Effects of pre-germination treatments and storage periods on germination, vigour, chemical and health composition of seeds of three cassava (Manihot esculenta Crantz) cultivars
Loading...
Date
JULY, 2016
Authors
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Abstract
Seeds of three cultivars of cassava were collected from the CSIR-Crops Research Institute at
Fumesua in the Ashanti Region to determine the effect of storage periods and seed pregermination treatments on the germination percentage, physicochemical and health
properties of seeds from the three varieties of cassava. The experiment was conducted
under laboratory conditions and a 3 x 3 x 7 factorial in Completely Randomized Design
(CRD) with three replications was used. The first factor was cultivar at three levels
(Ahwengyanka-1, Ahwengyanka-2 and Aworowa-3); the second factor was pre-germination
treatments at seven levels (hot water, cold water, mechanical scarification, three
concentrations of acid scarification and no treatment as the control); the third factor was
storage period at three levels (no storage, three months storage and six months storage). The
study revealed that seeds of cassava stored for up to three months produced about 40%
germination after undergoing the various pre-germination treatments. Seeds of the
Aworowa-3 cultivar stored for six months produced the highest germination percentage of
61.0%. Seeds mechanically scarified with sand paper produced the highest germination
percentage of 48.9% whereas seeds with no treatment recorded the least percentage of
34.8%. Seven fungi pathogens were identified on the three cultivars of cassava seeds
irrespective of the cultivar and period of storage. The study concluded that Aworowa-3
seeds without storage produced a higher germination percentage than Ahwengyanka-1 and
Ahwengyanka-2 seeds without storage but all the seeds of the three varieties had the highest
germination percentage when stored for six months.
Description
A thesis submitted to The School of Research and Graduate Studies, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, in partial fulfilment of the requirement for the award of Master of Philosophy Seed Science and Technology,