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Journal of Food, Agriculture & Environment Vol.10 (2): 675-676. 2012
www.world-food.net
Seed treatment influence with carboxin + Thiram to initial development of safflower
plants
Flávia Rogério *, Tiago Roque Benetoli da Silva, Juciléia Irian dos Santos, Rafaela Alenbrant Migliavacca,
Jaqueline Felix Cazado, Cláudia Regina Dias Arieira, Alexandre de Castro Salvestro, Verena Benício de
Oliveira and Willian Silva Lima
Universidade Estadual de Maringá - Av. Colombo, 5790, 87020-900, Maringá, PR, Brazil. Departamento de Ciências
Agronômicas – Campus Avançado de Umuarama. *e-mail: flaviarogerio@hotmail.com
Received 29 December 2011, accepted 3 May 2012.
Abstract
Safflower (Carthamus tinctorius) is a plant of family Asteraceae native to Asia and is used for ornamental purposes. However, the species has great
potential to be grown for biodiesel. The experiment objective was to evaluate safflower initial development subjected to the seeds treatment with
fungicide carboxin + Thiram. The experiment was conducted in a protected environment, Maringá University, campus Umuarama, Paraná State,
Brazil. Completely randomized design was used with two treatments and ten repetitions. There was no significant difference among treatments for
seedling height, however, there was no difference between treatments for shoot dry mass. It was concluded that seed treatment with carboxin +
Thiram did not negatively affect seedling development.
Key words: Carthamus tinctorius, seed treatment, fungicide.
Introduction
Non-renewable energy depletion has raised several environmental
concerns, which have encouraged the search for new energy
sources such as sun, wind and biofuels 7. Biodiesel appears as an
alternative to oil and its derivatives, since their output is obtained
from renewable sources such as plant oil and animal fat, reducing
the pollutants emission into atmosphere 6. Among the promising
oil and potential candidate for biodiesel production is the safflower
(Carthamus tinctorius L.). This is an oil plant of family Asteraceae,
the same family as sunflower. This species is annual crop,
measuring up to 150 cm tall, has high resistance to drought, high
temperatures, low relative humidity, and is tolerant to saline soils,
and has an oil content in seeds ranging from 30 to 45% 2.
Safflower is native to Asia, relatively recent its potential is being
exploited mainly for ornamental purposes, however, the species
has great ability to be cultivated for the oil to biodiesel production 4.
This species may be limited to its development by problems of
disease attack, both in the shoot, as in the roots, and seeds. Seeds
chemical treatment mainly aims to protect soil microorganisms
that cause decay and also against pathogens conveyed to
storage8. Fungicides use for seeds chemical treatment is one of
the lowest cost methods in the integrated plant diseases control,
not only with the intention to eliminate pathogens associated
with seeds, but also protect seeds and seedlings during the initial
phase pathogens development present in seed and soil 5.
Carboxin + Thiram fungicide has been registered at the
Agriculture Ministry, being systemic in nature and may reduce
Journal of Food, Agriculture & Environment, Vol.10 (2), April 2012
seeds inoculum and protects them at the most critical moment,
which are the first moments in the ground 5. Bittencourt et al. 1
tested the effectiveness of carboxin + Thiram fungicide on peanut
germination, seed vigor and its establishment in the field, noting
that the main beneficial effect of treatment is the significant
reduction of dead seeds and/or the “damping-off” pre-emergence
occurrence. Independently of the ratio of fungicide to water, the
treatment provided efficient control of seed pathogens without
phytotoxic effect.
This study was aimed to evaluate the safflower initial
development, undergoing seeds treatment with fungicide carboxin
+ Thiram.
Materials and Methods
The experiment was conducted under protected crop conditions
at Farm in Umuarama Municipal District, Paraná State, Brazil, at
53º18’48" West longitude and 23º47’55" South latitude and 430 m
of altitude over the sea level. Climate is mesothermal subtropical
with average annual temperatures around 22.1ºC. The local soil is
an Oxisol Udic Dystrophic 10. Experiment installation was
performed on 21th October 2011, using a completely randomized
design with two treatments and ten replicates, totaling 20 plots.
Safflower seeds were divided into two portions, one of which
received treatment with the fungicide carboxin + Thiram (120 mL
ai per 100 kg seeds rate). After treatment, sowing was carried out
using 10 seeds per plastic bag, having a 3 litres volume and 30 cm
675
height. After germination, thinning was carried out, leaving only
two plants per pot. Average of two plants per pot was used in the
experiment.
