ENHANCEMENT THE SEEDLING QUALITY OF OKRA THROUGH PRIMING WITH H2O2

Abstract

The experiment was conducted to evaluate the physiological fluctuations in the seeds of okra seeds primed with the aqueous solutions of H2O2 and to find the suitable strength(s) of H2O2 as the priming material for their highest seedling quality. The experiment had eight treatments: T1 (control/no priming), T2 (hydro-priming in plain H2O) and other six aquatic solutions of H2O2: T3 (0.5%), T4 (1.0%), T5 (1.5%), T6 (2.0%), T7 (2.5%) and T8 (3.0%). The seeds were soaked for six hours in those seven media (T2 toT8). The seeds were dibbled in wooden seed flats filled-in with coarse sand. The experiment was laid-out in the RCBD with three replications. Data collected for the 13 traits were: % germination, % abnormal seedlings, shoot length, root length, seedling length, shoot dry matter, root dry matter, seedling dry matter, number of secondary roots (>1cm) per seedling, number of true leaves per seedling, relative growth rate, seedling vigor index, and root: shoot ratio (dry weight basis). Except the first two traits, the rest 11 were collected at three stages: 10, 20 and 30 days after dibbling (DAD). It was lucid that H2O2 was significantly (P≤0.05%) effective to improve most of the traits noted. But 1% concentration was utmost helpful for both okra and others were toxic and hindered the maximum parameters for all the three species. Nevertheless, further studies with different varieties of those three vegetables species with variable doses of H2O2, priming time and temperature could be explored before drawing valid conclusions.