Influence of seed pelleting on seed quality improvement in redgram (<italic>Cajanus cajan</italic> L.)

Abstract

Redgram is a protein rich staple food and contains about 22 per cent protein, which is almost three times that of cereals. Pelleting is a presowing physical seed management technique, in which growth promotive substances with protective, nutritive and invigourative function are applied on the seed to enhance the seed-soil relationship. To evaluate the efficacy of herbal powders for seed pelleting, studies were initiated with redgram cv. CO 7 with Carboxy methyl cellulose adhesive @ 200 ml per kilogram of seed and were coated with the herbal powders viz., noni (Morinda citrifolia ), tulasi (Ocimum sanctum) and gallnut (Terminalia chebula) @ 200 g kg-1 of seed. The pelleted seed evaluated for the effect of seed invigouration, nursery emergence and storability along with unpelleted reviled that tulasi leaf powder followed by noni improved the seedling vigour and field emergence. At field pelleted seed has enhanced chlorophyll index highlighting the efficacy of the treatment. The treated seed also stored well upto one month with restoration of all evaluated seed quality characters.