Effect of osmopriming with PEG 6000 on seed germination performance and early seedling establishment in okra (Abelmoschus esculentus (L.) Moench)

Enhancing plant production requires advancing seed germination processes despite environmental constraints. Dry soils often reduce okra yield by hindering seed germination and plant growth. Seed pre-treatment could alleviate water shortage problems. The main objective of this study was to identify water pretreatment conditions conducive to seedling development in okra ( Abelmoschus esculentus (L.) Moench). We used PEG 6000 solutions with increasing concentrations ( C: 0 MPa; T1: -0.3 MPa; T2: -0.6 MPa; T3: -0.9 MPa; and T4: -1.2 MPa ) to treat okra seeds for 1, 3, 7, and 9 hours. The experiment was conducted using a fully randomized setup with three simultaneous replications. The main findings of the analysis are that water stress has a repressive impact on germination and seedling development in both okra varieties ( Clemson spineless and Hire ). Osmotic pretreatments consistently enhanced germination parameters and seedling development, irrespective of the priming duration, particularly showing an improved response in the Clemson spineless variety. In comparison to the control group, seeds of the Clemson spineless variety that were pretreated exhibited the highest germination rate (95.83%), the highest seedling viability (93.94%), and the greatest seedling vigor (10.61). The highest seedling height (11.55 cm) was achieved in PEG 6000 at a pressure of -0.6 MPa for 9 hours. Under priming conditions, the seedlings of the Clemson Spineless variety exhibit an increase in various physiological parameters. The highest values are observed using seeds treated with PEG 6000 at -0.6 MPa for 9 hours (2.77 mg/g for chlorophyll a ; 1.62 mg/g for chlorophyll b ; 4.40 mg/g for total chlorophyll, and 6.09 mg/g for carotenoids) compared to the control. Despite the depressive impact of PEG 6000-induced water stress on germination and seedling development, the use of PEG 6000 as a priming promotes germination and seedling development in okra. To achieve optimal okra production in arid or semi-arid environments, it is recommended to utilize seeds of the Clemson Spineless variety that have been osmoprimed with PEG 6000.