Seed Treatment Information Guide for Beginners

Seed Treatment Information:

The following information is about seed treatment for any agricultural crop.

Seed Treatment and Its Importance:

Well, why we need the treatment of seeds before sowing any crop? Because we require healthy, (disease free) and high yielding crop. Even though we select quality seeds, it is advised to go through the seed treatment process for better germination and to prevent from seed and soil borne diseases. Seeds can be treated with chemicals or natural bio-products. In the following write-up, let us discuss more seed treatment process along with various crops.

Advantages of Seed Treatment:

The following are major advantages of seed treatment.

This process protects germinating seeds and seedlings against soil and seed-borne pests and diseases.
It improves the germination process and increases the germination percentage.
It enhances the seed viability and vigour which are the two most important factors in agriculture or cultivation practices.
It results in the early and uniform establishment and growth of the crop or plants.
It enhances nodulation in legume crops.
It is better when compared to soil and foliar application in the crop.
It results in uniform crop stand especially in adverse situations like low moist and high most conditions.

Read: Organic Potato Farming.

Seed Treatment Methods:

The treatment of seeds can be carried out in 3 different methods; Seed dressing, Seed coating and Seed pelleting. Let us discuss these seed treatment methods in detail.

Seed Dressing:
- The most common method of seed treatment is seed dressing. In this method, the seed should be dressed with either a dry formulation or wet treated with a slurry or liquid formulation. Dressings should be applied at both farm and industries. In this process, seeds should be spread on a polyethylene sheet and required quantity of chemicals should be sprinkled on seeds surface and mixed mechanically by the farmers.
Seed Coating:
- Usually, this is done by industries with advanced treatment technology.
Seed Pelleting:
- This method is being used for changing the physical shape of the seed to enhance palatability. As this process requires sophisticated seed treatment technology, it is being considered as the most expensive application.

Seed Treatments for Various Crops:

The following table explains about seed treatment for various agriculture crops.

Note: In case of seed dressing, use metal seed dresser or polythene bags or earthen pots.

Sugarcane:

Root rot.

Wilt.

Carbendazim (0.1%) 2 grams/kg seed.
Trichoderma spp. 4-6 grams/kg seed.

Rice/Paddy:

Root rot.

Bacterial sheath blight.

Root-knot nematode.

White tip nematode.

Other insects/pests.

Trichoderma 5 to10 grams/kg seed.
Pseudomonas Fluorescens 0.5% W.P. 10 grams/kg seed.
Seed soaking in 0.2% of Monocrotophos for 6 to 8 hours.
Seed soaking in 0.2% solution of Monocrotophos.
Chloropyriphos 3 grams/kg seed.

Chillies:

Anthracnose spp.

Damping off.

Seed treatment with Trichoderma viride 4 grams/kg seeds, Carbandazim @ 1 gram/100 grams seeds.

Soil-borne infection of fungal disease.

Trichoderma viride @ 2 grams/kg seeds and Pseudomonas flourescens, @ 10 grams/kg seed,Captan 75 WS @ 1.5 to 2.5 grams a.i./litre for soil drenching.
Jassid, aphid, thrips
Imidacloprid 70 WS @ 10-15 grams a.i./kg seed.
The below information is about the process of treatment of seeds for particular crops.

Pigeon pea:

Wilt,

Blight and Root rot

Trichoderma spp. @ 4 grams/kg seed.

Pea

Root rot

Seed treatment with

Bacillus subtilis
Pseudomonas fluorescens
Soil application @ 2.5 – 5 kg in 100 kg farmyard manure (FYM)
or
Carbendazim or Captain 2 grams/kg seeds.

White rot

Thiram plus Carbendazim 2 grams/kg seed.
Carbendazim or Captain 2 grams/kg seeds.

Lady Finger (Bhindi) /Okra

Root-knot nematode

Paecilomyces lilacinus & Pseudomonas fluorescens @ 10 grams/kg as seed dresser.

Tomato:

Soil-borne infection of fungal disease.

Early blight.

Damping off.

Wilt.

T. viride @ 2 grams / 100 grams seed.
Captan 75 WS @ 1.5 to 2.0 grams a.i./litre for soil drenching.
Pseudomonas fluorescens and V. clamydosporium @ 10 grams / kg as seed dresser.

Coriander/ Cilantro:

Wilt

Trichoderma viride @ 4 grams/kg of seed.

Brinjal/Eggplant

Bacterial Wilt

Pseudomonas fluorescens @ 10 grams/kg of seed.

Leguminous Vegetables:

Soil-borne infection

Carbofuran/Carbosulfan 3% (w/w).

Nematode

Trichoderma viride @ 6 grams/kg of seeds.

Sunflower:

Seed rot

Trichoderma viride @ 6 grams/kg of seeds.

Jassids, Whitefly.

Imidaclorprid 48FS @ 5-9 g a.i. per kg seeds.
Imidacloprid 70WS @ 7 grams a.i./kg seeds.

Wheat:

Termite

Treat the seed before sowing with any one of the following insecticides.
Chlorpyriphos @ 4 ml/kg seed or Endosulfan @ 7ml/kg seeds.

Bunt/False smut/loose smut/covered smut.

Thiram 75% WP
Carboxin 75 % WP
Tebuconazole 2 DS @ 1.5 to 1.87 g a.i. per kg seed.
T. viride 1.15 % WP @ 4 grams/kg seeds.

Cabbage/Cauliflower/Broccoli/Knol-Khol/Radish:

Soil/Seed-borne diseases (Damping off).

Root-knot nematode.

Seed treatment with Trichoderma viridi @ 2 grams/100 grams seeds.
Captan 75% WS @ 1.5 to 2.5 grams a.i./litre for soil drenching.
Pseudomonas fluorescens and Verlicillium clamydosporium @ 10 grams/kg seed as seed dresser.

Green Gram/Red Gram/Black Gram:

Wilt and damping off.

Seed treatment with Trichoderma viridi 1% WP @ 9 grams/kg seeds.
Combination of Carbendazim with Carbosulfan @ 0.2% Carbendazim with Thiram with Carbosulfan @ 0.2%
Treat the seed with Chlorpyriphos 20 EC @ 15-30 ml a.i./kg seed.

Potato:

Soil and Tuber-borne diseases.

Seed treatment with MEMC 3% WS @ 0.25% or boric acid 3% for 30 minutes before storage.

Barley:

Loose smut.

Covered smut.

Leaf stripe.

Termite.

Carboxin 75% WP
Thiram 75% WP @ 1.5 to 1.87 gram a.i./kg seed.
Treat the seed with Chlorpyriphos @ 4 ml/kg seed.

Capsicum:

Root-knot nematode.

Pseudomonas fluorescens 1% WP, Paecilomyces lilacirius and Verticillium chlamydosporium 1% WP @ 10 grams/kg as seed dresser.

For Sheep Farming: Read here.

1 COMMENT

Jimmy October 9, 2020 At 10:19 pm

Hi I’m interested in sunflower faming please I will appreciate your kind attention to walk me through with basic information regarding the farming and ofcouse other crops in general to enable high yield.

Seed Treatment Information Guide for Beginners

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