COMPARATIVE EFFECT OF SEED PRIMING AND GROWING MEDIA ON SEED GERMINATION AND SEEDLING GROWTH OF PAPAYA (CARICA PAPAYA L.)

Abstract

An experiment was directed to assess the comparative effect of seed priming and growing media on seed germination and growth of papaya. Papaya seeds were primed in distilled water, 1% potassium nitrate (KNO3) for 12 hours. The un-primed seeds were taken as control. The growing medium was prepared by mixing different ratios of the canal silt, bagasse, and cocopeat. Results have shown that each experimental parameters in the current investigation was influenced by seed priming and growing media. Moreover the findings revealed that, seed priming with distilled water got the highest mean seed germination, seedling vigor index, fresh biomass of shoot and root, dry biomass of shoot, dry root weight, quality index of the seedlings, sturdiness quotient, survival % and mean germination time. While to compare means of the growing media, M2 (Canal silt + bagasse + cocopeat in 1:1:1) medium had the best results for seed germination, seedling vigor index, fresh biomass of shoot and root, dry biomass of shoot and root, quality index of the seedlings, sturdiness quotient, lowest mean germination time and leakage of the electrolytes. It’s determined from the current study that seed priming with distilled water and M2 medium contained canal silt, bagasse and cocopeat in (1:1:1) found optimal for all germination and seedling attributes of papaya.