EFFECTS OF SEED PRIMING ON GROWTH, YIELD AND QUALITY OF SUMMER ONION

Abstract

Seed priming is one of the pre-sowing seed management techniques where the seeds are partially soaked and subsequently dried back for invigorative effect that expresses on field emergence and extend up to yield. A field experiment was carried out to study the effect of different priming treatments on seed germination, plant growth, bulb yield and quality attributes of summer onion. Four priming treatments i.e distilled water, PEG-6000 (10%), IAA (100 ppm) and KCl (2.5%) were used in this experiment. Seeds were immersed in each priming media for 12 and 24 hours. Significant variation recorded among the seed priming treatments with respect to the growth, yield and biochemical characters studied viz., germination percentage, plant height, number of leaves, relative water content, photosynthetic pigments, ascorbic acid, reducing sugar, phenolic content, bulb weight and total bulb yield. The maximum germination percentage (93%), highest plant height (28 cm), highest content of photosynthetic pigment (28.47 mg/g), maximum bulb yield (19.96 t ha ii -1 )

and maximum reducing sugar content (7.41%) were obtained from the treatment PEG 6000 (10%) for 12 hours. It was observed that among the seed priming treatments, PEG 6000 (10%) for 12 hours has showed the best performance in improving germination, growth, yield and quality of summer onion.