Rice (Oryza sativa L.) Seed Priming: It’s Effect on Seed Germination and Seedling Emergence of Spring Varieties in Kapilvastu District, Nepal

This study aimed to determine the effect of seed priming (on-farm, hydro, halo, osmo, vitamin c priming, and hardening) on the germination and seedling growth of spring rice varieties: hardinath-3, hardinath-1, and chaite-5 at ambient room temperature. A factorial completely randomized design (CRD) was carried out with two factors: methods of priming and varieties at agriculture knowledge center (AKC), kapilbastu during march 2020. There were, in total, 21 treatment combinations and four replications. Parameters observed were germination percentage, speed of germination, vigor index, root length, shoot length, fresh weight, and dry weight of rice seedlings. Hardinath-3 had superior performance in terms of germination percentage (95.35 %), vigor index (183.86), root length (11.51 cm) and shoot length (7.39 cm) compared to hardinath-1 and chaite-5; the speed of germination, however, was greater in hardinath-1. Seed hardening - alternate soaking (tap water for 24 hours) and drying - induced higher germination percentage (94.91 %), speed of germination (96.00), and vigor index (197.43) than did other priming methods; germination percentage of vitamin c primed seeds (94.75 %), nevertheless, were at statistical par with hardened seeds. Hardened hardinath-3 seeds were better in regards to germination percentage (97.50 %) and root length (12.92 cm), while the speed of germination (97.50) and vigor index (210.50) was greater in hardened hardinath-1. Vitamin c primed seeds of hardinath-3 and hardinath-1 were finer with dry weight, shoot length, and vigor index. In conclusion, farmers' are suggested to hardened seeds of hardinath-3 before sowing to promote uniform germination and growth.