SEED TREATMENTS-IMPACT ON COTTON SEED QUALITY AND PRODUCTIVITY

Seed treatment is the application of certain curative agents for the enhancement of seed quality, applied through physical means, or chemical, or biological agents to the seed before sowing to suppress, control, or ward off the pathogens, insects and other pests that attack seeds, seedlings, or plants and it ranges from a basic dressing to coating and pelleting. Among the different seed treatments, biological seed treatments are expected to be one of the fastest-growing seed treatment sectors shortly due to its eco-friendliness. Lack of awareness of seed treatments at farmer’s level is one of the limiting factors and hence, efforts should be made at farmer’s level to adopt the technology. The different seed treatment technologies with their improvement and significance are discussed in this review.