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Polymer
film coatings decrease water uptake and water vapour movement into
seeds and reduce imbibitional chilling injury
A G Taylor, J Kwiatkowski
Department of Horticultural
Sciences, New York State Agricultural Experiment Station, Cornell
University, Geneva, NY, USA, 14456 |
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ABSTRACT |
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film coatings were explored to alter water movement and alleviate
imbibitional chilling injury in Phaseolus vulgaris. Our
earlier work (Taylor et al., 1992) illustrated that
experimental hydrophobic seed coatings could retard water uptake
and enhance germination and stand establishment in cold, wet
soils. A commercial film coating formulation was developed
recently by Seedbiotics, Caldwell, ID and laboratory
investigations were performed at Cornell. A stress test was
developed by germinating seeds in saturated rolled towels for 1 d
at 5 °C, then transferring to 25 °C for an additional 7 d. A single
lot of 'Nicelo' snap beans was used for all studies. Seeds were
coated with the film-coating formulation, ‘SB2000’, at 0 to 4%
weight gains. |
A weight gain or build-up of 0.5% and greater was
found to enhance germination in the stress test. Both hydration
rates and sucrose leakage decreased as coating weight gain
increased. The coating acted as a physical barrier to both water
uptake and water vapour movement into the seeds. When the polymer
was applied onto inert polystyrene spheres, the coating showed
hydrophilic and hygroscopic characteristics.
Published
in
A. J. Biddle (ed.)
Seed Treatment: Challenges & Opportunities. BCPC Symposium Proceedings No. 76.
Pp. 221-220
The full Symposium Proceedings can
be bought off the British Crop Protection Council website or via email to
publications@bcpc.org.
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