Effect of seed infection on seed quality and longevity under storage of three rice varieties produced at different environments

The study was conducted to elucidate the Effect of seed infection on seed quality and longevity under storage of three rice varieties produced at different environments at College of Agriculture, Acharya N. G. Ranga Agricultural University and Indian Institute of Rice Research, Hyderabad (India). In this present investigation, seed infection percentage in rice cultivars produced at two different environmental conditions have been studied and effect of seed moisture content on germination percentage and seed infection in rice varieties. The seed produced in arid environment i.e., at IIRR, Hyderabad showed minimum percent seed infection (15.26, 10.01, 18.51%), seed moisture content (11.33, 11.03, 11.14%) and maximum germination percentage (72.55, 76.66, 74.12%), whereas the seed produced in humid environment i.e., at Central Rice Research Institute, Cuttack, showed maximum percent seed infection (19.49, 14.01, 22.14%), seed moisture content (11.98, 11.70, 12.31%) and low germination percentage (61.97, 64.84, 44.92%) was recorded in IR 36, IR 64 and Annada varieties respectively at nine monthly storage in gunny bags at ambient conditions. With respect to the age of seed, the freshly harvested seeds recorded low percent seed infection, seed moisture content and high percent of seed germination than one year old seed of three varieties at the end of the storage (9 months after storage). Among treatments, seeds treated with carbendazim @ 2.0g/kg showed high germination percentage and minimum percent seed infection and low moisture content percentage in all the three cultivars used for study at the end of storage experiment. Interaction among production environment, seed age and chemical treatments also showed significant difference for quality parameters. This investigation helps in understanding the potential role of production environment, seed age and means to control the seed from deterioration during storage.