Praveen Kumar, S., Sujatha P., Rajasekharan Rajkumar, Damodara Chari, Raghavendra, K. and Pushpavathi, B.
Abstract
Biological seed coating, a novel seed treatment method that involves applying biological agents onto the seed surface to manage seed and soil-borne pathogens. This research employed a biocompatible polymer as an adjuvant and coated tomato seeds with Trichoderma viride, Pseudomonas fluorescens, Bacillus subtilis and Bacillus. The experiment was carried out during 2022 to 2023 in the Department of Seed Science and Technology, PJTSAU, India and Seed Works International, Kandlakoya, Medchal, Hyderabad. The research focuses on the impact of different seed coating methods and storage duration on tomato seed germination and seedling vigor. The evaluation of seed quality parameters occurred at regular intervals over a sixmonth storage period. Six months after treatment, tomato seed coated with the biological consortia of Commercial Unit (CU) of (82%), CU-I (81%), CU-II (81%) and CU-III (80%) recorded high seed germination compared to chemical (79%) and CU-V (77%) than control (76%). Seed combinedly inoculated with CU-V (T. viride + P. fluorescens + B. subtilis + biofriendly polymer showed good longevity by recording less reduction in seed germination (3%), SVI- I (26), followed by CU-IV (T. viride + B. megaterium+ biofriendly polymer (4% and 117, respectively), compared to, Chemical seed treated (4% and 165) compared to untreated control (5 %, 133, respectively). The studyâs findings suggested that coating seed with biological agents and a biofriendly polymer as an adjuvant produced better results without affecting the seed quality.