Application of UV radiation for seed treatment before germination

Seed treatment before sowing and germination is widely used to improve their sowing qualities. For this purpose, seeds are treated with chemical and biological preparations, as well as various types of physical and electrophysical effects: microwave fields, IR radiation, electric current and ultrasound, etc. One of the directions for the use of ultraviolet (UV) radiation is also the treatment of seeds before germination, including for the possibility of year-round production of green vitamin feed additives for animals. The paper presents the results of research on improving the efficiency of seed treatment before sowing and germination using ultraviolet radiation. The design of an installation for ultraviolet seed treatment before germination and the results of experimental studies of ultraviolet irradiation of soybean seeds before germination for vitamin feed are presented. The design of the installation allows to increase the productivity of the process and the uniformity of irradiation of the seed volume. Based on the results of experimental studies, regression equations were obtained to assess the effect of the specific power of UV irradiation (W/m2) and the duration of UV irradiation (s) on the effectiveness of surface disinfection of seeds and their development during germination. According to the data obtained, modes with a specific UV irradiation power of 9 W/m2 and a minimum UV irradiation duration of 30 s can be recommended for production. The specific energy consumption in this case is 270 J/m2.