Cassava, Mandacaru, and Glue as Adhesive Agents in the Coating of Heirloom Fava Bean Seeds

Abstract

The seed coating technique, while not recent, has garnered attention due to its commercial implications. This process has grown in significance and feasibility, imparting greater added value to seeds, particularly in an increasingly competitive and regulated market environment, notably within the realm of heirloom seeds. Thus, the objective of this study was to investigate the impacts caused by the use of adhesive agents, including mandacaru extract, polyvinyl acetate-based glue, and cassava gum, in the pelleting process of heirloom fava bean seeds with rock dust. The experiment was conducted in the Phytotechnics Laboratory, situated within the Campus of Engineering and Agricultural Sciences at the Federal University of Alagoas. In the coating process, MB-4 rock powder was employed. The analyzed parameters encompassed water content, thousand seed weight, first germination count, germination percentage, germination speed index, mean germination time, germination uncertainty, primary root length/aboveground portion, and seedling dry mass. Polyvinyl acetate (PVA) glue and cassava gum proved to be the most efficient adhesive agents in the pelleting of fava bean seeds with rock powder.