SEED INVIGORATION TO IMPROVE GERMINATION, SEEDLING GROWTH AND YIELD OF WHEAT

Abstract

The study was conducted with the seeds of two wheat varieties Shatabdi and Bijoy and nine pre-sowing seed invigoration treatments viz., control, hydropriming for 24h, priming with 2% H2O> solution for 6h, hardening for 12h (one cycle), priming with 2% KCl for 12h, priming with KH2PO, 0.5% for 12h, priming with 20% PEG for 24h, priming with 1.6% NaCl for 12h and priming with 2.2% CaCl, for 12h to see the influence of these invigoration treatments to improve germination, seedling growth and yield of wheat. Different seed invigoration treatments had significant effects on germination, vigor and seedling vigor. Germination percentage and co-efficient of germination were the highest in KCI and PEG primed seeds in Shatabdi variety and in case of variety Bijoy germination percentage and co-efficient of germination were the highest in hydroprimed seeds. The highest vigor index and germination index were found in KCl primed seeds in variety Shatabdi, whereas in Bijoy the highest vigor index and germination index were found in hydroprimed seeds. Higher seedling vigor was observed in KCI primed seeds in Shatabdi variety, whereas in Bijoy variety it was observed in hydroprimed seeds. KCI primed seeds had minimum electrical conductivity on all measuring periods than all other treatments in Shatabdi variety, whereas in Bijoy variety hydroprimed seeds had minimum electrical conductivity. In Shatabdi variety the seedlings obtained from KCI primed seeds became autotrophic earlier with KH PO, primed seeds, CaCl) primed seeds and hydroprimed seeds, whereas in the variety Bijoy seedlings obtained from KH PO, primed seeds and CaCl. primed seeds became autotrophic earlier. In phenology, the number of days for attaining different growth stages was affected by the seed invigoration treatments. In Shatabdi variety KC] primed seeds required the highest number of days for attaining different phenological stages, vii whereas in Bijoy variety hydroprimed seeds required the highest number of days for attaining different phenological stages. The seed invigoration treatments had significant effects on plant height, spike length and the yield and yield attributing characters (fertile tiller per plant, grains per spike, grain weight per plant, straw weight per plant and individual seed size) on both of the two varieties. In Shatabdi variety KCl primed seeds were found to be showed better performance in all yield and yield attributing characters, whereas in Bijoy variety better performances were found by hydroprimed seeds. The present study might be concluded as priming of seeds with 2.0% KCI can successfully be integrated for vigor enhancement and yield in Shatabdi and hydropriming of seeds for 24h can successfully be integrated for vigor enhancement and yield in Bijoy.