INFLUENCE OF PRE-STORAGE TREATMENTS ON STORABILITY OF VEGETABLE COWPEA (VIGNA SINENSIS L. SAVI)

摘要

Seed samples dried to 8 per cent moisture, were treated with (i) neem oil at 100 ml per kg (ii) red earth (slurry treatment) at 10 g per kg of seed (iii) captan at 2, 1 and 1/2 g with a common dose of sevin 200 mg/kg of seed and were packed in cloth bag and in polyethylene pouches (700 gauge) and stored along with untreated seed samples under ambient conditions for a period of 14 months. Well dried pods with seeds intact were also kept in storage in the above two containers. The seed samples were tested at bimonthly intervals for moisture content, germination and seedling vigour. The results revealed that (i) the untreated seed was completely destroyed by bruchids within a period of 10 months of storage, (ii) treating the seeds with red earth did not protect the seeds from insect attack, (iii) neem oil though protected the seed from insects, affected the viability, (iv) treatment with captan + sevin protected the seed from insects and also maintained the germination above 94 per cent after 14 months of storage, (v) among the three doses of captan, a dose of 2 gAg of seed was better than others and (vi) polyethylene bag was better than cloth bag in maintaining the germination and vigour of seed in storage.