Effect of hydropriming and osmopriming on seed vigour and germination of Pea (Pisum sativum L.) seeds

The experiment was conducted in Post Graduate Laboratory, Department of Genetics and Plant Breeding, SHUATS, Allahabad, U.P. during Rabi (2016), in order to standardize the best method of priming specific to pea. Four methods of priming viz., osmopriming, and hydropriming, priming were evaluated by screening a range of durations and concentrations viz., T0 - Unprimed Control, T1 - Distilled water hydration (for 12 hrs), T2 - Distilled water (for 24 hrs), T3–Mennitol (3%) hydration (for 12 hrs), T4 – Mennitol (3%) hydration (for 24 hrs), T5 –Glycrol (5%) hydration (for 12 hrs).T6 –Glycrol (5%) hydration (for 24 hrs T7 –Polyethylene Glycol 6000 (20%) hydration (for 12 hrs)T8 – Polyethylene Glycol6000 (20%) hydration (for 24 hrs)It was found that all the priming methods showed significance difference with the control and the highest germination %, seedling length (cm), seedling fresh weight (gm),seedling dry weight (gm) and vigour index were observed in T8for PEG 6000 priming for 24 hrs. The study helps to improve the quality of seeds with the help of seed priming treatments which are cost effective and economic, non toxic, ecofriendly sources.