VIKASH KUMAR*, T. P. MALIK, V. S. MOR, DESH RAJ CHOUDHARY AND VIKRAM
Department of Vegetable Science, CCS Haryana Agricultural University Hisar-125 004 (Haryana), India
*(e-mail : vikaskamboj7005@gmail.com; Mobile : )
(Received : December 30, 2018; Accepted : February 19, 2019)
ABSTRACT
A field experiment was conducted during rabi seasons of 2016-17 and 2017-18 at Research Farm of Department of Vegetable Science, CCS Haryana Agricultural University, Hisar. It comprised 16 treatment levels of fertilizer in randomized block design with three replications. After proper drying, cleaning and attaining the optimum moisture content, the seeds were collected and the completely randomized design (CRD) was followed to conduct laboratory testing for the seed relative storability parameters in the seed testing laboratory, Department of Seed Science and Technology, CCS Haryana Agricultural University, Hisar. After accelerated ageing for 24, 48, 72, 96 and 120 h, the seed received from the treatment T9 (100% RDN through vermicompost+Azotobacter+PSB) showed highest standard germination (87.83, 77.34, 69.39, 52.34 and 27.17%), seedling length (20.95, 18.93, 16.15, 14.95 and 12.50 cm), seedling dry weight (3.77, 3.44, 2.84, 2.21 and 1.87 g), seed vigour index-I (1837, 1474, 1119, 780 and 339) and seed vigour indexII (330.7, 265.7, 196.9, 115.2 and 50.6). The least values were observed in treatment T16 (control). The lowest value of electrical conductivity at 24, 48, 72, 96 and 120 h (144.8, 233.0, 353.1, 497.7 and 697.78 µS/cm/g) was observed in treatment T9, while the highest values were observed in T16 (control) (190.1,
302.9, 434.1, 602.2 and 841.8 µS/cm/g) on pooled mean basis.
Key words : Vermicompost, accelerated ageing, germination, electrical conductivity, vigour index