PEG Induced Drought Stress Effects on Germination and Seedling Traits of Tossa Jute (Corchorus olitorius)

This study investigated the effects of polyethylene glycol (PEG)-induced osmotic stress on the germination and seedling growth of five tossa jute varieties under three treatment conditions: control, PEG 5%, and PEG 10%. Significant reductions were observed in germination percentage (GP), seedling length and fresh and dry weight of root and shoot under PEG treatments. Total length (TL), root length (RL) and shoot length (SL) were reduced under PEG stress, particularly in varieties Acc. 1148(V2) and Acc.6099(V3). PEG reduced mean GP from 94.4% (control) to 87.1% (PEG 5%) and 88.8% (PEG 10%), and reduced mean shoot length by 16–24%, while root length was largely maintained or increased, indicating a shift in early biomass allocation under osmotic stress. BJRI Tossa pat 5(V4) consistently showed the highest tolerance to PEG stress, maintaining relatively better germination, seedling growth, root length and biomass compared to other varieties. Correlation study revealed that, early seedling vigor in tossa jute is strongly influenced by root length, root biomass and total dry matter accumulation. The positive associations between GP, TL and RW highlight their importance as selection indices for drought tolerance while negative correlations of shoot weight with root traits indicate an adaptive balance between root and shoot under water deficit. BJRI Tossa pat 5 was identified as a promising genotype for early-stage drought tolerance but subsequent validation is needed under field water-deficit conditions.