Influence of tha hand picking, electric color sorting and fungicide treatment methods on seed quality of peanuts (Arachis hypogaea L.)

Abstract

This paper had the objective to collect information concerning the effects of hand picking, electric color sorting and fungicide treatment on the quality of peanut seeds. The peanut seed were processed in a sheller with vibratory circular screen, following the seeds was classified on the 22/64" screen. Then the seeds passed through a gravity table, were the heaviest ones were separated to be used in the differents treatments. The treatments were the following: 1. the original material (check), 2. material submitted to one electric sorting, 3. material submitted to two electric sorting, 4. hand picking by 8 persons, 5. hand picking by 4 persons followed by an electric sorting, 6. material rejected by electric sorting. All the treatments were derived in two parcels and one of each was treated with the fungicide thiran (2 g.a.i. per kg of seeds). The results have indicated that the seeds rejected by the electric sorting (seeds with color was lighter or darker than the characteristic color of the cultivar, and seeds with damage tegument with exposed embryo) had the lowest physical (purity analysis and presence of seeds with damage tegument) physiological (germination test, acelered aging and emergence of seedling in the sand and in the field) and health (seed health) qualities. However the hand picking or the electric sorting methods improved only the physical quality. The treatment using fungicide improve the physiological and health qualities of the seeds.