INCORPORATION OF BIOACTIVE CHEMICALS INTO SEEDS TO ALLEVIATE ENVIRONMENTAL STRESS

Infusion of appropriate growth regulators and protectants into wide variety of seeds via organic solvent provides an effective means of combating the adverse effects of such factors as drought (induced artificially by adjusting soil water to a level producing adverse effect), supraoptimal temperatures, (e.g., 30°, 35°, 20°–30°, 20–35°, 25°–35° or 30°–35°C), salinity (e.g., 0.1 M NaCl added to the soil), soil-and seed-borne diseases, insect infestation and soil pollution (e.g., resulting from toxic gases and chemical residues) with the resultant improvement in time of seedling emergence, percentage emergence and uniformity of seedling stands.
A short period of soaking (3 min to 1 h) of seeds in aqueous solution of growth regulator(s) followed by drying at 30°C for 12 h is also effective in the case of lettuce seeds.
Pelleting of lettuce seeds (previously infused with appropriate regulators via acetone) with sand using 5% Gelvatol as a binder retains the beneficial effects of regulators in alleviating water stress.
A combination of infused growth regulators and osmotic treatment offers an effective means for increasing seed performance at non-optimal temperatures as exemplified by lettuce seeds.
The mode of action of growth regulators in alleviating various types of stress and the significance of seed treatment by infusion methods are discussed.

Symposium on Seed Problems in Horticulture

Anwar A. Khan

https://doi.org/10.17660/ActaHortic.1978.83.30