Effect of Microwave Treatment on Quality of Wheat Seeds Infected withFusarium graminearum

✍ Scribed by M.V.Bhaskara Reddy; G.S.V. Raghavan; A.C. Kushalappa; T.C. Paulitz

• Publisher: Elsevier Science
• Year: 1998
• Tongue: English
• Weight: 183 KB
• Volume: 71
• Category: Article
• ISSN: 0021-8634
• DOI: 10.1006/jaer.1998.0305

✦ Synopsis

The object of this study was to investigate relationships between microwave operating conditions, degree of inactivation of Fusarium graminearum in wheat, and resulting seed quality in terms of germination and seeding vigour (% germination times plumule-radicle length in cm). The experiment was a full factorial involving initial seed moisture content (SMC"8, 14 or 20%), absorbed microwave power (AMP"0)3, 0)4, 0)5 or 0)6 W/g), and the time microwave power was on in a duty cycle of 1 min (TMP"20, 30, 40 or 50 s/min), and was replicated twice in time. The results showed that eradication of the pathogen increased with the total microwave energy imparted, but that seed viability and seedling vigour decreased accordingly. The percentage of infected seeds in the control sets (no microwave treatment) was 36%. Germination of these seeds was 100% and seedling vigour was 838)5. The results indicate that the percentage of infected seeds may be reduced to between 4 and 7%, while maintaining a seed germination rate of 85% and a seedling vigour of 670 (i.e. 80% of control). A greater range of operating conditions can satisfy these conditions when SMC is 14% rather than 8 or 20%.