Effect of Halopriming on Seed Germination and Seedling Vigor of Solanaceous Vegetables

Abstract

Present study was conducted on seed priming of solanaceous vegetables to explore effects of seed priming on seed germination and vigor of the seedlings. The part of the seed priming was done at the Postgraduate laboratory and another part of seedling growth at the Orchard, Department of Horticulture, Sindh Agriculture University, Tandojam. The seeds were halo primed with NaCl solution (w/v) by maintaining EC at 1, 2, 3 and 4 dS m-1 for 18 hours. The seeds were also primed with distilled water (Hydropriming) and unprimed seeds were taken as control treatment. The experiment was laid out in Completely Randomized Design (CRD) with three replications. The data was recorded on seed germination (%), mean germination time (days), germination index (GI), seedling vigor index (SVI), shoot length (mm), root length (mm), fresh weight of shoot, fresh weight of root and electrolyte leakage of leaf (%). The results revealed that all the observed parameters in the present study were significantly (P<0.05) affected by seed priming treatments and solanaceous vegetables. The results reveals that most of the germination and growth related attributes of the seedlings were observed decreased with increasing levels of NaCl. The best mean results for germination (96.66%), seedling vigor index (1190.9), shoot length (122.48 mm), root length (32.77 mm), fresh weight of shoot (1.99 g) and fresh weight of root (0.60 g) were observed from the treatment where seeds were primed in NaCl solution by maintaining EC of 1 dS m-1.  However, minimum mean germination time (4.44 days) and leakage of the electrolytes was observed from hydro and unprimed seeds, respectively. The interactive effect of seed priming and solanaceous vegetables was also observed highly significant. On the basis of interaction, tomato and chillies produced statistically similar results for germination percentage (100; 100%), germination index (7.73; 8.13) seedling vigor index(1264; 1302), shoot length (126.10; 129.87 mm), root length (34; 33.66 mm), and fresh weight of shoot (2.80; 2.38 g) in response to the treatment where seeds were primed in NaCl solution had EC level of 1 dS m-1. Regarding comparison of the solanaceous vegetables, tomato exhibited the best mean results for most of the parameters included germination percentage (65.56), seedling vigor index (663.02), shoot length (93.61 mm), fresh weight of shoot (1.75 g) and fresh weight of root (0.46 g). The lowest leakage of the electrolytes (10.50%) and minmum mean days to germination (6.22 days) were recorded in Chillies. However, fresh weight of root had statistically no differences among solanceous vegetables.

Keywords: Vegetables, seed vigor, priming, Germination