CALCIUM HYPOCHLORITE AS A SEED STERILIZER* 
James K. Wilson 
For certain physiological experiments seeds and plantlets free 
from active bacteria and fungi are necessary. Most attempts to 
secure such seeds or plantlets in any considerable number have re- 
sulted in failure, usually because of the harmful effects of the germi- 
cide, its low efficiency, or the complicated methods required for 
treatment of the seed. While it is recognized that no germicide will 
give perfect satisfaction under every condition, some are more effective 
in this respect than others. 
The treatment of seed to remove bacteria and fungi, especially 
the latter, has been practiced for a considerable period of time; and 
while one investigator has secured fair results with a particular method, 
another one has considered it a failure, or nearly so, when tested 
on another kind of seed. As a result many methods have been pro- 
posed for seed sterilization with the final condition that most of 
them can not be relied upon to yield a very large percentage of sterile 
plantlets. 
In the following compilation the methods of treatment employed 
by various investigators are summarized together with the seeds treated. 
Author Seed 
Brown and Escombe. Hordeum vulgaris. 
Combes. 
Czapek. 
Godlewski and 
Polzeniusz. 
Disinfectant 
CuS04, 1%, one to two hours. 
HgCl2. 
HgCla, 1%, two minutes. 
HgCl2, i/ioo%. 
Radish. 
Corn. 
Pisum sativum, Vicia Faba, 
Triticum vulgare, Zea mays, 
Ricinus communis, Brassica 
napus. 
Grain. 
Zea mays and others. 
Peas, beans, blue lupine, yel- 
low mustard, red clover, 
sugar beet, wheat, alfalfa, 
and others. 
* Contribution, Laboratory of Plant Physiology, Cornell University. 
420 
Griiss. 
Hansteen. 
Kehler. 
HOH 48 hours. Then in 
HgCU 45 minutes. 
Washed in absolute alcohol 
then in HgCU 1-1,000. 
HgCl2, CH2O, various 
strengths of each. 
