Publications scientifiques
Michaël Kenne Fomekong
Nono Carine Temegne
Paul Agendia Atabong
Emmanuel Youmbi
Libert Brice Tonfack* (Auteur correspondant)
Bilal Ahmad Mir
Elise Fabiola Tchouake Tetang
Jordan Ulrich Engoulou Minlo
Alanis Cindy Noadje Kameni
Discover Plants.
Enhancing plant production requires advancing seed germination processes despite environmental constraints. Dry soils often reduce okra yield by hindering seed germination and plant growth. Seed pre-treatment could alleviate water shortage problems. This study aims to identify the optimal Osmopriming with PEG 6000 condition for promoting seedling establishment in okra. We used PEG 6000 solutions with increasing concentrations (Hp, C: 0.0 MPa; T1: − 0.3 MPa; T2: − 0.6 MPa; T3: − 0.9 MPa; and T4: − 1.2 MPa) to treat okra seeds for 1, 3, 7 and 9 h. The experiment was conducted using a fully randomized setup with three simultaneous replications, and we measured key parameters as germination rate, seedling viability, vigor, and physiological parameters. The main findings of the analysis are that water stress has a repressive impact on germination and seedling development in both okra varieties (Clemson spineless and Hire). Osmotic pretreatments consistently enhanced germination parameters and seedling development, irrespective of the priming duration, particularly showing an improved response in the Clemson spineless variety. In comparison to the control group, seeds of the Clemson spineless variety that were pretreated exhibited the highest germination rate (95.83%), the highest seedling viability (93.94%), and the greatest seedling vigor (10.61). The highest seedling height (11.55 cm) was achieved in PEG 6000 at a pressure of − 0.6 MPa for 9 h. Under priming conditions, the seedlings of the Clemson Spineless variety exhibit an increase in various physiological parameters. The highest values are observed using seeds treated with PEG 6000 at − 0.6 MPa for 9 h (2.77 mg/g for chlorophyll a; 1.62 mg/g for chlorophyll b; 4.40 mg/g for total chlorophyll, and 6.09 mg/g for carotenoids) compared to the control. Despite the depressive impact of PEG 6000-induced water stress on germination and seedling development, the use of PEG 6000 as a priming promotes germination and seedling development in okra. To achieve optimal okra production in arid or semi-arid environments, it is recommended to utilize seeds of the Clemson Spineless variety that have been osmoprimed with PEG 6000 at a pressure of − 0.6 MPa for 9 h. Graphical abstract
