DOI: https://doi.org/10.36347/sjavs.2025.v12i06.002

Pages: 213-220

The present study has been undertaken to evaluate the effect of distillery effluent (stillage) on seed germination in Zea mays, Phaseolus vulgaris and Arachis hypogaea. The effect of different concentrations T0 (tap water), 10% (T1), 20% (T2), 50% (T3), 75% and T5 (100% of distillery effluent) on seed germination percentage, vigor index, tolerance index, phytotoxicity percentage, number of seed germination, the length of the radicle, seedling length, root length and radicle length were recorded for each plant species after 15 days. For Zea mays, T2 has the highest germination percentage; followed by T3 for Phaseolus vulgaris and by T0 for Arachis hypogea. The phytotoxicity percentage is high in T5 for Phaseolus vulgaris. The diluted effluent had statistically significant effects on the measured parameters. The high concentrations of stillage inhibited the root and radicle length of seedlings in Arachis hypogaea. Based on the tolerance to distillery effluent, the crops studied have been arranged in the following order Zea mays > Phaseolus vulgaris > Arachis hypogaea. The seed germination and growth parameters increased in lower (10% et 20%) concentrations of distillery effluent and the morphological parameters gradually decreased with increasing effluent concentration. We conclude that the effect of the distillery effluent is crop-specific and due care should be taken before using the distillery effluent for irrigation purposes.