DefinePK

Abstract

To study the effect of seed priming on growth parameters of okra, a field experiment was conducted in 2013. For this experiment, seeds were primed in PEG-8000 (polyethylene glycol) and Mannitol solutions having 0, -0.4, -0.8, -1.2, -1.6, -2 and -2.4 Mpa osmotic potential while dry seeds were used as control. Randomized complete block design (RCBD) with two factors and sixteen treatments replicated three times was used for this experiment. Field experiment results showed that days to flowering, days to edible maturity, plant height, absolute growth rate and relative growth rate were unaffected by priming agents but significantly affected by osmotic potential, reduction indays to flowering and days to edible maturity occurred as osmotic potential increased from -2.4 to 0 Mpa. Maximum absolute growth rate was recorded at -1.2Mpa osmotic potential. Significantly lowest plant height was recorded for plants raised from unprimed seeds followed by plants raised from seeds primed at lowest osmotic potential i.e at -2.4 and -2 Mpa osmotic potential respectively while highest plant height was recorded for -1.2 Mpa and above this osmotic potential. Highest relative growth rate was recorded for plants grown from unprimed seeds and seeds primed at lower osmotic potential while lowest relative growth rate was observed for plants raised from seeds which were primed at higher osmotic potential.
Keywords: Okra; Polyethylene glycol 8000; Mannitol; Osmotic potential; Seed priming
http://dx.doi.org/10.19045/bspab.2016.50021