Effect of Seed Priming on Germination Behavior and Emergence of Wheat (Triticum aestivum L.)

Abstract

The study aimed to evaluate the effects of different priming treatments on the germination, seedling emergence, speed of emergence, vigour index, seedling length, and seedling fresh weight of wheat seeds at the School of Agriculture and Rural Development, Bangladesh Open University, Gazipur, from November to December 2022. Four treatments: Hydro Prime (T1), 2% KCl (T2), 1% KNO3 (T3), and 10% PGE-6000 (T4) were administered, and assessments were conducted Following two intervals viz., 12 and 24 hours of priming. The experiment was conducted using a completely randomized design (CRD) followed by four replications. Notably, 2% KCl consistently demonstrated the highest germination rates, reaching 97.50% after 24 hours of priming. 1% KNO3 also performed well, outclassing other treatments in enhancing germination rates. While Hydro Prime generally exhibited lower germination rates and remained respectable. In terms of emergence, 1% KNO3 consistently showed the highest rates, followed by 10% PGE-6000 and 2% KCl. Hydro Prime displayed lower emergence rates, particularly at the 12-hours. The speed of emergence increased for all treatments, with 2% KCL consistently outperforming others, reaching 45.55% after 24 hours. Longer priming durations consistently resulted in higher vigour index values, with 2% KCL exhibiting the highest at 11.40 after 24 hours. The impact on seedling length varied; 1% KNO3 was most effective after 24 hours, reaching 25.27 cm, while 10% PGE-6000 excelled after 12 hours at 26.92 cm. 1% KNO3 also yielded the highest seedling fresh weight (0.23 gm) after 24 hours, with 2% KCl showing significant increases (0.21 gm). Hydro Prime consistently demonstrated the lowest weights. From the present study, it may be concluded that 2% KCL and 24 hours of seed priming is useful to achieve uniform germination, seedling emergence, and vigour index in wheat.