Response of Seed Priming to Varied Levels of Salinity in Safflower

Abstract

The experiment was conducted in the year 2020-2021 to study the seed priming technologies and their effects on seed quality and seed physiological parameters under salinity stress conditions in safflower were analysed. The experiment was laid out in a factorial complete randomised design consists of seven differentseed priming chemicals like control (untreated), hydropriming, KCI, Salicylic acid, Salicylhydroxamic acid, chitosan and Penconazole. And five levels of salt stress condition were created using NaCl which includes 0 (control), 5 gL-1, 10 g L-1, 15 g L-1 and 20 g L-1. The experiment was carried out in two replications and the effect of priming on some physiological responses of safflower seeds was studied. The results of this investigation showed that seed priming caused a significant increase in all the different seed physiological factors viz. germination %, shoot length, root length, germination factor, Seedling vigour index I and Seedling vigour index II of the safflower seeds. And also results revealed that, Seed priming with KCI and salicylic acidimproved the first count (%), seed germination %, shoot length, root length, seedling dry weight, seedling vigour index I and seedling vigour index II in both control and salt stress conditions compared to unprimed seeds. Hence, these results have practical implications thatthe pre-sowing seed treatment with KCI and salicylic acid could enhance the seed germination and other physiological attributes of safflower seeds under salinity condition.