Efficacy of various priming treatments on seed quality, germination enzymes and growth of mungbean cultivars under normal and deficit moisture conditions

An experiment with four priming levels (control, tap water, 0.2% KNO3 and 100 ppm GA₃), three mungbean varieties (Virat, Samrat and Meha), and two moisture levels (normal and drought) was conducted during summer 2018 to find out the suitable and cheaper priming technology for seed. The seed quality parameters significantly improved with the priming treatments in all the varieties evaluated under both normal and drought conditions. Amongst the treatments, 100 ppm GA₃ showed the highest improvement in germination per cent, root, shoot and seedling length, and vigour-I, whereas KNO₃(0.2%) showed maximum seedling dry weight and Vigour-II. All the seed quality parameters showed deterioration under drought condition. The improvement in seedling vigour I & II due to treatment over their respective control was higher in drought condition in variety Virat followed by Meha. However, variety Samrat showed relatively less improvement under drought due to its poor response to priming agents against water deficit condition. Germination enzymes including alpha amylase and protease also showed improvement in their activities; and maximum activity of these was recorded with GA₃ under both normal and drought conditions.