PJB-2018-920
SEED CONDITIONING EFFECTS ON GERMINATION PERFORMANCE, SEEDLING VIGOR, YIELD AND QUALITY OF ZINNIA ELEGANS
IFTIKHAR AHMAD
Abstract
Effects of various seed conditioning techniques using priming and magnetic stimulation approaches were evaluated on uniform germination, seedling vigor, flower production, and quality of zinnia (Zinnia elegans Jacq.). Initially, two laboratory experiments were conducted to evaluate priming and magnetic seed stimulation treatments for seed invigoration, followed by comparison of the best performing treatments in field regarding their impact on flower production and quality. In experiment 1, treatments consisted of untreated seeds (control) and seeds primed with either distilled water (DW), 3% moringa leaf extract (MLE), magnetically treated water (MTW; 10 mT for ten min.), or 3% MLE prepared using magnetically treated water at 10 mT for ten min, all being applied for 24 h followed by shade-drying of seeds to their pre-treatment weight. In experiment II, seeds were magnetically stimulated in magnetic field of 25, 50 and 75 mT for 5, 10 and 15 min. In experiment I, 3% MLE exhibited earliest and highest final germination percentage and root length, while hydro-priming induced highest shoot length, seedling fresh weight and seedling vigor index. For experiment II, seeds treated at 25 mT for 5 min. showed highest and earliest germination (T50), but was similar to 50 mT for 5 or 10 min, and 75 mT for 5 min. Magnetic seed stimulation had no significant effect on shoot or root length, seedling fresh weight and seedling vigor index. In field trial, seeds primed with 3% MLE alone or combined with magnetically treated water produced tallest plants due to increase in inter-nodal distance and thus showed greatest canopy diameter. Moreover, use of 3% MLE along with magnetically treated water produced higher number of flowers with greater flower diameter and plant fresh weight, which was similar to magnetically treated water. In summary, seeds primed with 3% MLE or water with or without magnetically treated water performed the best and improved plant growth and yield characteristics of zinnia and may be used by commercial growers for zinnia nursery production.
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