Comparative Study on The Disinfection Effect of Green Manure Crop Seeds Through Hot Water Soaking

Background: Green manure crops are cultivated to address the challenge of continuous medicinal plants cropping. However, fungal and bacterial growth during seed storage hinders their use. To mitigate this, seed disinfection methods such as hot water treatment are used to reduce microbial contamination and enhance germination rates.BR/Methods and Results: We studied the effects of seed storage on contamination and germination of three green manure crops, six rye varieties, and one hairy vetch variety. Along with germination rates, fungal and bacterial infection rates were assessed by plating seeds on water agar and identifying the through culture, microscopy, and morphology. Hot water treatments for varying durations at 45℃, 50℃, and 55℃ were tested to evaluate sterilization and germination impacts. Alternaria sp. and Pseudomonas sp. were common across taxa and affected germination and growth. ‘Nemajang-hwang’ had low levels of infection and high germination. Meanwhile, hairy vetch had higher levels of infection and an 82.2% germination rate. Rye varieties varied, with ‘Egreen’ having the most successful results. Hot water treatment at 50℃ for 20 min was the most effective method for balancing disinfection and germination.BR/Conclusions: This study has demonstrated that microbial infection and germination rates vary among green manure crops. Hot water treatment at 50℃ for 20 min effectively sterilized the seeds while maintaining their germination rate. These findings suggest that optimized disinfection techniques can enhance seed quality and support sustainable agriculture.