Evaluation of germination on treated cowpea seeds

Seed protectants made from chemicals are commonly used to manage pests in stored pulses. However, these chemicals pose risks to both living organisms and the growth of treated seeds. Therefore, using botanicals for seed treatment is important to ensure germination. Recent research has examined the effectiveness of cashew nut shell liquid as a seed protectant against bruchids. The study aimed to assess how cashew-based treatments affect the germination of treated seeds. Germination studies were conducted using DC-15 cowpea seeds at the soil and water testing laboratory of KVK, Kollam, during 2021-2022. All the cashew-based treatments resulted in higher germination percentages compared to untreated seeds. However, a slight decrease in germination was observed with higher concentrations of cashew treatments during the initial stages. Nevertheless, there were minor differences in germination parameters such as seedling length, seed vigor index, and speed of germination among the treatments.