Seed treatment is an indispensable agricultural practice that ensures good germination and healthy growth of crops. In the case of paddy, also known as jhona in some parts of the world, seed treatment is a crucial step that farmers need to take to achieve high yields of healthy and quality rice.
Seed treatment involves treating seeds with protective chemicals and fungicides against diseases, pests, and harmful bacteria that can stagnate the growth of plants. By treating paddy seeds, farmers can improve their germination rate, reduce crop damage, and increase the yield of their crop. In this article, we will explore the importance of seed treatment of paddy and how farmers can carry out the process effectively.
Benefits of Seed Treatment of Paddy
1. Higher Germination Rates: Seeds that are treated with fungicides and other protective chemicals are less likely to be hampered by fungal attacks or disease. This ensures that the seeds have a higher chance of germinating, thus resulting in a higher yield.
2. Pest Management and Control: Treating paddy seeds with pest control chemicals such as insecticides reduces pest damage, and increases the survival rate of the seedlings.
3. Good Growth: The application of protective chemicals in seed treatment helps to promote healthy and strong seedlings. This leads to good growth and overall vigor of the paddy.
4. Increased Yield: Through the combination of higher germination rates, reduced pest damage and good growth, treated seeds produce a higher yield of quality rice.
Seed Treatment Process
The seed treatment process for paddy involves four basic steps:
1. Drying/cleaning seeds: The first step in seed treatment is to remove any dirt or other debris from the seeds. This can be done using a sieve or by physically removing debris such as stems or leaves. After the seeds are cleaned, they should be left to dry completely.
2. Seed Soaking: Seeds are soaked in fungicides and insecticides solution to physically remove or reduce any diseases or pests in the seeds. This process is critical to prevent seedborne diseases from spreading through the crop field.
3. Drying the Treated Seeds: Once the seeds have been soaked, they should be dried immediately to avoid any likelihood of germination. This is done by spreading the seeds on a clean and dry surface for some time.
4. Sowing of Seeds: The treated seeds are ready for sowing once they have dried up. Farmers can now plant the treated seed in well-prepared soil and follow usual farming practices to have a good yield.
Conclusion
Seed treatment is an integrated part of modern agriculture which helps farmers to increase their yields and maintain seed health and viability. Treating paddy seeds with protective chemicals and fungicides reduce pests and disease attacks and facilitates good growth and healthy seedlings. As such, following the four-step process explained in this article is a vital practice every farmer planting paddy should adopt. By doing so, farmers are assured of optimum yields of healthy, high-quality rice.