Ecology, Environment and Conservation Paper

EFFECT OF BIOPRIMING ON SEED BORNE DISEASES, YIELD AND QUALITY OF GARDEN PEA (PISUM SATIVUM L.)

M. Naik, S.P. Monalisa, J.K. Beura and R.K. Tarai

Abstract

An improved seed is a good investment for successful agriculture that demands good germination to produce a vigorous seedling ensuring high yield. Garden pea (Pisum sativum L.) is an important vegetable crop grown during winter season. Under green house condition seed biopriming with Trichoderma viride at 40% concentration for 4 hour was best with maximum seedling emergence (85%) and minimum incidence of root rot and seedling blight (9.0% and 8.2%, respectively). Biopriming with Pseudomonas fluorescens being the next best and at par with Trichoderma viride. Biopriming also resulted in early initiation of flowering, less days to 50 % flowering with enhanced plant height, branches per plant, pods per plant, number of seeds per pod, 100 seed weight, dry pod weight and seed yield. Biopriming with Trichoderma viride at 40 % was the best with figures for above characters 20, 32, 38.5, 8.2, 9, 11, 36.4g, 7.3g and 36.1g/plant, respectively, and the figure for Pseudomonas fluorescens (40%) was 20, 32, 38.3, 8, 8.8, 10.8, 36.0g, 7.2g and 34.2g/plant, respectively, and it was 23.5, 35, 32, 6.6, 6.9, 9, 34.1, 5.7g and 19.9g/plant respectively, in control. Biopriming also enhanced chlorophyll content of leaf and increased alpha- amylase activity, carbohydrate and protein content of seed produced which were 62.1, 31.1, 31.7 and 17.2 per cent more in Trichoderma viride and 47.4, 31.8, 30.4 and 12.2 percent more in Pseudomonas fluorescens over control. The results thus revealed that seed biopriming with Trichoderma viride 40% or Pseudomonas fluorescens 40% for 4 hr can successfully manage seed borne pathogens and enhance seed and crop quality parameters in garden pea.