Effect of Seed Priming on Productivity of Rainfed Green Gram (Vigna radiata L.) under South-Western Haryana

Abstract

Seed priming is a pre-sowing technique that can improve crop establishment and productivity, particularly under rainfed conditions. A field experiment was conducted during the kharif 2020 season at the Regional Research Station, Bawal, CCS Haryana Agricultural University, Hisar, Haryana, to evaluate the effects of seed priming treatments on the yield attributes and productivity of green gram. The experiment was arranged in a randomised block design with nine treatments and three replications. Treatments comprised hydropriming and osmopriming with 2% KNO₃, KH₂PO₄ or CaCl₂ for 4 or 8 h, together with an untreated control. Seed priming significantly improved yield attributes and yield compared with the control. The highest numerical values for branches plant⁻¹ (7.13), pods plant⁻¹ (16.27), seeds pod⁻¹ (11.31), pod length (8.70 cm), 1000-seed weight (35.94 g), seed yield (1369 kg ha⁻¹), straw yield (3183 kg ha⁻¹), biological yield (4552 kg ha⁻¹) and harvest index (30.1%) were recorded with 2% KH₂PO₄ priming for 8 h. The corresponding control values were 4.73, 10.59, 7.87, 6.43 cm, 31.10 g, 1234 kg ha⁻¹, 2910 kg ha⁻¹, 4144 kg ha⁻¹ and 29.8%, respectively. However, the 8-h KH₂PO₄ treatment was statistically at par with the other 8-h priming treatments, indicating a stronger effect of priming duration than of the priming chemical under the study conditions. Seed priming improved green gram productivity under rainfed conditions, although multi-season, multi-location and economic evaluations are required before a specific treatment is recommended for wider adoption.