Preliminary studies on extraction techniques and their effects on the quality of tomato (Lycopersicon esculentum, Mill) seeds

Abstract

An experiment was carried out to observe the effect of different method of seed extraction on the quality of the seed obtained from tomato (Lycopersicon esculentum, Mill) variety “Power”. The extraction techniques used were:- hydrochloric acid, sulphuric acid, lemon juice, and two fermentation periods, one or three days, and no fermentation. The best treatments were the fermentation for one or three days and lemon juice, with the resultant seed viability of over 90%. Acid extraction techniques, though fast and efficient, were expensive, difficult to use and gave 11.83 and 18% of abnormal seedlings and 17.75 and 50.25% dead seeds. The use of fermentation for 3 days also produced the least percent 9% fungi infected seeds, closely followed by the use of lemon juice. A higher percentage (50 and 47%) of fungi infected seeds were recorded in seed treated with acids. The most common seed-borne fungi identified on the fermentation extracted seed were Fusarium spp, Curvalaria pallenscens and C. geniculata. For the acid extracted seed, Aspergillus flavus and A terreus were the most common.



JOURNAL OF THE GHANA SCIENCE ASSOCIATION Volume 1 Number 3, July (1999) pp. 5-10