EFFECT OF THERMOSONICATION ON GERMINATION CHARACTERISTICS OF FINGER MILLET GRAINS (ELEUSINE CORACANA)A. Almas Begum, M. Madhava, S. Vishnuvardhan and M. SwapnaAbstract In the present research, the sonication impact of various intensities, temperatures and exposure durations of ultrasound on finger millet grains was examined to identify the most effective conditions for accelerating germination. The study employed the central composite random design for optimization and compared the germination rates and yield of treated seeds with those of untreated seeds grown under normal conditions. During the experiment, the seeds were subjected to ultrasonic energy with input power levels ranging from 40% to 100% of 230 W. Additionally, they were exposed to three different time durations, varying from 8 to 18 minutes and different temperatures i.e., 30-60 °C. The results revealed that the germination of treated finger millet increased by approximately 1-14% compared to the untreated seeds. Furthermore, the ultrasonic treatment significantly reduced the germination period by 7-38% particularly at high temperature. These findings strongly suggest that priming the seeds with ultrasound was highly effective in enhancing water uptake and germination. |