Effect of seed enhancement treatment on field performance of chickpea (Cicer arietinum L.)

Chickpea (Cicer arietinum L.) is an important winter season pulse crop in India grown in drought prone semi-arid and tropical regions. The aim of present investigation was to find out the effect of seed enhancement treatment on field performance of chickpea. Seeds of Chickpea Desi cultivar Pusa 256, Pusa 2028, and Kabuli cultivar Pusa1053, Pusa1108, each of fresh and 4 yrs old lots were taken for seed enhancement treatments like osmo-priming, halo-priming, fungicidal, botanical and polymer coating alone and in combination with thiram and neem oil. It was observed that seed treatment with thiram alone or in combination with polymer (PVP or PEM) significantly enhances germination and field emergence. Old seed lots of particularly Pusa 256 gives better result. The speed of emergence was invariably high in fresh seed lot (9.43) than old seed lots (4.84). However, in old seed lots, only halo-priming and polymer (PVP) in combination with thiram improved the speed of emergence significantly. Thus seeds treatment with thiram or in combination with hydrophilic polymers could be used for enhancing theperformance of chickpea