Seed Quality Enhancement through Different Priming Treatments in Onion (Allium cepa L.)

Abstract

In a meticulously executed experiment at the Department of Horticulture, College of Agriculture, Jawaharlal Nehru Krishi Vishwa Vidyalaya, Jabalpur, Madhya Pradesh, during the Rabi season of 2022-23, In the experiment, treatments were arranged in a Factorial Randomized Block Design (FRBD) with two factors concepts. The first factor was mobilized with twelve distinct seed priming treatments i.e.; KNO3 (2%), TiO2 (500ppm), PEG (1MPa), Salicylic acid (50ppm), Pseudomonas (1%), along with water as a control treatment. The second factor assigned to onion varieties i.e., Phule Samarth and B780) Among the findings, the combination of B2A1 (TiO2@ 500 ppm + Phule Samarth) significantly influenced radicle emergence time, while B2A2 (TiO2 @500 ppm + B780) exhibited a noteworthy impact on initial germination counts and final germination counts. Moreover (TiO2 @ 500ppm + B780) recorded distinct effects on plumule length and radicle length. In terms of vigour, variety A2 (B780) demonstrated the highest vigour I with TiO2 @ 500ppm. The results highlighted TiO2 @ 500ppm as the most effective priming agent, with PEG -1Mpa showing less efficacy in promoting seed Vigour II. Additionally, KNO3 @ 2% emerged as a promising agent, and the Phule Samarth variety exhibited a slightly higher mean dry weight compared to B780. Notably, the combination B6A1 (Water + Phule Samarth) resulted in the highest mortality %, while B1A1 (KNO3 @ 2% + Phule Samarth) was particularly associated with intensified pyruvic acid synthesis. Furthermore, the maximum TSS content was observed for B1A1 (KNO3 @ 2% + Phule Samarth), underscoring the intricate interplay between priming and genetic factors.