Vegetable Science (2016) 43 (1) : 70-72

Impact of hydropriming treatments on seed invigoration in vegetable pea

(Pisum sativum L.)
VK Sachan, Rabindra Kumar1 and Pankaj Nautiyal

Received: July 2015 / Accepted: May 2016

Abstract attempted with different volumes of water for different

durations to optimize the hydro priming treatments for
Various pre-sowing treatments are reported to improve seed enhancement of seed quality of vegetable pea.
invigoration in vegetable crops. An investigation was carried
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out to standardize the hydropriming techniques for vigour Materials and Methods
enhancement in vegetable pea (variety AP-3) seeds by
The study was carried in the seed testing laboratory of
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optimizing the duration and volume of water to be used.

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Highest germination percentage (98), speed of germination Krishi Vigyan Kendra (ICAR - VPKAS), Chinyalisaur,
(23.9), vigour index-I (3450) and vigour index-II (8.8) were Uttarkashi, Uttrakhand, during Rabi 2007 & 2008. Seeds
observed when the seeds were soaked in double the volume of vegetable pea, variety Azad Pea -3 released by
of water for 2hrs. Increase in germination and vigour in this C.S.A.U.A&T Kanpur (UP) was used for standardizing
treatment was due to the highest initial germination, maximum the hydropriming techniques. The graded pea seeds were
dry matter production and minimum number days required soaked in three different volumes of water (half, equal
for 50% germination. Hydropriming for 8,16 and 32h and double the volume of seed) for five different durations
(prolonged soaking) resulted in lower values in almost all of 2, 4, 8, 16, and 32h. The treated seeds were dried
the parameters and it can be considered as an over priming. under ambient condition until seeds got original moisture
These studies proved the importance of duration of soaking content (Basra et al., 2002). The treatment effect was
and volume of water in pea seed invigoration.
evaluated by testing germination percentage (ISTA 1999),
Keywords: Hydropriming, pea and seed invigoration speed of germination (Maguire et al., 1962) and
determination of vigour index (Abdul et al., 1973). The
Introduction data were subjected to CRD analysis to establish the
Seed vigour enhancement treatments have proven to be effects of treatments over the control.
very effective to achieve rapid and uniform seed Results and Discussion
germination of several vegetables species (Taylor et al.,
1998). Hydropriming is a simple, economical and eco- Results revealed that all studied parameters were
friendly safe type of seed priming in which seeds are influenced by that duration of soaking, volume of water
soaked in water and dried before sowing to accomplish used for soaking and their interaction. The present
seed hydration (Soon et al., 2000). Though investigation revealed 35 per cent improvement in all
hydropriming is a simple technique, report on the benefits germination parameters over control at 2 and 4h soaking.
associated with hydro priming techniques in garden pea Hardly any of treatment of prolonged duration found
are limited and no comprehensive study have been made significantly higher than untreated seeds. Among the
so far to find most suitable technique for vigour quantity of water taken for soaking, half the volume of
enhancement considering the duration of soaking and water registered higher mean values for all the parameters
volume of water required. Hence keeping in view, the except days to 50 % germination and percentage of
prospects of seed priming, a systematic study was radicle protrusion where these values were found to be
lower as compared to equal and double the volume of
Krishi Vigyan Kendra (ICAR - VPKAS) Chinyalisaur, water. Germination percentage, speed of germination,
Uttarkashi, Uttrakhand vigour index-I and vigour index-II as influenced by
1
National Seed Corporation, Shekhpura, Raja Bazar, Patna- 14, different hydropriming treatments are presented in
Bihar table 1.
 Vegetable Science, Vol. 43, January - June 2016 71

Hydropriming resulted in an increase in germination all the cases except 8h soaking with equal and double
from 66 (non-primed) to 98 per cent. But prolonged the volume of water and 32h soaking with double the
soaking of seeds (8h and above) resulted in a decrease volume of water. Maximum vigour index-1 (3450) was
in germination, lesser than control in most of the cases. observed in 2h soaking with double the volume of water
Above 90 per cent could be obtained in all the volumes followed by 4h with half (3265) and equal (3234) volume
of water with 2h and 4h duration with maximum value of water (table-2)
(98%) in 2h soaking with double the volume of water.
Vigour index-II was the highest (8.8) in seeds soaked
This was followed by 4h soaking with half and equal
in the double the volume of water for 2h whereas non-
volume of water (96% germination) and double the
primed seeds recorded a vigour index-II of 3.25. Vigour
volume of water (93% germination). Increase in
index-II was higher than control in almost all except
germination was supported by the number of days taken
two treatments (8h) soaking in equal volume of water
for achieving 50 per cent germination in the present
and 32h soaking in double the volume of water.
study. Fifty per cent germination was earlier (4days) in
all the volumes of water at 2h and 4h soaking period Increase in values of both the vigour indices in the
whereas it took longer days in other soaking durations present study was supported by the results of Kaur et
(Table-1). al., (2002) who reported that hydroprimed gram seeds
showed three fold more vigour than non-primed seeds.
Among the duration, the mean value for speed of
They also suggested that superiority of the hydropriming
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germination was higher in 2h (19.9) and 4h (19.7)

treatments was due to the higher activities of amylase,
soaking. Considering the interaction of soaking durations
invertase, sucrose synthatase and sucrose phosphate
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and volume of water, speed of germination was

synthetase in the seedlings of hydroprimed chickpea
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significantly higher than control (13.1) in 2h and 4h

seeds. The higher amylase in the shoots of hydroprimed
soaking duration with maximum values in 2h soaking
seedlings enhanced the rapid hydrolysis or transitory
with double the volume of water (23.9) and 4h soaking
starch of the shoots leading to more availability of
with equal volume of water (23.3).
glucose for shoots growth and this was confirmed by
Vigour index-I increased significantly due to priming the low level of starch in the shoots of primed seedlings.
and the values were higher than control (1858) in almost It is also known that priming brings the seeds to the

