Seed treatment induced enhancement of morpho-physiological, reproductive and seed quality traits in Ashwagandha

A field experimetn was undertaken to evaluate the influence of seed treatment on the morpho-physiological, reproductive and seed quality attributes of Ashwagandha. The experiment comprised eleven treatments namely Control (untreated), Water soaking for 24 hours and nine hormonal seed treatments including three concentrations each of Gibberellic Acid (1000, 1500, 2000 µM), Salicylic Acid (1000, 2000, 3000 µM) and Indole Acetic Acid (1000, 2000, 3000 µM), all applied as pre-sowing seed soaks for 24 hours. The trial was executed at the Research Farm of the AICRP on MAPB, NMPG, Dr. PDKV, Akola during the Rabi season of 2024 following a Randomized Block Design (RBD) with three replications. Among the treatments, seed treated with GA₃ @ 1000 µM for 24 hours resulted in the most significant enhancement of morpho-physiological and reproductive traits. This treatment recorded the maximum plant height (45.71 cm), number of primary branches plant-1 (8.84) and root length (35.66 cm) along with higher fresh root yield (993.23 g plot⁻¹), dry root yield (387.36 g plot⁻¹) and seed yield (166.61 g plot⁻¹). In terms of seed quality traits, the same treatment GA₃ @ 1000 µM exhibited superior germination percentage (69.41%), seedling length (7.48 cm) and seedling vigour index (519) reflecting improved seed metabolic activity and early seedling growth. These findings clearly establish that exogenous application of Gibberellic Acid (GA₃) @ 1000 µM as a seed treatment effectively enhances vegetative growth, root biomass production, reproductive success and seed quality in Ashwagandha under field conditions.