Effect of Sweet Flag (Acorus calamus L.) Rhizome Treatment on Seed Quality in Field Bean (Lablab purpureus L.)

Abstract

A field experiment was conducted to identify the best concentration of sweet flag (Acorus calamus) rhizome treatment for the enhancement of seed quality parameters in field bean (Lablab purpureus L.) at the Research Institute of Organic Farming, UAS Bangalore, GKVK, Karnataka. The experiment consisted of eight treatments including sweet flag rhizome powder at 5 g/kg (T2), 10 g/kg (T3) and 15 g/kg (T4) and sweet flag rhizome oil at 2.5 ml/kg (T5), 5 ml/kg (T6) and 7.5 ml/kg (T7), along with a chemical control using spinosad at 0.04 ml/kg (T8) and an untreated control (T1). All treatments were arranged in a randomized complete block design with three replications in field. After the field experiment and harvest, the seeds obtained from each treatment were subjected to laboratory evaluation in CRD design for seed quality parameters. Among the treatments, sweet flag rhizome powder at 15 g/kg (T4) recorded the highest germination percentage (97.3 %), speed of germination (17.7), shoot length (29.4 cm), root length (25.6 cm), seedling length (55.0 cm), seedling dry weight (106.6 mg), seedling vigour index-I (5352) and II (10372), while recording the lowest electrical conductivity (121.3 µS/cm/g), indicating superior seed vigour and membrane stability. The enhanced seed performance in T4 treatment may be attributed to the bioactive compounds of sweet flag rhizome, which promoted seed metabolism and reduced seed-borne infections.