Evaluating the effect of priming with moringa leaf extract on seed germination and seedling growth of bitter gourd (Momordica charantia L)

Plant growth and productivity are adversely affected by poor soil conditions, primarily caused by the excessive use of inorganic fertilizers and abiotic stresses such as salinity, drought, and high temperatures. Moringa leaf extract (MLE) is rich in growth-regulating hormones such as cytokinin, gibberellin, and auxin, which enhance early and rapid growth as well as improve the yield quality of plants. Therefore, the present pot study was conducted to explore the effect of MLE concentrations on bitter gourd seed germination and growth characteristics during the summer of 2023. A completely randomized design (CRD) was employed with three replications. The moringa leaf extracts were used as a seed priming agent in different concentrations, applied over a 12-hour period. The treatments included: untreated seeds (control), priming with tap water, priming with MLE at concentrations of 1%, 3%, 5%, and 7%. The results showed that the 5% MLE concentration performed better than the 1%, 3%, and 7% concentrations. Moringa leave extract 5% showed better performance as compared to 1% ,3% and 7% of MLE concentration. The result exhibited that better gourd seeds primed with 5% MLE showed better germination % (89.95) germination index (5.00), plant height of 26.55 cm, number of leaves per plant of 10.36, fresh shoot biomass of 16.90 g, fresh root biomass of 0.75 g, root length of 17.51 cm, and chlorophyll content of 41.73. Based on the results of this study, it can be concluded that seed priming with 5% MLE for 12 hours significantly improves the germination and growth characteristics of bitter gourd.