EVALUATION OF KENAF SEED LONGEVITY AND SEEDLING VIGOUR UNDER CONTROLLED DETERIORATION STORAGE

• T. O. Kehinde

  Department of Plant Breeding and Seed Technology, Federal University of Agriculture, Abeokuta, P. M. B. 2240, Abeokuta, Ogun State, Nigeria Email of

  Author

• M. O. Ajala

  Department of Plant Breeding and Seed Technology, Federal University of Agriculture, Abeokuta, P. M. B. 2240, Abeokuta, Ogun State, Nigeria Email of

  Author

• I. O. Daniel

  Department of Plant Breeding and Seed Technology, Federal University of Agriculture, Abeokuta, P. M. B. 2240, Abeokuta, Ogun State, Nigeria Email of

  Author

Maintenance of viability and vigour in storage is germane in conservation of resources in any seed genebank. Two kenaf accessions (HIB 22 and HIB 34) were stored in a 3-litre capacity desiccator conditioned under four different Relative Humidity [RH] (7, 21.34, 37.5 and 73%) using zinc chloride (ZnCl2), lithium chloride (LiCl2), sodium bromide (NaBr) and potassium chloride (KCl) and kept inside an incubator maintained at 45C. This was to evaluate the changes in kenaf vigour under controlled deterioration and estimate viability constants for the kenaf accessions. Storage was for 420 days during which seed viability and vigour attributes such as seed viability, seedling length, seedling vigour index and germination rate were evaluated. Probit analysis was used to estimate seed deterioration and potential longevity while the Seed Moisture Content (SMC) data were used for modelling to derive a constant for predicting the viability of kenaf seeds. Probit longevity estimates of seeds stored at lower RH were significantly higher than those of seeds stored at higher RH. Kenaf seeds that were stored at RH of 7% (RH conditioned with zinc chloride) had SMC of less than 9% for a minimum of 6 months. The SMC accounted for 85% (R2= 0.85) of the total variation observed for seed longevity in kenaf. In this study, viability constants, KE and Cw, relating longevity of kenaf seeds to SMC were derived for predicting seed viability and should find application as decision support tools in the routine management of seed in genebank. Reduction in both RH of storage environment and in the seed moisture content reduced seed deterioration over time and favoured long-term storage. Relative humidity conditioning with ZnCl2 solution reduced % SMC drastically in all accessions over the storage period and is recommended for use in similar RH modification trials.

1. T. O. Kehinde, Department of Plant Breeding and Seed Technology, Federal University of Agriculture, Abeokuta, P. M. B. 2240, Abeokuta, Ogun State, Nigeria Email of

   Department of Plant Breeding and Seed Technology, Federal University of Agriculture, Abeokuta, P. M. B. 2240, Abeokuta, Ogun State, Nigeria Email of

2. M. O. Ajala, Department of Plant Breeding and Seed Technology, Federal University of Agriculture, Abeokuta, P. M. B. 2240, Abeokuta, Ogun State, Nigeria Email of

   Department of Plant Breeding and Seed Technology, Federal University of Agriculture, Abeokuta, P. M. B. 2240, Abeokuta, Ogun State, Nigeria Email of

3. I. O. Daniel, Department of Plant Breeding and Seed Technology, Federal University of Agriculture, Abeokuta, P. M. B. 2240, Abeokuta, Ogun State, Nigeria Email of

   Department of Plant Breeding and Seed Technology, Federal University of Agriculture, Abeokuta, P. M. B. 2240, Abeokuta, Ogun State, Nigeria Email of

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