Physio-biochemical responses and crop performance analysis in chickpea upon botanical priming

Abstract Chickpea is a highly nutritious protein-rich source and one of the major crops to alleviate global malnutrition. It is the third-largest legume cultivated globally in arid and semi-arid environments. Chickpea productivity is affected by several factors, among which poor seed quality is one of the significant factors contributing to its decrease in productivity. Seed quality is essential for better crop establishment and higher yields, particularly in the uncertain climate change. The present study investigated the role of botanical priming in enhancing seed quality by investigating physio-biochemical responses and crop performance in chickpeas. The study compared the effects of botanical priming with hydropriming, seed treatment with bavastin and control on medium-vigour chickpea seeds. A detailed physiological (germination percentage, root and shoot length, vigour index) and biochemical (amylase, protease, dehydrogenase, phytase, and lipid peroxidation) analysis was carried out in the laboratory to assess the effect of priming treatments. SDS-PAGE was used to compare seed storage protein expression in primed and control seeds. Seeds treated with 1% turmeric leaf extract displayed a higher germination rate (94.5%) than the control and other priming treatments. Turmeric-primed seeds showed higher seedling length, vigour index, enzyme activity, and lower MDA content. SDS-PAGE analysis revealed the expression of two minor polypeptides of the albumin and three minor polypeptides of the globulin subunit. Moreover, field experiments indicated increased crop growth, vigour, and days to 50% flowering, yield and its attributing traits in turmeric-primed seeds. The study demonstrates that botanical priming can increase the yield of chickpeas by up to 16% over the control group. This study proves that implementing low-cost and eco-friendly seed priming techniques can significantly enhance the genetic potential of chickpeas by improving their physiological and biochemical activities during seed germination and crop growth. Therefore, chickpea growers must adopt botanical priming techniques to improve seed quality and crop performance. This study unequivocally establishes the efficacy of botanical priming as a powerful tool for augmenting chickpea growth. Moreover, this approach is environmentally sustainable and can help conserve natural resources long-term. Therefore, this new approach must be widely adopted across the agricultural industry to ensure sustainable and profitable farming practices.