Hydropriming influences physio-chemical responses of fresh and naturally aged seeds of bottle gourd (Lagenaria siceraria L.)

Hydropriming is a simple and fundamental technique where seeds are soaked in distilled water to improve germination rate, accelerate germination speed, and promote uniform crop establishment, especially in challenging conditions. An investigation was carried out to study the effect of hydropriming on various enzyme activities in fresh harvested, one year old, and two year old seeds of bottle gourd (Pusa Naveen variety and HBGH 35 hybrid). The study was conducted with Completely Randomized Design (CRD) consisting four replications. Seeds of variety as well as hybrid were soaked in distilled water for 48 hours, using half the volume of water relative to seed weight (w) maintaining a constant temperature of 25°C. Subsequently, various enzyme assays and physiological parameters were evaluated to assess the impact of hydropriming on antioxidant enzyme activities and seed quality. The results indicated that hydropriming significantly improved the quality of the different seed lots. The highest levels of dehydrogenase activity, catalase activity, peroxidase activity, superoxide dismutase activity, speed of germination, and field emergence index were observed in fresh seeds, followed by one year old and then two year old seeds.