EVALUATION OF DESICCANTS ZEOLITE BEADS TECHNOLOGY FOR DRYING FOUR SEED CROPS (GREEN GRAM-VIGNA RADIATA L., ONION-ALLIUM CEPA L., AMARANTHUS L., TOMATO- LYCOPERSCON ESCULENTUM L.) AND THEIR EFFECT ON SEED STORABILITY AND QUALITY
Peter J. Nassari, Dickson M. Lwabulala, Munguatosha S. Ngomuo and Areth K. Theophil
Peter J. Nassari: Tanzania Official Seed Certification Institute (TOSCI), P. O. Box 1056, Morogoro, Tanzania.
Dickson M. Lwabulala: Tanzania Official Seed Certification Institute (TOSCI), P. O. Box 1056, Morogoro, Tanzania.
Munguatosha S. Ngomuo: Tanzania Official Seed Certification Institute (TOSCI), P. O. Box 1056, Morogoro, Tanzania.
Areth K. Theophil: Tanzania Official Seed Certification Institute (TOSCI), P. O. Box 1056, Morogoro, Tanzania.
ABSTRACT
The Physiological quality of the seed is challenged by processing and handling methods especially drying methods, packaging materials, storage method used and time. A comparable study was conducted to evaluate influences of different seeds’ drying methods, packaging materials and storage period on tomato, green gram, onion and amaranth. A Randomized complete Block Design (RCBD) factorial experiment with four factors (crop types, seed storage period, packaging materials and drying methods (4 x 4 x 2 x 2) resulted in a combination of 32 treatments used. Results revealed that there was highly significant difference (P<.001) among treatments over seed qualities. It was observed that seeds dried with zeolite beads and stored with air tight container had good seed quality over seeds dried under sun and stored with cloth bag. Seed dried using zeolite beads and stored with airtight container except amaranth showed higher germination percentage (green gram 74), (onion 87) and (tomato, 80), field emergence percentage (green gram 70), (onion 83) and (tomato 79) and vigour index I (green gram 1070), (onion 987) and (tomato, 1122) compared to germination percentage of sundried seeds stored with cloth bag (green gram 18), (onion 64), (tomato, 60), field emergence percentage (green gram 15), (onion 61), (tomato, 58) and vigour Index I (green gram 226), (onion 653), (tomato, 768) after 18 months of storage.
Keywords: Desiccants, Zeolite beads, Seed drying, Seed storability, Seed quality, Green gram (Vigna radiata L)