Effect of Preserved Seeds Using Different Botanicals on Seed Quality of Lentil

Laboratory studies were conducted with leaf powder of three plants to show the preservative effect for maintaining the quality of lentil seeds in storage. After processing and drying, seeds were preserved with different botanicals and stored them in earthen pots for eight months. Botanicals, such as whole leaf powder of neem (Azadirachta indica), dholkalmi (Ipmoea sepiara), and bishkatali (Polygonum hydropiper) were used at a dose of 5% w/w (25 g botanical per 500 g of lentil seeds). The lentil seeds were stored till next planting time and seed quality, such as moisture content, germination capacity, root length, shoot length of the seedlings and vigour index were observed. The highest values for all these characters except moisture content were significant when the seeds were preserved with neem leaf powder and bishkatali. Among three botanicals, dholkalmi was less effective.