Abstract

It is a common practice in breeding stations to store the large number of single plant selections and various type collections in tin- screw-top bottles aud preserve them against the attack of paddy moths with a ball of naphthalene. This practice, however, did not seriously affect the vitality of paddy seeds as was observed in our sowing operations. Seeds preserved in naphthalene appeared for all practical purposes to germinate and grow normally. To get more accurate and definite results, a series of experiments were carried out at the Agri- cultural Research Station, Aduturai, to determine the effect of naphthalene on a number of paddy varieties in dry and moist condi- tions. The investigations consisted of determining the effect of naphthalene (1) on dry paddy seeds, and (2) on seeds soaked in water and on those saturated with atmospheric moisture.

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