Fruit yield and yield-related traits of okra [Abelmoschus esculentus (L.) moench] genotypes as influenced by different seed priming techniques in Dire Dawa, Ethiopia

Abstract

Okra is a commercially important vegetable crop that grows in tropical, subtropical, and warm temperate parts of the world, but its productivity is hindered by a lack of improved cultivars and delayed and erratic seedling emergence in the field. An experiment was conducted to evaluate the effect of seed priming treatments on okra genotypes' seedling emergence and fruit yield. In this experiment, Clemson spineless, Arka Anamika, SOH701, 240,207, and 240,586 okra genotypes were primed with tap water, 50% cow urine, 200 ppm GA3, and 0.5% KH2PO4 as treatments, and dry seed of each genotype was used as a control. The experiment was conducted in Dire Dawa by irrigation in a randomized complete block design with three replicates. GenStat software was used to analyse all the data collected in this experiment. Genotype and seed priming treatments significantly affected phenology, growth, fruit yield, and yield-related traits, and their interactions affected the above traits, except for days to seedling emergence and fruit number per plant. Genotype Clemson spineless (5.13 days) and seed primed with GA3 (4.6 days) had the shortest days to 50% seedling emergence, and genotype 240,586 primed with KH2PO4 produced the highest fruit yield per hectare (37.78 t ha−1). So, farmers in the study area are advised to use genotype 240,586 with KH2PO4 seed priming to increase fruit yield. However, research conducted at one site should be repeated at multiple sites in order to make recommendations that are relevant to the country.