Hormonal priming with salicylic acid improves the emergence and early seedling growth in cucumber
2011
Rehman, H. (University of Agriculture, Faisalabad (Pakistan). Dept. of Crop Physiology) | Farooq, M. (University of Agriculture, Faisalabad (Pakistan). Dept. of Agronomy) | Basra, S.M.A. (University of Agriculture, Faisalabad (Pakistan). Dept. of Crop Physiology) | Afzal , I.
Poor germination obstructs early and uniform seedling stand in cucumber. Pre-sowing salicylic acid treatments have been reported to improve the emergence in many crops under wide range of conditions. This study was conducted to evaluate the possibility of improvement in emergence and early seedling growth in cucumber by pre-sowing salicylic acid (SA) treatments. Seeds of cucumber cv. Nabil were soaked in aerated 50 and 100 mg L-1 solution of SA for 24 h. Pre-sowing SA treatments improved the emergence rate and uniformity and early seedling growth. However, seed treatment with 50 mg L-1 was more effective in reducing the time to start emergence, time to 50% emergence and mean emergence percentage, and improving the final emergence, emergence energy, emergence index, root and shoot length and number of roots. Nonetheless, maximum seedling fresh and dry weights were recorded from seed treatment with 100 mg L-1 SA. But none of the priming treatments improved the number of leaves. Seed treatment with 50 mg L-1 SA can be successfully employed to improve the germination and seedling growth in cucumbers.
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