SEED PHYSIOLOGICAL MATURATION TO FIX THE OPTIMUM TIME OF HARVEST IN PIGEONPEA (Cajanus cajan L.) CV. VBN3
S. MANIKANDAN *
Department of Seed Science and Technology, Agricultural College and Research Institute, Madurai–625 104, Tamil Nadu, India.
K. SIVASUBRAMANIAM
College of Agricultural Technology, Theni–625 562, Tamil Nadu, India.
*Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Abstract
The investigation on physiological maturity revealed that seeds attained physiological maturity at 35 days after 50 per cent flowering and the visual symptom of pod maturation was also observed as to the turning of pod colour from dark green with purple streaks to brownish colour with same colour changes observed in both season with dry weight of the seed was maximum at 35 days after 50 per cent flowering in line with pod maturation in both season. At this stage seed moisture content of 12.0 per cent and with the germination of 96 and 93 per cent during Kharif and summer season respectively. Between the season Kharif was better than summer in terms of physiological seed quality characters.
Keywords: Cajanus cajan, seed, season, maturation, physiological, quality