International Journal of Horticulture, 2025, Vol.15, No.6, 312-322 http://hortherbpublisher.com/index.php/ijh 312 Research Article Open Access Impact of Various Seed Priming on Germination of Okra (Abelmoschus esculentus) in Laboratory Condition Diwash Khadka , Norgin Blon, Aarati Kafle, Abishek Shrestha Department of Agronomy, College of Natural Resource Management, Agriculture and Forestry University, Chitwan, 44200, Nepal Corresponding author: diwashkhadka909@gmail.com International Journal of Horticulture, 2025, Vol.15, No.6 doi: 10.5376/ijh.2025.15.0031 Received: 25 Jul., 2025 Accepted: 05 Nov., 2025 Published: 26 Dec., 2025 Copyright © 2025 Khadka et al., This is an open access article published under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited. Preferred citation for this article: Khadka D., Blon N., Kafle A., and Shrestha A., 2025, Impact of various seed priming on germination of okra (Abelmoschus Esculentus) in laboratory condition, International Journal of Horticulture, 15(6): 312-322 (doi: 10.5376/ijh.2025.15.0031) Abstract Seed priming is a pre-sowing technique involving controlled hydration to initiate pre-germinative metabolic activities in seeds, promoting growth and vitality in young plants without actual sprouting. The experiment was executed in Completely Randomized Design (CRD) with eight priming sources (T1: hydropriming i.e. pre-soaked about 12 hours, T2: halopriming i.e. 1% NaCl, T3: osmo-priming i.e. 1% KNO3, T4: hormonal priming i.e. 2.5 ppm GA3, T5: nutri-priming i.e. 1.5 ppm SOP, T6: botanical priming i.e. 1ppm neem extract, T7: biological priming i.e. 0.1% cow urine, T8: hydro unsoaked priming) and replicated thrice. Apart from T8, every treatment was saturated for 12 hours and then air dehydrated for 2 hours prior to sowing, while seeds in T8 were only watered along with all the treatments till the end of research. In comparison to hydro (unsoaked) priming, all treatments had a significant meaningful effect on all the germination parameters. The highest shoot length (10.12 cm) was observed at T4 whereas enhancement of root length (4.16 cm) occurred with the priming with T3. The study found that botanical priming and hydro(presoaked)priming enhanced germination plus seed vigor in okra. With this, T8 takes the longest (2.76 days) and T6 takes the shortest (1.34 days) on average. Based on their ability to germinate quickly and uniformly under controlled conditions, T1 showed the high seed vigor index (553) while the T2 showed the lowest seed vigor index (332.3) that assessed the overall quality and potential performance of okra seeds. The priming with T6 (botanical priming) was found to be best in terms of maximum seed germination (90.00%), speed of germination (4.05 seeds per day), germination rate index (7.72 seeds per day) and germination energy (0.9). Thus, botanical priming was found to be effective among different priming techniques under lab conditions which need to be further investigated under large, open field conditions with different varieties. Keywords Sprouting; Seedling; Establishment; Vigor; Vitality 1 Introduction Okra (Abelmoschus esculentus (L.) Moench), a member of the Malvaceae family, is a native crop of tropical Africa (Lamichhane et al., 2021). Okra is a popular summer seasonal crop widely cultivated across the Terai, mid-hill region due to its short growth period and high market demand. Okra is good source of vitamins A, B and C (Hussein, 2015). Proteins, unsaturated fatty acids, vitamin B6, folic acid, fiber, and comparatively small amounts of copper, iron, manganese, and zinc can all be found in okra seeds (Rahman, 2016). Okra has been known to be beneficial to people suffering from leucorrhea and general weakness. Due to its high iodine content, its fruits are considered useful to control goiter and have medicinal value in curing ulcers and relieve from haemorrhoids (Sarker et al., 2005). For its robust nature, dietary fibers and distinct seed protein balanced in both lysine and tryptophan amino acids; it is also called “a perfect villager’s vegetable” (Kumar et al., 2010). Okra is generally grown for its delicate pods and eaten raw, steamed, boiled, or fried, among other ways (Farinde, 2007). Okra is a powerhouse of valuable nutrient, nearly half of which is soluble fiber in the form of gum and pectin’s which help to lower serum cholesterol, reducing the risk of heart disease. The other half is insoluble fiber which help to keep the intestinal tract healthy and also has a significant nutritional value that contains a high percentage of water, averaging 85% (Hardeep Kaur, 2015). The primary issue with okra seed is its uneven and delayed emergence, which leads to inefficient use of fertilizers, uneven harvesting, and ultimately low yield (Rahman, 2016). Even if the seeds of okra are viable, okra seeds germinate irregularly and very slowly. Seed hardness is a major issue in okra cultivation because it causes issues
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