Publication Date
12-2024
Abstract
Seed priming is a critical pre-sowing strategy to enhance germination and early seedling vigour under diverse environmental conditions. This study evaluated the effects of various priming agents, including Boric acid, DAP, CaCO3, FeCl2, Urea, PEG (5%), CuSO4, MOP, PEG (10%), and ZnSO4, on germination parameters-germination percentage (GP), germination speed (GS), germination energy (GE), and vigour index (VI)-across rice, wheat, and maize varieties. A two factorial experiment was conducted using a completely randomized design, with ANOVA revealing significant effects (p < 0.001) of variety, treatment, and their interaction on germination traits. The results demonstrated that FeCl2 significantly improved germination in rice, particularly for the BRRI Dhan-66 variety, while CaCO3 and PEG treatments showed varying efficacy across crops. In wheat, the Bijaya variety exhibited superior performance with CaCO3 treatment, whereas DAP was more effective for Banganga. Maize showed the highest germination rates overall, with Sundarharaicha-LR1 responding positively to ZnSO4 and boric acid. Correlation and PCA analyses highlighted strong interdependence among germination traits, with GS and GP emerging as robust indicators. Varietal clustering in PCA revealed genetic variability in response to priming agents. This study provides valuable insights into optimizing priming techniques for enhancing seed performance in cereals. The findings emphasize the importance of tailored priming strategies based on crop species and variety to maximize agricultural productivity.
Recommended Citation
Yadav, S. P. S., Mehata, D. K., Bhandari, S., Ghimire, N. P., Bhattarai, S., Kattel, I., ... & Bhujel, S. (2024). ROLE OF CHEMICAL PRIMING AGENTS IN MODULATING GERMINATION RESPONSES TO ENHANCE CROP ESTABLISHMENT IN CEREAL CROPS. Agricultural Research Journal, 10(6).