Seed priming with gibberellic acid rescues chickpea (Cicer arietinum L.) from chilling stress

Chickpea is sensitive to low temperature stress, especially during germination and stand establishment. Present study was planned to rescue the chickpea seedlings from chilling stress through seed priming with gibberellic acid. A study comprising of two chickpea cultivars (cv.) viz. Caatay (a chilling tolerant cultivar: CTC) and Akcin (a chilling sensitive cultivar: CSC) in combination with 0, hydropriming, 5 mu M, 10 mu M, 15 mu M, 20 mu M gibberellic acid (GA(3)) seed priming treatments was tested in completely randomized design under chilling temperature. Primed and unprimed seeds were sown at 9 +/- 0.5 degrees C day temperature for 14 h and 7 +/- 0.5 degrees C night temperatures for 10 h. Final emergence percentage (FEP) in both cultivars was noted higher in 10 mu M GA(3) seed priming. Coefficient of uniformity of emergence (CUE) was increased and time taken to 50% emergence (E-50) was shorten with the application of 5 or 15 mu M GA(3). Mean emergence time (MET) was reduced in both cultivars in 20 mu M GA(3) seed treatment. Emergence energy (EE) and emergence index (EI) of CTC were increased in 15 mu M GA(3). In CSC 5 mu M GA(3), seed treatment was most productive treatment under low temperature. Higher doses of GA(3) seed treatments in CSC were proved very effective in maintaining high relative water contents and low electrolyte leakage. Plant height, root length and number of flowers were also increased in GA(3) primed treatments. In conclusion, seed priming with GA(3) can be used in chickpea for good stand establishment, crop growth, reducing electrolyte leakage and maintaining high relative water contents.