Abstract
Seed germination is a crucial step in plant propagation, as it controls seedling production, stand establishment and ultimately crop yield. Approaches that can promote seed germination of valuable crops remain of great interest globally. The current study evaluated the effect of biostimulant (Kelpak® and plant-growth-promoting rhizobacteria—PGPR) biopriming on the seed germination of five (VI037996, VI046567, VI055421, VI050956, and VI033796) Abelmoschus esculentus genotypes. The germination responses of the bio-primed seeds were measured using six parameters, including final germination percentage (FGP), mean germination time (MGT), germination index (GI), coefficient of velocity of germination (CVG), germination rate index (GRI), and time spread of germination (TSG). Biostimulant application significantly affected MGT (1.1–2.2 days), CVG (1.4–5.9), and TSG (1.2–3.0 days). Genotype also significantly influenced the TSG (1–3 days). Significant interaction effect of biostimulant treatment and genotype was evident on the FGP, GI, and GRI of the germinated seeds. The most noteworthy effect was demonstrated by Kelpak® (1:100) applied to genotype VI037996, with significantly improved FGP (82%), GI (238), and GRI (77%/day) when compared to the control. Overall, the current findings suggest the potential stimulatory effect of biostimulants (especially Kelpak®) on the germination of Abelmoschus esculentus seeds. However, this influence was strongly dependent on the type of genotype.
Highlights
The increasing world population has resulted in an increasing demand for food, especially in developing countries
germination index (GI), and germination rate index (GRI) increased with an increase in soaking duration (Table 1)
There was no significant difference in the time spread of germination (TSG)
Summary
The increasing world population has resulted in an increasing demand for food, especially in developing countries. This increase has led to the promotion of multipurpose plant cultivation. The cultivation of these plants is largely dependent on seed germination, which in turn is influenced by several factors [1]. The cultivation of many economically important plants is faced with poor seed germination rate, inadequate seedling emergence, and poor stand establishment, which negatively affects their yield [5]. The application of biostimulants in the form of seed coatings that serve as a suitable delivery system has the potential to enhance germination rate and subsequent seedling establishment [12,13]
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