Effects of physical and chemical treatments on seed germination and soybean seed-borne fungi

Abstract

Soybean is an important food commodity in Indonesia after rice and maize. Plant pathogens still constrain the increase in soybean productivity. One of the plant pathogenic infections can occur during the seed phase. Therefore this study aimed to determine the effect of physical and chemical treatments as control of seed-borne fungi and their impact on soybean seed germination. This study used a completely randomized design consisting of 9 treatments, namely physical therapy by heating the seeds in a microwave at a temperature of 40 °C for 10, 20, 30, and 40 seconds and chemical treatment by soaking the seeds in a fungicide with active ingredient difenoconazole with a concentration of 0.5%, 1%, 2%, and 3%. Seeds without heating and as control are soaking fungicides. Each treatment was repeated three times. The seeds that have been given treatments are then planted using the growing test technique and incubated for seven days. Furthermore, the seed viability and the growth of pathogenic fungi were observed at the end of incubation. The results showed that soybean seed germination was not affected by physical and chemical treatments. The seed viability of 100% with or without treatment. This was confirmed by the findings of seed-borne fungi (Curvularia, Fusarium, Aspergillus) with a low infection rate of 0.01-0.19%. Chemical treatment with concentrations of 0.5%, 2%, and 3% had a significant effect on the Fusarium infection level, which was higher than the control, which was 0.18%, 0.17%, and 0.19%. Meanwhile, for Curvularia and Aspergillus, physical and chemical treatments did not have a significant effect.

Numerical and Experimental Analysis of the Vacuum Corn Seed Degassing System

“…By removing the air (degassing) around the seeds, oxidation and decomposition are prevented, contributing to their long-term preservation; • Seeds become more permeable, allowing them to absorb treatment evenly and more efficiently, facilitating the subsequent absorption of water and nutrients necessary for germination [4][5][6][7]; • The vacuum environment can help destroy and eliminate harmful microorganisms or reduce the number of pathogens and pests that may be present on the surface of the seeds, potentially affecting germination and plant health [3,8]; • Vacuum treatment can activate certain enzymes in seeds, accelerating the biochemical processes necessary for germination [9][10][11][12][13]; • By using vacuum treatment, the required quantity of treatment substances can be minimized, reducing waste and potential environmental impact [14,15].…”

“…Generally, seeds are placed in a special vacuum chamber where atmospheric pressure is reduced or eliminated [16]; this can be achieved through a vacuum system or by evacuating the air from a sealed chamber. Physical treatments are challenging to implement as there is a delicate balance between effectively eradicating seed-transmitted diseases and causing harm to the seeds [14,17]. Not all seed batches react the same way to all treatments, making it difficult to predict how physical treatments will affect seed germination and vigor [5,7,8,16,18].…”

“…Not all seed batches react the same way to all treatments, making it difficult to predict how physical treatments will affect seed germination and vigor [5,7,8,16,18]. Chemical treatments that do not have phytotoxic effects on seeds are available, but methods for complete internal penetration have not been identified [14,17].…”