• Journal of Life Science
• /
• v.17 no.12
• /
• pp.1701-1708
• /
• 2007

Seed pelleting is generally conducted in order to save the labor for sowing and thinning by enabling the precision mechanical planting. In the present study, the influence of physical and chemical properties of pelleting solid materials was investigated on carrot seed germination. Among the pelleting solid materials evaluated, dialite, kaolin, and talc showed low bulk density and high porosity. Bentonite and dialite carried high water holding capacities of 184% and 173%, respectively, while calcium carbonate, calcium oxide, and fly ash showed relatively low water holding capacity. The pH of kaolin (6.8) and dialite (7.4) were close to neutral, while limestone (12.8), calcium oxide (13.0), and bentonite (10.0) were highly basic. High electro-conductivity was shown in limestone and calcium oxide. EDS analysis revealed that the main elemental compositions of talc were Si (71.0%) and Mg (29.0%), and those of calcium carbonate were Ca (66.6%), Si (22.9%), and Mg (10.5%). High granulation capacity was observed from talc and the mixture of talc and calcium carbonate. Seeds pelleted with bentonite showed the highest hardness. The dissolving type of the pellet layer after imbibition was split type in talc, limestone, zeolite, and fly ash, melt type in calcium carbonate and calcium oxide, and swell type in bentonite and vermiculite. The shortest dissolving time of pellet layer was observed from calcium carbonate and kaolin. The germination speed $(T_{50})$ was delayed as the size of pelleted seeds increased. The optimum size of pelleting was 19 ratio in carrot.