Effect of Organic Seed Priming on Germination and Seedling Growth of Pumpkin (Cucurbita pepo L. cv. Honey Dessert) in Sindhuli, Nepal

Abstract

Pumpkin is a high-value vegetable in Nepal, known for its unique flavor and market demand. However, low and inconsistent germination rates along with poor seedling vigor remain key challenges in its cultivation. To address these issues, seed priming is a viable option. Hence, an experiment was conducted from March to May, 2024 at Marin, Sindhuli, Nepal to analyze the effect of organic seed priming techniques on germination and seedling growth of Pumpkin. The experiment was laid out in Completely Randomized Design (CRD) with seven seed priming methods i.e., T1 (Control), T2 (Hydro-priming), T3 (Cow urine 6%), T4 (Buffalo urine 6%), T5 (Pig urine 6 %), T6 (Goat urine 6%) and T7 (Human urine 6%) each replicated three times. The results showed significantly the highest germination percentage (85.18%), dry root weight (0.82g), seedling vigor index-I (1819.15) seedling vigor index-II (357.97) in seeds primed with cow urine 6%. On the other hand, the minimum germination % (53.33%), seedling height (12.46 cm), shoot length (1.34 cm), root length (16.63 cm), fresh shoot weight (24.11 g), fresh root weight (2.28 g), dry shoot weight (2.47 g), seedling vigor index-I (957.09), seedling vigor index-II (161.49) were observed in control. In conclusion, seed priming with either cow urine 6% or pig urine 6% could be utilized as an option to enhance the germination and seedling growth of Pumpkin under greenhouse condition.