Impact of Plant Growth Regulators on Seed Health during Accelerated Ageing Test in Chickpea [Cicer arietinum (L.)] Seeds

Background: Research was conducted to ascertain the impact of hormonal seed strengthening on seed health status under an accelerated ageing test in chickpea (Cicer arietinum L) at the state seed testing laboratory during the Rabi seasons of 2018-19 and 2019-20. Four replications of the Blotter test were performed CRD plan. As per continuous evaluation and observation, under accelerated ageing increased pathogens were observed with increased temperature and RH, the seeds treated with salicylic acid resulted with least pathogen infection while compared to other treatments. Methods: The current experiment was conducted in the state seed testing laboratory, Department of Genetics and Plant Breeding, SHUATS, Prayagraj, Uttar Pradesh, between the years of 2018 and 2020. 37 distinct treatment combinations were employed in the experiment. The seeds were placed in an accelerated ageing condition with high temperature and relative humidity. Hormonal seed strengthening is the activity of infusing PGRs into old seeds to make them fresh again with the help of PGRs (salicylic and giberellic acid) treatments into old seeds and increase the vigour index of seeds. Result: In this experiment chick pea seeds treated with combination of gibberellic acid and salicylic acid resulted in least infection of seed pathogens we can recommend these for maintaining seed health status.