Efficacy of seed priming on growth, flowering and seed yield in marigold (Tagetes spp.)

Field experiments were conducted to study the efficacy of seed priming on growth, flowering and seed yield in marigold varieties Pusa Narangi Gainda (Tagetes erecta) and Pusa Arpita (Tagetes patula). The seeds were primed using deionized water for 12 and 24 h, -0.2, -0.5 MPa Polyethylene glycol (PEG) solution for 24 and 48 h and KNO₃ (2%) for 12 and 24 h. Thereafter, primed seeds along with control (non-primed seeds) were sown in nursery in the second week of October and seedlings were transplanted in the main field after 30 days of sowing. The data revealed that priming of seeds with different solutions significantly improved all the parameters studied as compared to the control. Seeds primed with water for 12 h had highest seed germination percentage in nursery, plant establishment percentage, plant height (at 30 & 60 days), number of branches per plant, flower yield per plant, number of days for seed maturity, seed yield per plant, 1000-seed weight followed by osmotic potential of-0.5 MPa PEG for 24 h. The minimum improvement in all the parameters was observed in KNO₃ (2%) primed seeds for 24 h. It is concluded from the experiment that seed priming hastened and improved seed emergence and enhanced flower and seed yield of marigold.