SEED PRIMING WITH MG(NO3)2 AND CA(NO3)2 SALTSINFLUENCE THE GROWTH OF TOMATO SEEDLINGSVivek Kumar, Bandana Bose and Padmanabh DwivediAbstract Seed is the most valuable input in agriculture, and high-quality seeds are required for healthy cropproduction. Various seed quality enhancement technologies are continuously used for better establishmentof crop in field. Seed priming is one of the best, cheapest, reliable and cost-effective strategies to boost seedgermination and seedling establishment. This experiment was conducted to determine the effect of seedpriming with various concentration of Mg(NO3)2, and Ca(NO3)2 salts in two tomato genotypes (VRT 06 andPunjab Chhuhara) on germination and seedling growth. The concentration level C0 to C7 (2.5 mM to 20mM) were used for priming purpose and germination parameters were recorded. From the study ofgermination %, mean germination time (MGT)(days), Germination index (GI), Coefficient of velocity ofgermination (CVG) and Germination rate index (GRI) (%/day), seedling length (cm), seedling fresh weight(FW) (mg), seedling dry weight (DW) (mg) and seedling vigor index (SVI), it was revealed that 7.5mM ofMg(NO3)2, and Ca(NO3)2, were the most effective treatments, which were able to improve performance ofseedling establishment of tomato seeds. |