Seed Hydropriming Enhances Osmotic Stress Tolerance Potential in Vigna radiata

Abstract

Green gram (Vigna radiata (L.) Wilczek) is a widely cultivated pulse crop in India, and it holds a key importance in food supplement due to its protein-rich edible seeds. This crop usually experiences abiotic stresses like drought and salinity during the cultivation period. The investigation was carried out to study the effect of hydropriming on osmotic stress tolerance potential of three Vigna radiata varieties, with varied abiotic stress tolerance potential. Hydropriming enhances the photosynthetic activities of the seedlings. Moreover, hydropriming resulted in reduction of proline content in Pusa Ratna and Pusa 9531 seedlings, whereas the salt-tolerant variety Pusa Vishal showed increase in proline content, especially under stressed conditions. Osmotic stress caused increase in MDA content in all the varieties studied, and this increase was significantly minimized by the influence of hydropriming. Hydropriming also enhanced the activities of antioxidant enzymes in the seedlings. From the results of this study, it is concluded that hydropriming of seeds improved the drought and salinity stress tolerance potential of all the three green gram varieties and it was significantly evident in the abiotic stress-sensitive variety Pusa Ratna as compared to Pusa 9531 (drought tolerant) and Pusa Vishal (NaCl tolerant).