Seed priming for increased seed germination and enhanced seedling vigor of winter rice

Abstract Low seed emergence rate, poor seedling growth and low survival rate of winter rice due to cold spell are very common in Bangladesh. Pre-sowing seed priming could be a viable approach to overcome this problem. A laboratory screening of different priming agents was conducted at the Agro Innovation Laboratory, Department of Agronomy, Bangladesh Agricultural University in November 2018. The experiment comprised two factors. Factor A includes five rice varieties, namely i) BRRI dhan28 ii) BRRI dhan29 iii) BRRI dhan36 iv) BRRI dhan55 and v) Hybrid SL-8H; factor B includes 22 seed priming methods comprised different concentrations of NaCl, KCl CaCl2, CuSO4, ZnSO4, Na2MoO4, PEG and control (no priming). The experiment was laid out in a completely randomized design (CRD) with four replications. A positive influence of seed priming on seed emergence rate (%), germination time, seedling vigor and seedling growth (length and dry matter) was evident from this study. Among the priming agents, KCl and CaCl2 performed best; while priming with NaCl, Na2MoO4 and PEG showed no advantages over no priming for germination rate and seedling vigor & growth indices. In conclusion, pre sowing seed priming approach can be explored as a viable tool for increased seed germination and better seedling growth of winter rice under stress condition.