Evaluation of Desiccated Coconut Water and Dairy Whey on Soybean Glycine max (L.) Merr. Seed Germination

摘要

The uncontrolled dumping of agricultural and industrial wastes and waste water has serious environmental and public health consequences. In order to utilise these wastes for agricultural purposes, the response of soybean seed germination to the desiccated coconut water and dairy whey was examined. In this investigation the nutritional content analysis and enumeration of microorganisms found in desiccated coconut water and dairy whey obtained, respectively from coconut mills and dairy were carried out. Different microorganisms were isolated and characterized morphologically and biochemically characterized. The results showed that the desiccated coconut water included a diverse microbial population such as bacteria (286.4 x 104 cfu mL~(-1)), yeast (8.89 x 104 cfu mL~(-1)), actinomycetes (1.00 x 104 cfu mL~(-1)), free living nitrogen fixers (26.7 x 104 cfu mL~(-1)), phosphate solubilizing bacteria (33.3 x 104 cfu mL1), Pseudomonas sp. (73.3 x 104 cfu mL~(-1)) and coliforms (76.7 x 104 cfu mL~(-1)). Whereas, in dairy whey, microorganisms such as bacteria (153.3 x 104 cfu mL~(-1)), yeasts (3.30 x 104 cfu mL~(-1)), actinomycetes (0.12 x 104 cfu mL~(-1)) and coliforms (56.7 * 104 cfu mL j were found. The effect of desiccated coconut water and dairy wheyon soybean seed germination was studied by pre-treating the seeds and examining different seed quality indicators. Compared to all other treatments and the control, seeds pre-treated with 10 per cent desiccated coconut water and 10 per cent whey had significantly higher germination percentage (98.00 and 97.33), shoot length (13.58 cm and 14.30 cm), root length (21.94 cm and 20.12 cm), seedling dry weight (404.28 mg and 100.19 mg), seedling vigour index-I (3481 and 3351) and seedling vigour index -II (39619 and 39019), respectively.