Screening for the Optimum Concentration of Chitosan through Seed Priming in Mungbean Genotypes

Abstract

Four different concentrations of chitosan and four mungbean genotypes were studied to determine the optimum concentration of chitosan seed priming. The experiment results revealed that germination percentage, shoot length, root length, fresh weight, dry weight, and seedling vigor index differed significantly among the treatments and genotypes. The greatest impact was observed at lower concentrations of 0.15% in all four genotypes showing consistent improvements in all the studied parameters. The highest concentration of 0.35% appears to be at par with the control and shows no statistical significance. However, root length was affected in IPM 2-14 and IPM 2-3 at high concentrations. In terms of seedling vigor index, IPM 2-3 showed significant reductions at 0.35%, while other genotypes recorded improvement. Based on our results, we conclude that chitosan seed priming has genotype-specific responses, and lower chitosan concentrations have significant positive effects on all parameters and provide important results for deployment in sustainable agricultural practices.