Effect of Botanical Seed Treatment on Storability of Cowpea (Vignaunguiculata)

A laboratory experiment was conducted at the department of Seed Science and Technology, UAS, Dharwad during 2014–15, to study the effect of botanical seed treatments on the storability, germination, pest activity of cowpea Cv DC-15 with treatments viz., control without insects, control with insects, Lakke leaf powder, castor seed powder, custard apple seed powder, custard apple seed powder, sweet flag rhizome, sindhuvara leaf powder, malathion dust all @ 10 g/kg of seed. The results revealed that there is a significant difference in the treatments as compared to control, Melathion (4.65 egg) significantly affected the egg laid by the female beetles which is followed by sweet flag rhizome (9.65) and sinduvara leaf powder (10.26) and custard apple seed powder (12.85) due to their insecticidal nature. Control with and without insect has recorded highest number eggs (104.45 and 59.40 respectively) due to lack of protective treatment. The emergence of the adult beetles, reduced with increase in storage time with botanicals sweet flag rhizome powder significantly retained the germination percentage, seedling length and vigour of cowpea seeds (87.93%, 33.30 cm and 2946 respectively.) which was on par with Melathion (87.43%, 31.69 cm and 2795 respectively). Control with insect recorded lowest germination (59.74%) seedling length (22.83 cm) vigour index (1589).