Table 1. Effect of hydro priming treatments on germination percentage, speed of germination and days required for 50 per
cent germination.
Duration Germination percentage Speed of germination Days taken to 50 % germination
(hour) Seed and Water ratio Seed and Water ratio Seed and Water ratio
1: 0.5 1:1 1:2 Control Mean 1: 0.5 1:1 1:2 Control Mean 1: 0.5 1:1 1:2 Control Mean
2 91 91 98 66 87 21 21.6 23.9 13.1 19.9 4 4 4 5.5 4.4
4 96 96 93 66 88 19,9 23.3 22.6 13.1 19.7 4 4 4 5.5 4.4
8 76 48 56 66 62 19.7 9.8 10.8 13.1 13.4 4.5 6.0 5.6 5.5 5.4
16 78 63 66 66 68 13.4 12.4 12.7 13.1 12.9 5.0 6.0 5.5 5.5 5.5
32 81 61 63 66 68 12,9 9.8 9,9 13.1 11.4 6.0 6.0 6.0 5.5 5.9
Mean 84 72 75 66 74 17.4 15.4 16 13.1 15.5 4.7 5.2 5.0 5.5 5.1
T D TxD T D TxD T D TxD
CD at 5% 8.o 14.8 17.9 1.6 2.1 3.6 0.3 0.4 0.6
T = Treatment, D=Duration

Table 2. Effect of hydro priming treatments on seed vigour index and percentage of radicle protrusion in the vegetable pea
seeds
Duration Vigour index-I Vigour Index-II Percentage of radicle protrusion
(hour) Seed and Water ratio Seed and Water ratio Seed and Water ratio
1: 0.5 1:1 1:2 Control Mean 1: 0.5 1:1 1:2 Control Mean 1: 0.5 1:1 1:2 Control Mean
2 2765 3207 3450 1858 2818 6.11 5.57 8.80 3.25 5.93 0 0 0 NIL 0
4 3265 3234 2876 1858 2808 7.90 5.84 3.80 3.25 5.20 0 0 0 NIL 0
8 2009 1274 1420 1858 1640 3.94 2.05 4.13 3.25 3.34 0 0 0 NIL 0
16 2159 1975 2203 1858 2049 4.28 5.15 3.98 3.25 4.17 11 18 14 NIL 11
32 2374 2079 1808 1858 2030 5.22 4.66 3,12 3.25 4.06 9 23 21 NIL 13.5
Mean 2514 2354 2349 1858 2269 5.49 4.65 4.77 3.25 4,54 4.06 8.8 7.6 Nil 5.5
T D TxD T D TxD
CD at 5% 350 452 780 1.15 1.48 2.56
T = Treatment, D=Duration
 72 Sachan et al. : Impact of hydropriming treatments on seed invigoration in vegetable pea

next phase of germination by reducing the days required lCth eVj ¼çtkfr , ih&3½ ds chtksa esa vkst o`f) ds fy, ,d
for germination from sowing (Caseiro et al., 2004). vUos’k.k fd;k x;k ftlls vuqdwyre le; ,oa ty ek=k dk
There was no radicle protrusion in 2h, 4h and 8h soaking mi;ksx fd;k tk ldsA mPpre teko çfr”kr ¼98½] teko xfr
and beyond that, higher percentage of radicle protrusion ¼23-9½] vkst lwpdkad&I ¼3450½ rFkk vkst lwpdkad&II ¼8-8½
was found with maximum values in longer soaking chtksa dh nqxuk ty dh ek=k }kjk 2 ?[Link] rd fHkxksdj ijh{k.k
duration (Table 2). Higher values of 23 and 21 were fd;k x;kA bl mipkj ls teko rFkk vkst dh o`f) dh gqbZ tks
recorded in 32h soaking in equal and double the volume mPp çkjkEfHkd teko] vf/kdre “kq’d inkFkZ mRiknu o 50
of water respectively. It was also found that, in the çfr”kr teko esa yxs fnu }kjk gqvkA gkbMªksçkbfex ds 8] 16 o
present study, no treatment of prolonged duration (8,16 32 ?[Link] ¼yEcs le; rd fHkxksuk½ mipkj ds [Link] ls lHkh
and 32h) performed better than untreated seeds. ?kVdksa esa fuEure ik;k x;k ,oa bls vfrjsd çkbfex dgk tk
Ineffectiveness of this prolonged soaking may be due ldrk gSA bl v/;;u ls eVj ds cht dks fHkxksdj j[kus dk
to the higher rate of radicle protrusion and imbibitional le; ,oa ty dh ek=k ds egŸo dh iqf’V djrk gSA
injury, which is directly related with rate of water
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