Abstract

Author:
Kabita Poudel, Shisham Sharma, Sarah Bastola, Arjun dev Jnawali

Doi: 10.26480/sfna.02.2025.56.60

This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License CC BY 4.0, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited

In Nepal, one of the popular cereal crops, rice (Oryza sativa L. var. Indica) plays a vital role in national food security and economic stability. Despite producing 5.72 million metric tons of rice, it still faces a deficit of 1.7 million metric tons yearly. This is all happening because of a decline in cultivation areas, poor seedling methods, old technology uses, and low seed germination, yet, because of the high dependency of people on rice, it is still essential to enhance the productivity of rice in Nepal. To improve rice establishment and yield, it is important to know about seed priming and a pre-sowing technique because it enhances seed performance by initiating metabolic processes before germination. The study conducted in Agri-Business Promotion Support and Training Center in Kaski, Nepal from June 1 to July 1, 2024, analysed the effects of different priming agents—hydropriming, CaCl₂, ZnSO₄, KNO₃, ascorbic acid, and Trichoderma—on the germination and seedling traits of the Pokhreli-jethobudo rice variety. A Randomized Complete Block Design (RCBD) was used with seven treatments and three replications. The study found that germination percentage, germination energy, vigor indices, and seedling biomass are influenced by seed priming. Priming with 2% KNO₃ yielded the highest germination percentage (92.66%), vigor indices, and seedling biomass, while ZnSO₄-treated seeds exhibited the best shoot length and fresh weight. On the other hand, ascorbic acid treatments were the least effective. Priming with KNO₃ and ZnSO₄ significantly increases the early overall improvements in seedling performance. In rice cultivation, priming with KNO₃, is an economical and low-cost effective strategy to enhance seed vigor, crop establishment, and yield potential. These results support the broader adoption of seed priming by Nepali rice farmers by closing the yield gap and improving food security.