The fumigation of seeds with methyl bromide

SUMMARY Forty varieties of vegetable, cereal, fodder and grass seeds at 10, 13 and 16% moisture content were fumigated with methyl bromide at 10 and 18 o C, to determine the maximum safe moisture content required to avoid unacceptable phytotoxicity. Dosages (concentration x time products) of 200 and 400 mg h/1 of technical and commercial methyl bromide were used and treated seeds were compared with controls in germination tests. Results were not consistent, but in c. 30 % of the comparisons lower moisture contents, lower temperature and lower dosage each resulted in better germination than the corresponding higher values. The reductions in germination of treated samples were usually less than 5 % and the overall average reduction was only 2.3%. This work showed that under controlled conditions the treatments are safe for most of the tested varieties of seed, but for some seeds, particularly white clovers, Agrostis and runner beans, the highest moisture content (16%) should be avoided.