Physiological quality of hybrid maize seeds during containerized-dry storage with silica gel

Seed storage operations in the tropics would benefit from low input techniques that can maintain seed physiological quality for considerably long periods without investments in cooling. A study was conducted to evaluate seed vigour and estimate seed longevity in maize during dry storage with commercial desiccant (silica gel) at various levels of gel/seed ratios in air-tight containers under ambient tropical temperature. Seed moisture content (MC) was lowest indicating effective drying at 1:1 gel/seed (100 g of seed stored over 100 g of gel) and 1:2.5 gel/seed ratio (100 g of seed stored over 80 g of gel) during 2 trials set up in 2005 and 2006. After 4 months of storage, laboratory seed germination capacity and vigour variables were consistently higher (p