Millet seed storage under controlled moisture content

Goal. To determine millet seed longevity at moisture content 5-7% under medium-term storage conditions at average annual temperature not exceeding 9℃. Results and Discussion. Seed longevity of prosomillet (Panicum miliaceum L.) var.aureum, var.badium, var.coccineum, var.flavumvar. rubrum, var.sanguineum, var.subatrocastaneum, var.subbadium, var.subcandidum, var.subcoccineum, var.subflavum, var.thephrum and elephant grass/wild millet (Panicum maximum Jacq.) samples of different years of reproduction were studied. The seeds of experimental samples with moisture content 5-7 % were stored in the depository of eastern forest-steppe of Ukraine at unregulated temperature with average annual temperature 9 ℃ for more than 10 years. High longevity of proso millet seeds with initial germination rate more than 95 % was established. No advantages of seed longevity of individual proso millet varieties were found. There was no unambiguous dependence of studied proso millet samples seed longevity on meteorological formation conditions and seed color under specified storage conditions. The longevity of proso millet seeds depends on sample genotype. Conclusions. Proso millet seed longevity is high at seed moisture content 5-7% and average annual temperature not more 9 ℃. There was not determined advantages of seed longevity of individual proso millet varieties and seed color under the investigated storage conditions.