Abstract

Seed invigoration treatment of high-vigour rice seed (1 month old) when tested immediately after treatment with crude plant materials viz., dry red hot chilli fruit powder at 1 g per kg of seed, neem leaf powder at 2 g per kg of seed, bael leaf powder at 2 g per kg of seed, lemon leaf powder at 2 g per kg of seed and chemical viz. mancozeb at 2 g per kg of seed effectively reduced physiological deterioration in storage over control. The same crude plant materials treatment of medium-vigour rice seed (5 months old) when tested immediately after treatment also showed better performance followed by high-vigour seed in respect to germinability. Natural ageing (120 days) studies were also conducted for each vigour status (high and medium) to investigate the storability with ageing treatment. In this case, the same crude plant materials treatment of (high and medium vigour) rice seeds showed improved performance over control in respect to germinability. Among the treatments, crude plant materials viz., dry red hot chilli powder showed better performance in high-vigour seed and lemon leaf powder showed better performance in medium-vigour seed (when both vigour status of seeds tested immediately after treatment) in respect to germinability and after natural ageing of 120 days of each vigour-status (high and medium) of rice seeds, lemon leaf powder particularly showed best performance in germinability (related to germination percentage, mean root length, mean shoot length and vigour index).