Studies on the Storability of Hand-hauled and Machine-hauled Sunnhemp Seeds (Crotolaria juncea Linn.)

Aim: The present investigation is an attempt to study the effect of different harvesting and threshing methods on storability of sunnhemp seed.

Study Design: Factorial Completely Randomized Design (FCRD).

Place and Duration of Study: Agricultural Engineering College and Research Institute, TNAU, Kumulur, Tiruchirappalli, Tamil Nadu.

Methodology: The sunnhemp seed crop was harvested and threshed using four different methods viz., manual harvesting and manual threshing, manual harvesting and mechanical threshing, manual harvesting and threshing by tractor treading and harvesting and threshing by combine harvester. The resultant seeds were stored under ambient conditions in both cloth bag and super grain bag containers with 12.0 per cent and 8 per cent moisture content respectively. The experiment was designed adopting FCRD with eight replications. The seed quality parameters recorded at monthly intervals upto 12 months to assess the storability. The seed moisture content, seed health, germination percentage, root and shoot length, dry matter production and vigour index were calculated.

Results: The result revealed seeds stored in cloth bag recorded 12% moisture content for initial month and increased up to 13.76% in 12th month whereas seeds stored in super bag recorded 8% initial month and increased up to 8.78% in 12th month. Seeds obtained by manual harvesting and manual threshing method registered maximum germination percentage (93% & 94%)followed by combine harvesting (91% & 92%).The minimum germination percentage was recorded in manual harvesting and mechanical threshing (89% & 90%). Between the containers, super grain bag maintained the highest germination percentage (92%) while the lowest germination percentage was observed in cloth bag (91%). Seed health test revealed that no incidence was noticed up to four months of storage.

Conclusion: From this study it could be concluded that sunnhemp seed crop harvested and threshed by different methods and reduced to the seed moisture content of 8 per cent and packed in super grain bag maintained seed quality above minimum seed certification standards up to twelve months of storage.

Keywords: Crotolaria juncea, containers, germination, harvesting and threshing methods, seed borne pathogen, seed storage