Abstract

                                Present investigation is an attempt to study the effect of different harvesting and threshing methods on storability of rice varieties viz., CR1009 Sub1, improved white ponni and CO51. The seeds collected from different harvesting and threshing methods viz., manual harvesting and manual threshing, manual harvesting and mechanical threshing (axial flow thresher) and combine harvesting (with pneumatic wheel). The collected seeds were cleaned, graded and treated with water soluble polymer @ 4 ml + 12 ml water.kg-1 compared with control seeds. The treated seeds were stored under ambient temperature in both super grain bag and gunny bag containers along with control. The quality parameters were recorded initially and at monthly intervals for a period of 12 months to assess the storability of seeds. The result revealed that among the harvesting and threshing methods, CR1009 Sub 1 seeds obtained by manual harvesting and manual threshing registered maximum germination, longer root and shoot length, highest dry matter production, vigour index, lowest pathogen incidence and seed leachates. Between the containers, seeds stored in super grain bag registered higher germination, vigour index, lower pathogen incidence and seed leachates in CR1009 Sub 1 seeds irrespective of the harvesting and threshing method. The study concluded that different varieties of rice seed viz., CO51, CR1009 Sub 1 and improved white ponni harvested and threshed by different methods and coated with water soluble polymer @ 4 ml + 12 ml of water.kg-1 of seed and packed in super grain bag maintained seed quality above minimum seed certification standards up to twelve months.

Key words : Rice, Harvesting and threshing, Storability, Seeding vigour