Abstract

That the cultivation of paddy suffers, often considerably, from the attack of various diseases is well known in India and elsewhere. Attempts are therefore made to prevent or control their damage through various means, viz., through propagation of more resistant varieties, seed treatment, or spraying (or dusting) the standing crop with fungicides. Seed treatment being a cheap and easy method, is within the reach of common cultivators, who, being proverbially poor, are unable to pay for the cost of fungicides and the spraying outfits apart from the question of labour that is necessary to spray large areas. Further, the quantity of fungicide that would be required for seed trestment is infinitesimally small in comparison with the quantity that would be required for spraying fields grown out of the same quantity of seeds. From these considerations agricultural workers are now paying more attention to develop seed treatment as a practical means to combat the diseases. Attempts have, therefore, been made in the present investigation to ascertain whether the chemicals used for treatment have got any detrimental effect on the germination of seeds. and, if so, to modify the seed rate in sowing accordingly.

Keywords: