Indigenous hydropriming practice for fastening seed germination might induce reciprocal effects in chickpea (Cicer arietinum L.) under ―on-farm‖ seed priming scenario

Abstract

From the vedic times, the cultivation of crops in India, were meant for sustenance of mankind. The age old practices transferred across generations have being followed by the young and the old without a second thought. The main land agriculture that has adopted several of these practices has witnessed many a kind of ups and downs from replicating these practices. The lack of a strategic scientific validation aided with the misinformation by passing the indigenous knowledge across generations have caused many a kind of deleterious effects too. One of such traditional practice is the soaking of seeds prior to germination that is being scientifically stated as the seed priming which enhances the process of germination. Though the ―on- farm‖ seed priming technology have been pointed out as a sustainable option for the intensification of agriculture in marginal and tribal belts of the country, its recommendation needs prior standardization in and across various crop genotypes. Hence, in this study the effect of different durations of hydropriming on the germination and growth of Chickpea (Cicer arietinum L.) were assessed. BGD 72 variety of Desi and BGD 128 variety of Kabuli were used for the study. It was observed that there occurs wide variation in germination and seedling growth across the intervals of priming and each positive effect is sharply - duration and genotype specific.