Seed quality enhancement through seed priming in pigeonpea [Cajanus cajan (L.) millsp.]

Abstract

Experiment was conducted in the Seed Testing Laboratory during 2013 and 2014 at RARS, UAS Campus, Vijayapur, Karnataka State. The seeds were primed by soaking in different leaf extracts and chemical solution for one hour and then decanted the extracts and seeds were air dried under the shade to bring back to their original moisture content and used for seed quality studies. Seed germination was significantly influenced by age of the seeds and its interaction with botanicals and chemicals. Among the treatments, botanicals viz., Prosopis leaf extracts @ 2per cent recorded higher seed germination followed by Pongamia leaf extract @ 2per cent. Whereas, in chemicals higher germination was seen in KNO3@ 0.5 per cent but at par with CaCl2.2H2 O @ 2 per cent. Lower seed germination was obtained with water soaked and control. The present investigation indicate that, seed priming with 2.0 per cent Prosopis leaf extract for one hours soaking enhanced the seed and seedling quality characters and hence it could be adopted as a pre-sowing seed priming treatment in pigeon pea.