Physical properties of sesame seeds coated with different materials and treatment products

Knowledge of the physical properties of seeds, whether coated or not, is fundamental for the design of various equipment related to the sowing or storage process. In view of the above, the aim of this study was to determine the physical properties of sesame seeds coated with different formulations, containing bentonite and gypsum, and treated with fungicide and plant extract. The research was conducted at the Agricultural Products Storage and Processing Laboratory, at the Federal University of Campina Grande, Paraíba, Brazil. The sesame seeds of the cultivar BRS Seda were embedded with five different combinations of bentonite and gypsum and treated with a fungicide (carboxin + thiram) and clove plant (Syzygium aromaticum L.). The retention of seeds in the sieves, porosity, angle of rest and resistance of the covering to falling were evaluated. The experiments were organized in a completely randomized design and arranged in a factorial scheme. Data were submitted to analysis of variance and means, when necessary, were compared using the Skott-Knott test (P ≤ 0.05). It was found that formulations containing bentonite in greater proportion exhibited greater size, porosity, and resistance to falling. Thus, bentonite is a promising material to be used in the coating process.