Effect of osmopriming and thermopriming on amelioration of mercuric chloride stress tolerance in mungbean (Vigna radiata L.)

Abstract

Present work is based on presumptions that soak through of Vigna radiata seeds in osmotin like Polyethylene glycol (osmopriming) and low temperature treatment (thermopriming) has revealed to be a fundamental, impregnable and inexpensive technique for capability of seeds to increase seedling development and crop production through induced mercuric chloride stress of 5 ppm and 10 ppm recommended to persuade resistivity in test specie. Seeds of Vigna radiata variety (Ramzan) collected from National Institute of Food and Agriculture Islamabad were sown in earthen pots having 18 cm lower and upper inside diameter, height and thickness of 20 cm and 2 cm respectively occupied with air dried soil and silt 2.5 kg of (2:1) in triplicates in the greenhouse, Department of Botany, University of Peshawar. The result concluded that thermoprimed seeds with 4 °C has significant effects on most of the physiological attributes including chlorophyll ‘a’, ‘b’, carotinoids, protein and proline content in the treatments including T7 (4 °C), T8 (4 °C + 5 ppm HgCl2), T9 (4 °C + 10 ppm HgCl2) followed by osmopriming with PEG in the treatments e.g. T4 (PEG), T5 (PEG + 5 ppm HgCl2), T6 (PEG + 10 ppm HgCl2). While in case of POD and SOD content in T2 (5 ppm HgCl2) and T3 (10 ppm HgCl2) the non significant differences with T9 (4 °C + 10 ppm HgCl2) at P ≤ 0.05 indicating the enhanced level of tolerance in Vigna radiata after osmo and thermopriming. The study revealed the degree of resistivity to different levels of induced mercuric chloride stress signifying successful demonstration of priming method will support agricultural manufacturing to advance seed quality and germination rate beside with deactivating osmotic modification by improving POD and SOD content.