Predicting the Longevity of Finger Millet and Vegetable Amaranth Seeds During Storage Under Controlled Temperature and Moisture Content Conditions

Abstract

Seeds of finger millet (Eleusine coracana (L.) Gaertn. var. KAT/FM-1) and those of Amaranth (Amaranthus hybridus (L.) ssp. cruentus (L.) Thell.) were stored in hermetically sealed, laminated aluminum foil packets, for up to 252 days at different constant conditions, which included combinations of temperatures ranging from 15° C to 40° C and moisture contents ranging from 5.3% to 17.3% (fresh weight basis). Seeds were sampled from storage for viability determination at different intervals depending on the storage regimens. Viability decline during storage was generally rapid at higher temperature and/or moisture content combinations. The effect of storage conditions on viability was quantified using viability equations. For each of the two species, the estimated periods for viability to fall to 50% (p50 value) decreased with an increase in the storage temperature and/or moisture content. Viability constants for each of the two species were obtained and used to predict longevity at various non-extreme hypothetical storage conditions. At comparative storage temperature and moisture content combinations, seeds of the two species differed considerably in longevity. The constants obtained in the present study could be applied in predicting storage life of seeds of the two species, especially under short to medium-term storage conditions.