EFFECT OF DIFFERENT SEED PRIMING METHODS FOR IMPROVING GERMINATION AND SEEDLING GROWTH OF SOME SELECTED SOLANACEAE CROPS: CHILLI, CAPSICUM AND TOMATO

Abstract

Seed quality deterioration during storage, poor and uneven germination, low seed vigor, and weak seedling growth are major constraints in crop production. Seed priming, a controlled hydration treatment that activates pre-germinative metabolism without allowing radicle emergence, can effectively overcome these limitations. This study evaluated the effects of organic and chemical seed-priming treatments on the germination and seedling growth of tomato (Solanum lycopersicum), chilli (Capsicum annuum), and capsicum (Capsicum annuum). The priming treatments included moringa dry and fresh leaf extracts, coconut water, cow urine, rice husk ash-based solid matrix conditioning, distilled water, sucrose solution, eggshell–vinegar extract, and potassium nitrate (KNO₃) applied at different concentrations and soaking durations. Non–primed seeds served as the control. After priming, the seeds were washed, dried back to their original moisture content, and germinated under a completely randomized design with three replicates of ten seeds each. Treatments were grouped separately based on germination rate index (GRI) and seedling vigor index (SVI) using hierarchical cluster analysis, with the optimal number of clusters determined using SAS. Significant differences among clusters were assessed by one-way ANOVA under a generalized linear model followed by Duncan’s multiple range test. For each crop, the best-performing clusters for GRI and SVI were identified from the cluster means, and treatments common to both were considered the most effective. Organic primers were given priority when their performance was comparable to that of chemical primers. The most effective treatments were coconut water (50%, 12 or 24 h) and sucrose solution (20%, 12 h) for chilli; cow urine (10%, 12 or 24 h; 20%, 12 h) and sucrose solution (10%, 12 h) for capsicum; and eggshell–vinegar extract (100%, 12 h), coconut water (50%, 24 h), moringa dry leaf extract (10%, 12 h), and KNO₃ (2%, 12 h) for tomato. Organic priming agents performed comparably to chemical primers, offering low-cost, eco-friendly, and accessible options for enhancing seed germination and seedling growth of the tested Solanaceae crops.