Seed Treatment methods in Organic farming

Seed Treatment with Natural Preparations in Organic farming: 

Seed treatment helps in seed germination and protects the seeds from diseases during germination and plant growth. 

Beejamrutha (or Bijamrita): 

Method and use of Beejamrutha: 

1. a) Ingredients: Ratio: (20:5:5:0.05)
2. b) Water: 20 liters
3. c) Cow urine: 5 liters
4. d) Cow dung: 5 kg
5. e) Lime: 50 g
6. f) Soil from the termite mounds: One handful

Preparation Method:

1. Take cow dung in a cotton cloth, knot the cloth tightly, and hang it in a 19-litre water drum for 12 hours.
2. Take 1 liter of water in another container, add 50 grams of lime, and let it sit overnight.
3. After 12 hours, squeeze the soaked dung by hand and mix it.
4. Pour 5 liters of country cow urine, lime water, and the lime and termite mound soil into the dung water drum. Stir it clockwise and keep it for 12 hours after mixing.
5. Keep the solution overnight and use it the following day.

Storage: Beejamrutha should be used within 48 hours.

Method of application:

1. Use 200 ml of Bheejamrutham per 1 kg of hard-coated seed (such as cotton, pulses, and sunflower).
2. Sprinkle the Bheejamrutham on the seeds with thin coatings. For example, don’t rub the seeds like groundnut.
3. Dip seedlings in Bheejamrutham for seedling treatment.
4. Seed treatment with Cow urine +Cow dung+Soil from the termite mounds 

Required ingredients:

1. Cow urine -2 litre 
2. Cow dung-1 Kg
3. Soil from the termite mounds-1Kg 

Mix all ingredients gently, treat seeds with a mixer and then shade dry the treated seeds for 2-3 Hrs. 

1. Seed treatment with Cow urine, Cowdung ash, and Asafoetida : (Ratio:1:0.5:0.1)
2. a) Cow urine -1 liter
3. b) Cow dung ash -500g 
4. c) Asafoetida -100g 

Mix all ingredients gently, treat seeds with a mixer, and then shade dry the treated seeds for 2-3 hours. 

1. Cow milk and water 1:9 ratios mix and sprinkle on seeds and need to sow after drying out in the shade.
2. 1 kg of seed was treated with 200 ml of cow urine.

Bheejaraksha: 

Ingredients:

1. Red soil: 100g
2. Soil from the termite mounds: 100g
3. Cow dung ash/wood ash: 100g
4. Asafoetida: 20g
5. Turmeric powder: 20g
6. Cow urine: 10ml

Method of preparation:

1. Take sieved red soil and soil from termite mounds and mix them. Also, mix asafoetida and turmeric powder in the mixture of red and termite mound soil.
2. Thoroughly mix the above ingredients while slowly adding cow urine.
3. Then, fill the mixture into a glass bottle. It can be stored for 6 months at room temperature.

Method of application:

1. Spread seeds on a gunny bag and wet the seeds with rice porridge.
2. Then, spread 10g of Bheejaraksha on 1kg of seeds and mix it gently.
3. Seed ball techniques (pelleting): 

Mix 1 kg of cotton seeds with 200ml of neem oil, paste it with fresh cow dung, dry it overnight, and then use it for sowing. This method protects seeds from insects, ants, and dry spells. It germinates when it rains. 

1. Seed treatment with cow urine, Asafoetida, and Jaju 
2. Take 200 ml of cow urine, 5 grams of Asafoetida, and 5 grams of Jaju mixed well and treat 1 kg of seeds, keep 2-3 hrs for shade, and then proceed for sowing. 
3. Seed treatment with Asafoetida: Mix 5g of Asafoetida in 200ml of water and mix well. Take one kg of seeds, gently sprinkle on seeds, keep 2-3 hrs for shade, and then proceed for sowing. 

Uses: protects seeds and seedlings from soil insects.

Seed treatment with vermi-wash: 

Take 200 ml of vermi-wash and soak the seed for 15 minutes, then shade it dry for 2-3 hours. 

Seed Treatment by Using Biological Control Agents and Bio-fertilizers

1. Seed treatment with Trichoderma and Pseudomonas for controlling soil-borne diseases effectively. 
2. Trichoderma, Pseudomonus, and Azotobactor for non-legume crops. Trichoderma and Pseudomonus are useful for controlling diseases and Azotobactor for nitrogen fixation. 
3. Trichoderma, Pseudomonus and Rizobium legume crop. Trichoderma and Pseudomonus are useful for controlling diseases and Rhizobium for nitrogen fixation. 
4. Seed treatment with VAM (vesicular–arbuscular mycorrhiza)+ Rhizobium bacteria/Azotobactor + Trichoderma and Pseudomonas: 

Uses: Rhizobacteria and VAM confer stress tolerance to the host plants. 

Trichoderma and Pseudomus effectively control soil-born and seed-born diseases.