introduced into corn seeds is
transformed to produce an insecticidal protien (§-endo
toxin) from Bacillus thuringenesis which is active against
the european corn borer
34

35. 35

36. As a warning that the seeds
have been treated .
The colour also indicate the
uniformity of the chemical
coverage.
Coloring of seeds prevents
inadvertant use of treated
seeds for food or feed
purpose.
Coloring of seeds
36

37.  Never used for animal or human consumption.
 The treated seeds must be properly labelled.
 Care must be taken to treat the seeds at correct dosage.
 Do not treat the seed with concentrated liquid
products.
 The technique must be economical and practical for the
specific crop, and above all the materials used should be
environmentally safe
Precautions for seed treatment!!!
37

38. Name of
Crop
Pest/Disease Seed Treatment
Sugarcane Root rot, wilt Carbendazim (0.1%) 2 gm/kg seed
Trichoderma spp. 4-6 gm/kg. seed
Rice Root rot disease
other
insects/pests
Bacterial shealth
blight
Trichoderma 5-10 gm/kg. seed
(before transplanting)
Chloropyriphos 3gm/kg seed.
Pseudomonas flourescens0.5% W.P.
10 gm/kg.
Chillies Anthracnose spp.
Damping off
Seed treatment with
Trichoderma viride 4g/kg,
Carbandazim @ 1g/100 gm seed.
38

39. Tomato Soil borne
infection of
fungal disease
Early blight
Damping offWilt
T. viride @ 2 gm/100gm seed.
Captan 75 WS @ 1.5 to 2.0 gm a.i./litre
for soil drenching.Pseudomonas
fluorescens and V. clamydosporium @
10gm/kg as seed dresser.
Crucifero
us veget
ables
(Cabbage
Cauliflo
wer,
Broccoli,
Knol-
khol,
radish)
Soil /
Seed borne diseas
es (Damping
off)Root knot
nematode
Seed treatment with Trichoderma
viridi @ 2 g / 100 g seeds
Captan 75% WS @ 1.5 to 2.5 gm
a.i./litre for soil
drenching.Pseudomonas fluorescens
and Verlicillium clamydosporium @
10gm/kg seed as seed dresser
39

41. Don't judge each day by the harvest you reap,
but by the seeds that you plant.
- Robert Louis Stevenson
41

42. Seed is a fertilized mature ovule containing an
embryonic axis (embryo) stored food material
(endosperm) and a protective covering (seed coat or
testa).
42

43. TYPES OF SEEDS
Today two major classes
of seed are recognized
(Roberts 1973):
Orthodox.
Seeds which can be dried down to a low MC of around 5% (wet basis)
and successfully stored at low or sub-freezing temperatures for long
periods.
Recalcitrant.
Seeds which cannot survive drying below a relatively high moisture
content (often in the range 20–50% wet basis) and which cannot be
successfully stored for long periods.
On the basis of Moisture Content
43

44. What is Seed Germination & Crop establishment…?
Seed germination is the resumption
of active growth of embryo that
results in the rupture of seed coat
and emergence of young plant
Crop establishment is the final stage
where a plant stops taking food from
its seed reserve i.e. endosperm and
starts taking nutrition from the
surrounding environment that may
be from soil or arial part
44

45. External
Water Air Temperature Light Soil Condition
Internal
Seed Reserve Dormancy
Impermeable
Seed Coat
45

46. 46

47. Liquid Vapor
Moisture
Moisture
Moisture
Moisture
Available Not Available
1st Case 2nd Case
47

48. Similarly…….
48

49. 1st Case
2nd Case
OR DORMANCY
49

50. Effect of Moisture content
In seeds, moisture content is probably the
most important single factor in
determining seed longevity (Holmes and
Buszewicz 1958).
Reduction in MC causes a reduction in
respiration and thus slows down ageing of
the seed and prolongs viability.
Harrington (1959), cited by Barner (1975b),
has related MC to various processes within
and around the seed as follows:
50

51. Seed moisture content %
(wet weight)
Effect
Above 45 – 60 % Germination begins
Above 18 – 20 % The seed may heat (due to a rapid rate of
respiration and energy release)
Above 12 – 14 % Fungus growth can occur
Below 8 – 9 % Insect activity much reduced
4 – 8 % Sealed storage is safe.
SOURCE- http://www.fao.org/docrep/006/ad232e/ad232e07.htm 51

52. Moisture content of some seeds for storage
Crops Moisture content in %
Rice 12-25
Wheat 14-23
Cereals 10-12
Oilseeds 7-9
Legumes 14-18
52

53. MC% 1 Month 2 Months 3 Months 4 Months
6.0 98 92 96 94
9.5 94 88 76 4
18.6 81 22 0 0
Fully Imbibed 96 95 98 96
Germination % After Storage Periods Indicated
53

54. •Sowing of Pregmented seed
•Scarification
•Rabbing
• Application Of Hormones
54

55. Moisture conservation for better germination & Seedling
Development
Tillage
•Better structure
•Increase Water Holding
capacity
• Provide better Condition
For seed Germination
• Zero tillage
Fallowing
•Stores excess Moisture
•Destroys harmful
pathogen
Mulching
•Conserve moisture
•Retards excessive
evaporation from soil
Further….. 55

56. INSITU MOISTURE CONSERVATION
PRACTICES
BBF
Dead Furrow
Opening Ridge & Furrow
Tie Ridging
Bedding system
*
*
*
*
56

57. “The ultimate goal of
farming is not the growing
of crops, but the cultivation
and perfection of human
beings.”
― Masanobu Fukuoka
57