Seedling Vigour of Some Rice Cultivars as Affecting by Seed Priming with Chitosan and Proline under Salinity Stress

In order to determine the impact of seed priming with chitosan and proline acid on the germination and seedling vigor of certain rice cultivars (Giza 178, Giza 179, Giza 177, and Sakha 108) under salinity stress (0, 4, 8, and 12 dSm-1 of NaCl), a laboratory experiment was conducted at Central Laboratories in Central Administration for Seed Testing and Certification, Ministry of Agriculture and Land Reclamation, Egypt, across June and July 2023, the Factorial Experiment was carried out using a Completely Randomized Design with four replications. The cultivar Giza 179 generated the highest values of germination percentage and seedling characteristics, followed by the cultivars Giza 178, Giza 177, and Sakha 108. Seed priming with a mixture of chitosan at 0.25 percent and proline acid at 10 mM gave the highest values of germination percentage and seedling characteristics. This was followed by seed priming with chitosan at 0.25 percent and proline acid at mM. The highest values of germination percentage and seedling characteristics were achieved with no salt stress, followed by salinity stress at 4, 8, and 12 dSm-1 of NaCl. Based on the study's findings, it may be advised to prime rice cultivar seeds with a mixture of chitosan at a rate of 0.25 percent and proline acid at a rate of 10 mM in order to maximize germination and seedling characteristics of these cultivars (Giza 178, Giza 179, Giza 177, and Sakha 108) under salinity stress.