Performance of Germinated and Nongerminated Seeds Planted with Gel in Conservation Tillage

Abstract

ABSTRACT GERMINATED and nongerminated seeds of cucumber {Cucumis sativus L.), cowpea (Vigna unguiculata (L.) Walp.), corn {Zea mays L.), okra {Abelmoschus esculentus L. Moench), soybean {Glycine max L.) and tomato {Lycopersicon esculentum Mill.) were gel seeded in Bonifay sand (loamy, siliceous. Thermic, grossarenic Plinthic Paleudult) and Tifton loamy sand (fine loamy, siliceous. Thermic Plinthic Paleudult) under conservation and conventional tillage environments during 1983 through 1986. In some tests, fungicides were applied by manually drenching the seeded area with a mixture of metalaxyl (N-(2, 6-dimethylphenyl)-N-(methoxyacetyl) alanine methyl ester) and pencycuron (N-((4-chlorophenyl) methyl)-N-cyclopentyl-N'-phenylurea (C.A.)). Plant stand data indicated that direct seeding of certain horticultural crops in conservation tillage was feasible. Fungicides improved plant stand slightly. For cowpea, okra, soybean and corn nongerminated seeds produced more plants than the germinated seeds. For cucumber, the seed treatment had no effect. The tomato plant stand was very low in all treatments.