B.D. Patil and M.R. Manjare
Abstract
An experiment was laid out in a factorial RBD with three replications involving two seed lots (fresh and one year old) and eight seed priming treatments. Seeds were primed with zinc (0.5 and 0.75%), magnesium (0.5 and 0.75%), calcium (0.5 and 0.75%) and GA3 (50 and 100ppm) for 6 hours and dried to the original weight in shade. Treated seeds alongwith untreated control were used for laboratory study and nursery sowing. The observations on field emergence (%), plant height, number of leaves, yield per hectare (t), average weight of bulbs (g) and per cent yield of various sizes of bulbs viz. A+, A, B, C and small bulbs were recorded. Seed priming improved seed germination of old seed lot in laboratory as well as in the field. Seedling vigour index was found to be better in old seed lot. Among the different treatments, seed priming with calcium 0.75% recorded higher bulb production of 20.85 ton in old seed lot and 24.65 ton in fresh seed lots.This treatment gave 33% and 18% higher bulb yield in old and fresh seed lot as compared to untreated seed. Seed priming treatments improved final crop stand in old seed lot.