Studies on effect of polymer seed coating, nanoparticles and hydro priming on seedling characters of Chickpea (Cicer arietinum L.) seed

Abstract

A laboratory study was undertaken to know the effect of seed polymer coating, nanoparticles (NPs) Zn, Fe at different concentration (10 and 25 ppm), ZnSO4, FeSO4 (100 and 500 ppm) and hydropriming with different durations (6 and 12 hrs.) on seedling characters of chickpea seed. At the Department of Genetics and Plant Breeding, Naini Agricultural Institute, Sam Higginbottom University of Agriculture, Technology and Sciences. Among the treatments seed polymer coating with Fe NPs at 25 ppm recorded significantly higher seed germination (87.25%), speed of germination (86.75%), seedling root length (19.36cm), seedling shoot length (12.98), seedling length (32.34 cm), seedling dry weight (1.54g), seedling fresh weight (7.90), seedling vigour index I (3234.00), seedling vigour index II (406.96) and lowest abnormal seedlings (2.50%) over their bulk forms and control followed by Fe and Zn NPs at 25 ppm. The hydropriming have positive influence on seed quality parameters of chickpea individually but the effect of priming method was found significant. Hence, from the results it is concluded that Fe and Zn NPs at 25 ppm can be used to enhance quality of the chickpea seed.