EFFECTS OF SEED PRIMING ON SEED GERMINATION AND EARLY SEEDLING GROWTH OF CHILI (CAPSICUM ANNUM L.) UNDER WATER DEFICIT CONDITION

Seed priming may improve seed germination and early seedling growth of plants under water deficit condition. The present study was conducted to investigate the effects of seed priming on the germination and early seedling growth of chili under water deficit condition and to identify the optimum rate of seed priming for higher seed germination and early seedling growth. The water deficit stress level towards early seedling growth also been identified. The priming treatments involved were non-priming as control, and priming with gibberellic acid (GA3) at 5 mg/L, 10 mg/L and 15 mg/L. Seed germination experiment was conducted using wet-tissue method for seven days duration. Germination percentage, germination index and seedling vigour index were recorded in the seed germination experiment. The germinated seeds were then sown and grown under five different levels of water deficit treatment in accordance with the frequency of watering mainly watering 8 times (S1), 4 times (S2), 2 times (S3), once (S4), and not watered (S5), in a duration of 14 days. The early seedling growth performance was based on plant height, and root length. Seed germination and early seedling growth performance of 5 mg/L GA3 primed seeds was significantly better as compared to other seed priming treatments. In addition, the S1 and S2 could be regarded as non-stress condition, S3 and S4 as mild to moderate stress and S5 as severe stress since all seedlings were not survived under S5 condition. In general, S2 was found to be the optimum watering treatment as it recorded the highest plant height and root length of the seedlings.