Study of the effect of seed priming with antioxidants on seed quality of fresh and old seed lot of onion (Allium cepa L.)

Abstract

An experiment was conducted to study on effect of seed priming with antioxidants on seed quality of fresh and old seed lots of onion seeds Cv. Arka Kalyan in the Laboratory of Department of Seed Science & Technology, College of Agriculture, Raichur. The onion seed lots were primed with KNO3 (1%) and (2%), ascorbic acid (50mg/L) and (100mg/L), alpha tocopherol (0.5%) and (1%), glutathione (0.05%) and (0.1%), combination of ascorbic acid, alpha tocopherol and glutathione (A+T+G) (0.5%+0.3%+0.05%) and chitosan (0.25%), (0.5%) and hydro priming. The results revealed that among the seed priming treatments, the seeds primed with combination of ascorbic acid, alpha tocopherol and glutathione (T11) recorded the highest germination (90.75%), speed of germination(29.47), shoot length (7.68 cm), root length (6.90 cm), seedling dry weight (19.52 mg) and seedling vigour index (1404). The biochemical parameters like dehydrogenase enzyme activity and alpha amylase activity (0.868 OD value and 20.27 mm, respectively) were significantly highest in T11 treatment. Between the lots fresh seeds recorded higher seed quality than old seed lot and the effects of seed priming treatments were more pronounced in old seed lot compared to fresh seed lot.