45*30

Pre-sowing seed treatment

• Soak the seeds in water at 1:1 seed to solution ratio by volume for 16h and dry dress with thiram @ 2.5g kg-1 of seed for enhanced seed germination and field establishment
  
  
• Soak the seeds with 2% KH2PO4 for 16 h and dry back to original moisture content and coat with polymer @ 3 ml/kg + imidachloprid@ 5 ml / kg + carbendazim @ 2 g / kg + Pseudomonas fluorescens @ 10 g/kg (or)
  
  
• Soak seeds in 2 % KNO3 for 6 h in 1:1 seed to solution ratio and dry back to original moisture content

Apply NPK @ 60:45:45 kg ha-1 as basal application

Foliar application

At the stage of button opening, spray 0.5% borax for increased seed set

Supplementary pollination

During flowering (7-10 days), rub the heads with muslin cloth between 8 – 11 AM at alternate days till the completion of flowering

• Harvest the heads when the drooping peduncular receptacle (thalamus) turns lemon or pale yellow in colour.
• At this stage the seed moisture content will be 25  % and the seeds will be black in  colour
• Harvest the heads and dry immediately until the seed moisture content reduced to 15 – 16 %.
• Separate the seeds either with  mechanical thresher or by  manual labour
  
  

Seed grading

• Grade the seeds using 9/64” (3.6 mm) round perforated metal sieve or BSS 7 x 7 wire mesh sieve
• Upgrade the size graded using specific gravity separator
• Remove the broken and dehulled seed from the lot
  

• Slurry treat the seeds with carbendazim @ 2g kg-1 of seed along with carbaryl @ 200 mg kg-1 of seed
• Slurry treat the seeds with halogen mixture (CaOCl2 + CaCO3 + arappu leaf powder mixed in the ratio of 5:4:1 ) @ 3g kg-1as eco – friendly treatment

Storage

• Store the seeds in gunny or cloth bags for short term storage (8-9 months) with seed moisture content of 8 - 9%
• Store the seeds in polylined gunny bag for medium term storage (12- 15 months) with seed moisture content of 7 – 8 %
• Store the seeds in 700 gauge polythene bag for long term storage (more than15 months) with seed moisture content less than 7%