Comparative Effects of Organic and Inorganic Seed Treatments on the Viability and Vigour of Sesame Seeds in Storage

This study was undertaken to determine the storability of pre-treated sesame seeds and to compare the effects of inorganic and organic seed treatments on the viability and vigour of sesame seeds during storage. Two hundred grammes of sesame seeds were treated separately with recommended dosages of Neem leaf powder (NLP), Dress force powder (DFP), Dry pepper powder (DPP) and untreated seeds being the control; each treatment placed in air-tight container and stored in a wooden cabinet at average ambient conditions of 26.5°C and 80% RH for a period of 18 weeks. Completely randomized design was used for the experiment, with storage time and seed treatment as factors. Samples were drawn from storage at interval of two weeks and tested for seed viability and seedling vigour. Seed germination, seedling vigour index, speed of germination and rate of germination were evaluated. Analysis of variance (ANOVA) was carried out on the data collected, and treatment means were separated using Duncan’s Multiple Range Tests (DMRT). Correlation analysis was also carried out to ascertain the kinds of relationships that exist among the variables evaluated. Observations showed that NLP and DPP treatments had better mean seed germination of 89.53% and 82.35% respectively compared to DFP (46.47%) and control (80.76). NLP also enhanced better seedling vigour index (339.24) throughout the strorage time compared to DFP (99.74). It is therefore recommended that natural botanicals like NLP could be adopted for short and medium term storage of sesame seeds; as it maintaned seed viability and seedling vigour optimally among other treatments.