SEED TRETMENT FOR GREENGRAM Selection of seeds Seeds used for sowing must be from an authentic source.

An authentic source is one that proves the genetic purity and other aspects of seed quality of seed being sown. Seeds used for sowing must also be vigorous, only then you can expect a good field stand. Seeds must be checked for hard seeds, diseased seeds, immature seeds, shrunken, deformed and off coloured seeds. Seed rate Depending on the variety the seed rate varies from 8-10 kg per acre / 20 kg per ha Seed treatment Before sowing, shrunken, shriveled, fungal infested and bruchid infected seeds must be removed and only good seeds must be sown. Hard seed breaking Sometimes hard seeds occur in some varieties due to initial dormancy. If the hard seed exceeds more than 10 per cent, scarify with commercial H2SO4 for 2 min. Seed hardening Pulses are generally grown as rainfed and some times the seed crop even though not recommended as a rainfed crop may experience drought situations. Plants can be hardened by providing certain nutrients and hormones that help the plants to fight of disease and sustain vigor during stress conditions.
How to harden Greengram seeds?

For rainfed sowing harden the greengram seeds for 3 h in aqueous solution of manganese sulphate @ 100 ppm / (0.1 g/lit) at 1/3 volume of seeds and quickly air-dry in shade to their original moisture content. Preconditioned seeds are soaked in botanical leaf extracts of prosopis (Prosopis juliflora) and pungam (Pongamia pinnata) using 1% solution and taken in 1:1 ratio and mixed. One kilo of seed is soaked in 300 ml of solution. So, for eight kilos we need 2.4 lit of solution in which seeds are soaked for three hours.
Seed treatment using Rhizobium

Three packets (600 g/ha) of Rhizobial culture CRU-6 + 3 packets (600 g/ha) of PGPR (plant growth promoting rhizobacteria) and 3 packets (600 g/ha) of Phosphobacteria developed at TNAU will be needed to treat seeds of an acre. In order to make the rhizobium stick to the seeds, we need a binder. The binder is prepared using rice gruel. This is prepared by

adding 100 gm of rice to 500 ml of water and boiled until the rice becomes sticky. Three hundred milliliters of rice gruel is cooled under shade for 5 hrs. To this cooled rice gruel, two packets of rhizobium are added and stirred into a black sticky mass. Eight kilos of greengram seeds needed for an acre are placed in a bucket. The rice gruel-rhizobial mixture is then poured over the seed and mixed well using a stick or hand. After assuring that the greengram seeds are coated evenly by rhizobial inoculum, the seeds are spread over gunny and dried under shade for 6 hrs. The dried seeds are then used for sowing within 24 hrs of inoculation.

Rhizobial seed treatment

Advantages of Rhizobium inoculation

Plants uptake more amount of nitrogen. Increase the root nodules of plant and fix atmospheric nitrogen to make available to the plants. The phosphobacteria converts the non-available form of phosphorus in the soil into available form to the plants. Helps for the better root development. The rhizobial treatment increases the yield.

Root nodules in plants Attention Enough care must be taken for rhizobial seed treatment that the seed coat should not be removed as it may reduce the seed germination Always use freshly prepared Rhizobium packets Fungicide seed treatment must be done 24 hrs earlier to Rhizobium seed treatment. Do not use Rhizobium packet if the content is dried. Seed treatment against soil/seed borne pathogens Seeds must be treated with seed treating fungicide to reduce infection by fungal pathogens found in the soil.Treat the seeds with Carbendazim or Thiram @ 2 g/kg of seed 24 hours before sowing (or) with talc formulation of Trichoderma viride @ 4g/kg of seed (or) Pseudomonas fluorescens @ 10 g/kg seed. Bio control agents are compatible with biofertilizers. First treat the seeds with Biocontrol agents and then with Rhizobium. Fungicides and biocontrol agents are incompatible. Note: Seed treatment will protect the seedlings from seed borne pathogens, root-rot and seedlings diseases.