SEED PRIMING TECHNIQUES IMPROVE GERMINATION, FORAGE YIELD, AND ECONOMICS OF FODDER MAIZE
R.V. KALE AND P. S. TAKAWALE*
BAIF Development Research Foundation
Central Research Station, Urulikanchan, Dist. Pune (Maharashtra), India
*(e-mail : pramodkumar.takawale@baif.org.in)(Received : 13 July 2019; Accepted : 12 December 2019)
SUMMARY
Poor germination and inconsistent plant population of the crop is due to the delay in sowing and reduction in the moisture content of the soil. Seed priming is the process of controlled hydration of seeds at a level that gives permission to pre-germination metabolic activity to proceed but prevents actual emergence of the radical. A study was conducted to find out the best seed priming method to enhance the fodder yield of maize African tall. Among the various treatment combinations of seed priming, significantly higher germination percentage at 88.88%, green fodder yield, dry matter yield and crude protein yield of 756.98, 159.89 and 13.32 q/ha respectively were recorded in treatment of maize African tall seed with ZnSO4 @ 0.5% for 12 hrs which was at par with seed priming with ZnSO4 @ 0.5% for 6 hrs. The maximum net monetary return was obtained in seed priming treatment of with ZnSO4 @ 0.5% for 12 hrs with Rs 108225/ha followed by seed priming treatment of ZnSO4@ 0.5% for 6 hrs with Rs 105406/ha. A similar trend was observed in the benefit cost ratio.
Key words:Seed priming, Green fodder yield, Germination, Benefit-cost ratio