Seed treatment studies for improving seed germination and  vigour in quinoa (Chenopodium quinoa Willd.) genotypes

Rajvir Singh

Seed treatment studies for improving seed germination and vigour in quinoa (Chenopodium quinoa Willd.) genotypes

Date

2024

Authors

Rajvir Singh

Publisher

Punjab Agricultural University

Abstract

The present study entitled „Seed treatment studies for improving seed germination and vigour in quinoa (Chenopodium quinoa Willd.) genotypes‟ was conducted in the Plant Physiology Laboratory, Office of Director (Seeds), Punjab Agricultural University, Ludhiana during 2022-2023. In this study, fifty quinoa genotypes were screened for germination parameters i.e. germination (%), seedling length, seedling fresh weight, seedling vigour index I and II, mean germination time and speed of germination using “between-paper” method. One genotype namely EC 896071 recorded the highest germination i.e. 83.8%. Other genotypes which exhibited germination higher than 40% were EC-896076 (70.5%), EC- 896063 (53.3%), EC-896081 (53%), EC-507739 (43.8%), and EC-896091 (42.5%). Majority of genotypes (44) recorded germination in the range of 8.5-40%. On the basis of performance in Experiment I, six quinoa genotypes viz., EC-507739, EC-896063, EC-896071, EC-896076, EC-896081 and EC-896091 were selected for seed treatment studies for enhancing the germination and seedling vigour. In Experiment II, seed treatments were given to seed by priming and scarification methods i.e. hydro-priming, halo-priming, hormo-priming, acid scarification and hot water scarification. Hydropriming for 2 hrs recorded the highest improvement in mean germination time, speed of germination, germination (%), seedling vigour index I and II. From this study, 2 hour soaking of seed was standardized for other seed treatments also. Seeds were also primed with Mg(NO3)2, KNO3, KH2PO4, H2O2, CaCl2, K2HPO4, ZnSO4, GA3, kinetin, ethrel and scarified with 5% H2SO4 and hot water. A comparison of hydropriming with all other chemical and scarification treatments revealed that hydropriming with 2 hour duration is the best treatment for improving germination and vigour of quinoa genotypes.

Citation

Rajvir Singh (2024). Seed treatment studies for improving seed germination and vigour in quinoa (Chenopodium quinoa Willd.) genotypes (Unpublished M.Sc. thesis). Punjab Agricultural University, Ludhiana, Punjab, India.