Evaluations of the seedlings height were made after 7, 14 and 21
days after emergence (DAE). Completed 21 DAE, the shoots were
collected, placed in paper bags and dried for 48 hours in an oven
of forced air ventilation at 65°C temperature.
Statistical analysis was performed following analysis of variance
model with means compared by Tukey’s test at 5% error probability.
Results and Discussion
According to Table 1, there was no significant difference between
treatments for plant height. However, shoot dry matter was
increased by treatment compared to untreated seeds.
Table 1. Height (cm) and shoot dry matter of safflower plants as
a function of seed treatment with carboxin + Thiram,
Umuarama (PR) - 2011.
Treatment
7 DAE*
14 DAE
21 DAE
-----------Plants height (cm)----------
Dry matter
mg
With treatment
3.93 a
4.45 a
5.60 a
32.5 a
Without treatment
3.73 a
4.25 a
5.50 a
20.7 b
19.3
19.6
24.2
29.4
V.C.%
*DAE = Days after emergence
Means followed by same letter in column do not differ by Tukey’s test at 5% error probability.
V.C. = Variation Coefficient.
2
Dajue, L. and Mundel, H. H. 1996. Safflower – Carthamus tinctorius L.
International Plant Genetic Resources Institute, Roma, 83 p.
3
Faria, A. K. Y. K., Albuquerque, M. C. F. and Neto, D. C. 2003.
Physiological quality of cotton seeds subjected to chemical and biological
treatments. Revista Brasileira de Sementes 25:121-127.
4
Girardi, L., Belle, A. R., Backes, F. A. et al. 2010. Emergency speed
index of safflower seeds in two different substrates and retention
capacity. VII ENSub, 15, 2010. UFSM, Anais.
5
Goulart, A. C. P. 2000. Graphite influence added to soybean and cotton
in the efficiency of fungicide treatment. Embrapa Agropecuária Oeste
(Research Bulletin) 8:87.
6
Maia, V. 2009. Plant native Cerrado extends sources for biodiesel
production. Available at http://blogln.ning.com/profiles/blogs/plantanativa-do-cerrado. (Access 11.11.11).
7
Nascimento, U. M., Silva, E. C., Brandão, K. S. R. et al. 2006. Installation
and deployment of low-cost pilot plant for biodiesel production. 1st
Congresso da rede brasileira de tecnologia de biodiesel, Anais.
8
Pereira, O. A. P. 1991. Treatment of maize seeds in Brazil. In Menten,
J. O. M. (ed.). Pathogens in Seeds: Detection, Damage and Chemical
Control. FEALQ, pp. 271-280.
9
Tropaldi, L., Camargo, J. A., Smarsi, R.C. et al. 2010. Physiological and
health quality of castor seeds submitted to different chemical treatments.
Pesquisa Agropecuária Tropical 40:89-95.
10
USDA 1998. Keys to Soil Taxonomy. 8th edn. Natural Resources
Conservation Service. Soil Survey Staff. US Department of
Agriculture,Washington, USA.
This can be explained by the fungicide did not disturb the seed
germination and development, thus showing no phytotoxic effect.
Similar effect was found by Bittencourt et al. 1 with peanut seeds,
using the fungicide carboxin + Thiram. There was no adverse
effect on the seeds, and the incidence of fungi was significantly
reduced in the seeds, thus improving plant growth.
Faria et al. 3 subjected cotton seed to various chemical
treatments and obtained similar performance for germination, vigor
(evaluated for germination at low temperature), dry shoot length,
seedling emergence speed index and mass compared to untreated
control. To dry shoots weight, the difference between the
treatments can be explained by the fungicide did not go into contact
with the plant cotyledons, not having an effect on the shoot.
However, Tropaldi et al. 9 and Faria et al. 3, using castor beans and
cotton, did not obtain differences in shoot dry mass between
fungicide treatment and control. Study of Bittencourt et al. 1 on
peanut seeds treatment with fungicide carboxin + Thiram showed
no negative effect on seed, and treatment significantly reduced
the incidence of seed fungi, thus improving plant growth. In this
study, although there was no difference in seedling height, there
was an increase in shoot dry mass and possibly increased leaf
area, caused by better development depending on the fungicide
treatment.
Conclusions
Seed treatment with fungicide carboxin + Thiram did not negatively
affect the initial seedlings development of safflower, but increased
the shoot dry matter.
References
1
Bittencourt, S. R. M., Menten, J. O. M., Arakl, C. A. S. et al. 2007.
Efficiency of the fungicide carboxin + Thiram seed treatment of peanuts.
Revista Brasileira de Sementes 29:214-222.
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Journal of Food, Agriculture & Environment, Vol.10 (2), April 2012