THE VIABILITY OF CARROT AND CHICORY SEED AS AFFECTED BY DESICCANT SPRAYS

Seeds from a three year trial of treatments with chemicals having different desiccant efficacy to carrot and chicory seed crops at the harvesting time were tested for germination after harvesting, and 6, 18, 30 and 42 months of storage at 18–20°C and 45–50% relative humidity.

In general the loss of seed viability either from treated or untreated plants of both species has been slight (up to 10% about), except for carrot seed from the third and, mainly, the second crop year, being of poor quality because of adverse environments during harvesting.

Diquat and paraquat treatments didn't give, as a rule, germination percentages significantly different from the control, except for carrot seed from the second and the third crop year. Glyphosate spray slightly increased the germination of carrot and chicory seed of the first year crop and decreased it in the second one. Endothal showed a phytotoxic effect on seed of both species, which gradually disappeared during a 30 months storage period.