Arid and semi-arid soils characterized by low fertility and Zn deficiency are major areas of cultivation for mungbean (Vigna radiata (L.) Wilczek) leading to its low productivity. Zn invigorations like Zn-priming and Zn-coating on seeds are reported to enhance crop establishment. The present study was formulated to study the effect of Zn-invigorations (priming and coating) on seed longevity in the mungbean variety PUSA VISHAL. Zn-invigorations viz., Zn-Primed, Zn-NCPC, AmZn, EDTA-Zn were taken in different formulations and assessed for seed quality attributes to standardize the best performing treatments. Significantly higher performing treatments were selected to investigate seed longevity under storage conditions from 0 to 12 months duration at an interval of every 3 months. At the end of the storage period (12 months), seed coating with Zn-NCPC (1:4) fertilizer manifested in significantly superior germination % (80.67), seedling shoot length (17.31 cm), seedling root length (9.33 cm), seedling length (26.64 cm), seedling dry weight (0.2543 g), seed vigour index-I (2152.1), seed vigour index-II (20.54) as compared to previous observations. This study led to the understanding that hydro-primed and Zn-primed seeds lose their viability at a faster rate and germination drops below IMSCS (70%) within 6 months of storage. In Zn-invigorated seeds, Zn-toxicity tolerance of the seed decreases with ageing which manifests in lower seed quality attributes. On the contrary, abnormal seedling % and dead seed % increase drastically with seed ageing in mungbean.

Mungbean, Zn-invigoration, Zn-priming, Zn-seed coating, Zn-Nano Clay Polymer Composite (Zn-NCPC), Amino acid chelated Zn, EDTA chelated Zn, Seed longevity

Mungbean has the potential for food as well as nutritional security, owing to itsinherent climate-resilient nature. Grown in marginal Zn-deficient soils strengthen the base for treating the mungbean seeds with Zn-enriched fertilizers. Also, storage longevity needs to be established for such Zn-invigorated seed treatments thus, storage studies were imperative to generate meaningful scientific data on the same. Hence, the present study was undertaken to assess the best Zn-invigorated seed treatment and its effect on seed longevity under storage upto 12 months duration. The current investigation started with a series of standardization experiments executed for Zn-primed and coated seeds viz., Control, Hydro-primed, 450-ppm-Zn primed, Zn-NCPC (1:4), EDTA-Zn (1:7) and AmZn (1:7), were subjected to storage studies (0 months to 12 months) with all treatments except EDTA-Zn (1:7) owing to Zn-toxicity. Abundant evidence was established that seeds coated with Zn-NCPC (1:4) fertilizer treatment manifested in significantly higher germination %, seedling shoot length, seedling root length, seedling length, seedling dry weight, seed vigour index-I and seed vigour index-II. The study also led to the understanding that during storage, hydro-primed and Zn-primed seeds lose their viability at a faster rate and germination drops below IMSCS (70%) within 6 months of storage. With seed ageing, Zn-toxicity tolerance of the seed decreases, which manifests in lower seed germination %, average shoot length, average root length, average length of 10 seedlings, dry weight of 10 seedlings, seed vigour index-I, seed vigour index-II. On the contrary, abnormal seedling % and dead seed % increase drastically with seed ageing.

Mrinali M. M. (2022). Effect of Zinc-invigorations on Seed Longevity in Mungbean (Vigna radiata L. Wilczek). Biological Forum – An International Journal, 14(4a): 279-285.