Influence of Biopolymer Synthesized from Tamarind Seed Polysaccharide (TSP) on Physiological and Biochemical Parameters of Maize Hybrid COH(M) 8 Seeds

The experiment was conducted in Department of Seed Science and Technology, Tamil Nadu Agricultural University, Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu during 2021. Biopolymer was synthesized from Tamarind Seed Polysaccharide (TSP) and added with different additives and coated maize seeds to know how they effect their physiological and biochemical parameters. The seeds were given with four treatments viz., T0- control (untreated seed), T1- biopolymer (B.P) - 10g kg-1, T2- B.P (10g) + Humic acid (0.3g) + Zimmu (Allium cepa × Allium sativum) leaf extract (0.5 ml) and T3- T2+ Ascorbic acid (0.2 g) and evaluated for seed quality parameters. The results of the present investigation revealed that T3 was significantly superior viz., higher percentage of germination (95%), rate of germination (31.64), seed metabolic efficiency (2.78), seedling root length (25.92 cm), seedling shoot length (15.57 cm), total biomass production (9.41 g), vigour index I (3942), vigour Index-II (94.15). This treatment also recorded highest value of biochemical parameters such as α-amylase (2.23), dehydrogenase (1.87 OD value), catalase (29.94) and peroxidase (7.00) activities. It reduced the abnormal seedlings (2%), dead seeds (3%), days to 50% germination (2.54), mean emergence time (3.02) and pathogen infection (0.25%). We concluded that maize seeds coated with T3 had better seedling establishment and may be recommended as pre sowing seed treatment under organic agriculture.