Physiological and Biochemical Changes during Accelerated Aged Seeds of Combine Harvested Rice Varieties

Abstract

An attempt was made at Department of Basic Engineering and Applied Sciences, Agricultural Engineering College and Research Institute, Tamil Nadu Agricultural University, Kumulur, Trichy during late kharif season (2024-2025), to evaluate harvesting the seed crop using a combine harvester at different moisture levels (19.21% to 26.65%) and different maturity stages (physiological maturity stage, two days, four days and six days after physiological maturity stage) on rice varieties viz., TRY 3, CO (R) 50 and ADT 54. The seeds were subjected to accelerated aging for 20 days at 40±1°C and 100% relative humidity to determine the effectiveness of seed quality. The result revealed that among the varieties TRY 3 and ADT 54 recorded that highest germination of 80% and 81% up to 7 days after ageing, after that drastically reduced the germination, whereas CO (R) 50 recorded 81% germination up to 6 days after ageing. The electrical conductivity and pathogen infection were increased when the ageing period were increased. The biochemical continents (dehydrogenase and alpha amylase activity) decreased during ageing. The result suggested that the process of accelerated ageing correlated to increase with electrical conductivity and pathogen infection and decreased the activity of dehydrogenase and alpha amylase activity.