RESPONSE OF SEED PRIMING AND VERMICOMPOST ON GERMINATION, GROWTH AND YIELD OF OKRA

Abstract

The experiment was carried out at the Horticultue farm of Sher-e-Bangla Agricultural University during the period of march to July, 2018. The experiment was carried out to evaluate the response of seed priming and vermicompost on germination, growth and yield of okra .The experiment consists of two factors such as three levels of seed priming treatments viz, P 0 No priming (with water), P ii 1 (Halopriming; CaCl - 1 ppm) and P 2 (Osmopriming; MgSO 4 - 3 ppm) and four levels of vermicompost viz, V

(control; no

vermicompost), V 1 (5 t ha -1 vermicompost), V 2 (7.5 t ha -1 vermicompost) and V 3 (10 t ha -1 vermicompost) was laid out in Randomized Complete Block Design with the three replications. Results showed that the highest percent of (%) seed germination (95.75%) was found from P 2 V whereas the lowest percent of (%) seed germination (73.00%) was found in P 0 V 0 3 . Regarding growth parameters, the highest plant height (152.40 cm) and number of leaves plant -1 (45.40) were achieved from P 2 V . In case of yield contributing parameters and yield, the highest number of flowers plant 3 -1 (32.62), number of fruits plant -1 (23.72), fruit length (18.80 cm), fruit diameter (2.16 cm), single fruit weight (15.34 cm), fruit yield plot -1 (4.36 kg) and fruit yield ha -1 (15.15 t) were achieved from the treatment combination of P whereas the lowest was recorded from the treatment combination of P 0 V . In terms of economic analysis, the highest gross return, net return and BCR (1.70) were obtained from the treatment combination of P 2 V 3 (Osmopriming; MgSO 4 0 2 V 3 2 - 3 ppm with 10 t ha vermicompost) whereas the lowest gross return, net return and BCR (1.17) were obtained from P 0 V 0 . So, treatment combination P 2 V was found promising for okra production.