Browsing by Author "Suma Madhavan"

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    Seed requirements for quality cashew sprout production
    (Department of Plantation, Spices, Medicinal and Aromatic Crops, Vellanikkara, 2023-03-23) Suma Madhavan; Jalaja S Menon
    Cashew is an important dollar earning plantation crop grown for its delicious kernels. In Kerala, during harvest few nuts may escape collection and the hidden ones will germinate with the onset of rain. These germinated nuts called as cashew sprouts are traditional delicacy among rural people. Cashew Research Station, Madakkathara has commercialised the traditional technology of sprout production which open up an alternative market to cashew growers. Sprout and micro greens are now popular owing to its nutritive value. Commercialization of traditional technology of cashew sprout production needs systematic study on influence of seed nuts characteristics on quality of produce. In this context, the study was formulated to evaluate the response of seed nut size, pre-soaking treatments and varieties on production of quality cashew sprout. The cashew seed nuts available at cashew research station Madakkathara used as study material and the production was done in a specially designed germination chamber. The seed nut size had significant influence on sprouting behaviour and recovery of sprout. Small (below 5 g) and medium (5-7 g) sized nuts recorded lowest mean sprouting time (14.02 and 14. 52 respectively), days to sprout (12 and 12.33 respectively). But there was no significant difference in percent sprouting. Whereas cotyledon recovery (5.76g) and total weight of sprout (7.73g) were significantly high in sprout produced from large seed nut (above 7g). However, the total outturn of sprout from one kilogram of seed nuts was significantly high when small seed nut of below 5 g was used for sprout production (710.5g/kg). The study also elucidated that total outturn had significant negative correlation with seed size, mean sprouting time and days to sprout and significant positive correlation with percent sprouting and sprouting index. Influence of storage of seed nuts on sprouting has shown that there was no significant difference in percent sprouting and sprouting behaviour in seed nuts of current season harvest and seed nuts of previous season harvest stored under temperature 21 0C and relative humidity of 65 %. All seed nuts of previous season harvest stored under ambient condition failed to germinate even with various presoaking treatment. While evaluating the 14 pre-soaking treatments of seed nuts of current season on sprouting behaviour, it was observed that highest percent sprouting (87.5%) was observed in treatment T3 (soaking in water for 72 hours). The days to sprout (11.5 days), days to fifty percent sprouting (13.83days) and mean sprouting time (13.62 days) was significantly low in the same treatment. The seed nut of previous season harvest stored in storage chamber recorded the highest percent germination (80%) days to sprout (12.50 days), days to fifty percent sprouting (14.12 days) and mean sprouting time (13 days) in treatment T4 (soaking of nuts in water for 96 hours.).The pre-soaking has no significant difference in cotyledon characters, total weight of sprout and cotyledon recovery of sprout. The outturn of sprout from one kilogram of seed nut was significantly high when seed nut were pre-soaked in water for 72 hours. The harvested sprouts stored in aluminium laminated cover recorded the lowest physiological loss in weight. The overall acceptability of stored sprout was also significantly good when stored in aluminium laminated cover. The colour of the sprout retained when stored in aluminium laminated cover up to 4 days (150- medium yellow green – A). The viable bacterial count and fungal count was significantly low in sprout stored under aluminium laminated cover. Cashew varieties showed significant difference in sprouting behaviour and recovery of cashew sprout. The percent sprouting was significantly high in variety Anakkayam-1 (97%) and VRI-3 (96%). The total weight of sprout and cotyledon recovery recorded significantly high values in variety NRCC Selection-2 (8.67, 6.76 g respectively).The outturn of sprout from one kg of seed nut was significantly high in variety Anakkayam-1 (675 g/ kg). The outturn of variety Madakkathra-1 (588.4g/kg) was at par. The bio chemical qualities of sprout viz. total sugar (3.3 %), iron (18.65 mg/100g), protein (3.05g/100g) free amino acid (3.33g/100g) were significantly high in variety Anakkayam-1 .The tannin content was the lowest in variety Anakkayam-1 (2.82mg/100g) and Madakkathara-1 (3.70mg/100g).The organoleptic qualities of variety Anakkayam-1, was also preferred over other varieties.