Abstract:
Objective Effects of acid electrolyzed oxidizing water (AEOW) treatment on the microorganisms on the surface and germination of maize seeds and seedling emergence were investigated.
Method Seeds of the major varieties cultivated in Fujian, Taixiantian No. 1 and Taixiantian No. 2, were mixed with AEOW. Microbial counts on the seed surface and in the surface rinse, rates of infection, seed germination, and seedling emergence as well as seedling fresh weight were determined.
Result AEOW significantly inhibited the microbial growth on the seed surface as indicated by the counts in the seed surface rinses and the AEOW/maize seeds mixtures. The suspension of AEOW/seed rinse at 1︰2 (mL/mL) ratio had a count of 0.44 cfu·mL−1 in comparison to more than 10 000 cfu·mL−1 of CK. In the liquid after 6 h submerging the seeds in AEOW at the ratio of 125︰2 (mg/mL), the count was nil. On the seed infection rates, the rinse was 14.00% and the mixture liquid 7.33% in comparison to control of 100%. The frequency of bacterial appearances on the treatment seeds was 1.33% and that of fungal, 20.00%, largely Fusarium spp. As for the safety concerns, the AEOW-treated Taixiantian No. 1 seeds increased on germination rate by 13.33%, bud length by 0.32 cm, main radicle length by 0.73 cm, and radicle number of seeds by 0.16, while the treated Taixiantian No. 2, by 8.66%, by 0.55 cm, by 0.42 cm, and by 0.07, respectively. The treated seeds of with a Fusarium verticillium pre-inoculation increased on germination rate, bud length, main radicle length, and radicle number of Taixiantian No. 1 and Taixiantian No. 2 seeds by 17.04% and 6.67%, 0.54 cm and 0.33 cm, 1.89 cm and 0.40 cm, 0.60 and 0.26, respectively; and those with a Pseudomonas spp. pre-inoculation, by 35.34% and 28.66%, 0.85 cm and 0.30 cm, 2.30 cm and 1.70 cm, 0.76 and 0.36, respectively. The seedling emergence rates of the two treated maize varieties increased by 5.33% and 8.00%, respectively, but not significantly differed between them and control with respect to plant height and shoot fresh weight.
Conclusion The AEOW treatment effectively inhibited the presence and growth of microbes on maize seed surface with a more pronounced effect on bacteria than on fungi. The treatment benefitted and was safe for germination and seedling emergence of the AEOW-disinfected seeds.