EFFECT OF ANTIOXIDANTS, STORAGE MATERIALS AND DURATION ON SEED VIABILITY OF SOYBEAN (Glycine max L. Merrill)
ABSTRACT:
Given the high nutritional content of soybean, it is considered as one of the essential staple crops for ensuring food and nutrition security for humans and animals in Ghana in recent times. However, viability loss in soybean seeds during storage remains a major factor that stifles production of the crop. Treatment of seeds with chemicals which possess antioxidant properties and storage of seeds in appropriate materials appear to have the potential to reduce soybean seed deterioration during storage. The study was carried out to investigate the water vapour permeability of storage materials, and the effect of antioxidants, storage materials and duration on germination and vigour of soybean seeds under ambient storage conditions. The first experiment was set up in Completely Randomised Design (CRD) with 2 replications. The second experiment was 4 x 6 x 2 factorial arranged in CRD with 3 replications. The antioxidants used were ascorbic acid (10 ppm, 15 ppm, 20 ppm) and folic acid (10 ppm, 15 ppm, 20 ppm); storage materials (Glass Kilner jar, hermetic PICS bag, Plastic container, Polypropylene woven bag, Jute bag and Brown paper bag), and duration (2 and 4 months). Results of the study showed that glass Kilner jar was impervious to water vapour, thus, superior to the other storage materials. Again, irrespective of antioxidants used for seed treatment and material used for seed storage, germination percentage and seedling vigour of soybean seeds reduced with time in storage under ambient temperature and relative humidity. Ascorbic acid performed better than folic acid with regards to germination and seedling vigour of soybean seeds. Ten part per million (10 ppm) ascorbic acid performed better than the other ascorbic acid concentrations for germination and seedling vigour. Also, 10 ppm ascorbic acid increased germination percentage and seedling vigour index by approximately 14% and 1.5 respectively at the end of the experimental period than the control treatment. Moreover, the study maintained that viability of soybean seeds could be preserved in storage when seeds are stored in materials such as glass Kilner jar, plastic containers, hermetic PICS bag and polypropylene woven bags than jute bags and paper bags.
EFFECT OF ANTIOXIDANTS, STORAGE MATERIALS AND DURATION ON SEED VIABILITY OF SOYBEAN (Glycine max L. Merrill)