The effect of combined treatments of pressure, temperature and two disinfectant agents (hypochlorite and carvacrol) applied on alfalfa seeds, on their germination capability as well as on the reduction of the native microbial load of sprouts developed from treated seeds was evaluated by using response surface methodology (RSM). The germination percentage decreased as pressure and carvacrol concentration increased, while calcium hypochlorite concentration had no significant impact on seed viability.

Click here to read the remainder of this article.