Physiological, biochemical and molecular parameters for assessing viability and vigour of hot pepper (Capsicum annuum L.) seeds during storage
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Date
2019
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Punjab Agricultural University, Ludhiana
Abstract
The present study was conducted on hot pepper (capsicum annuum L.) cultivar Punjab Sindhuri and hybrid CH-27 seeds. Hot pepper is an important spice crop of India and the quality of its seed is an important commercial trait. However, the seeds undergo loss of quality when stored for intervening months between harvesting and next sowing. To establish the physiological, biochemical and molecular aspects of seed ageing, freshly harvested seeds of hot pepper var. Punjab Sindhuri and hybrid CH-27 were stored in refrigerator (controlled ageing) and at room temperature (natural ageing) for 12 months. The seeds kept for controlled ageing were drawn at 3 monthly intervals and subjected to accelerated ageing for 3, 6, 9 and 12 days respectively. Ageing significantly affected seed quality in terms of physiological (germination per cent, mean days to germination, seedling vigour index, seedling length, seedling fresh and dry weight, electrolytic leakage and moisture content), biochemical (content of total soluble sugars, starch, total soluble proteins, total free amino acids, ascorbic acid, α-tocopherol, malondialdehyde, hydrogen peroxide, change in protein profile by SDS PAGE, activity of enzymes, viz; POD, SOD, CAT, α-amylase activity and molecular (alteration in DNA by SSR markers) aspects. To restore the germinability after storage period the seeds were primed in KNO3, GA3, PEG and Ascorbic acid. All priming treatments significantly improved germination parameters over control but the treatments differed among themselves in magnitude. The improvement in seed quality and germination parameters due to priming was attributed to increased activity of antioxidant enzymes (POD, SOD, CAT) and reappearance of some protein bands degraded during storage.
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