Integrated nutrient management and seed priming on seed quality in barnyard millet (Echinochloa frumentacea L.)

Barnyard millet is an important minor millet crop cultivated owing to its high level of protein, calcium, iron and fibre content. Farmers generally refrain from fertilizer application and also there is lack of seed production, inspite increase in demand. Keeping these in view a field and laboratory experiment was carried out at Department of Seed Science and Technology and Main Agricultural Research Station (MARS), University of Agricultural Sciences, Dharwad during kharif 2023-24 with four nutrient managements in main plot viz., N1-control, N2-organic manures, N3- integrated, N4- chemical fertilizers and four seed priming treatments in sub plot viz., P1-control, P2- hydropriming, P3-osmopriming and P4-bio-priming and the treatment combinations were arranged in split plot design with three replications. Results indicated that, the treatment integrated use of organic and inorganic fertilizers and biopriming with Pseudomonas fluorescens (N3P4) recorded significantly higher seed quality parameters viz., seed germination (93.67%), shoot length (12.83 cm), root length (7.92 cm), seedling dry weight (29.42 mg/10 seedlings), seedling vigour index-I and II (1944 and 2756 respectively), total dehydrogenase activity (0.382), lower electrical conductivity (14.29 µs/cm) and seed infection (7.10%). Hence, combining seed priming and integrated fertilizer application offers the best plant growth and seed quality in barnyard millet.