Effect of Seed Priming on the Vegetative Growth and Yield of Capsicum annum L. and C. frutescens L.

Abstract

Pepper (Capiscum) Solanaceae is a spice and fruit vegetable cultivated worldwide. A lot of research effort have been done to improve the hybrids and varieties of about four popular species. This study focused its research attention on the effect of seed priming on vegetative growth and yield performance of some varieties of two species of Capsicum annum and
Capsicum frutescens. These include C. annum var. abbreviatum; C. annum var. grossium; C. frutescens var. accuminatum; C. frutescens var. minima. The seed procured were tested for viability using the floatation method. Seeds of all the varieties were primed in 100 mM Nacl and distiled water for 10 h and 20 h respectively. Primed seeds were prepared for germination
in black polythene planting bags, emerged seedling were nursed for 10-13 weeks until fruiting stage. The experiment was carried out from July to October 2018, in the screen house of the Department of Pure and Applied Botany of the Federal University of Agriculture, Abeokuta Nigeria. Hydropriming of seeds for 10 hours enhanced leave production significantly (P<0.05) in C. annum var. grossium and C. frutescens var. accuminatum. The 10 hhalopriming seeds of C.frustescen var. accuminatum had more leaves. The 10 h-hydroprimed seeds of C. frustescen var. minima significantly (P<0.05) gave rise to plants with more yield across all varieties considered.