Enhancing Seed Germination, Seedling Vigour, and Seedling Growth in Chilli (Capsicum annuum L.) through Integrated Seed Priming

Abstract

Seed quality is central to rapid and uniform crop establishment, while poor early growth in chilli can increase vulnerability to pests and diseases. This study evaluated the effects of integrated seed coating on germination, seedling growth, vigour, and early leaf development of chilli (Capsicum annuum L.) under ambient nursery conditions. Freshly harvested seeds of cv. LCA-620 were subjected to six treatments in a randomised complete block design with four replications. The treatments comprised individual coatings with carbendazim, imidacloprid, diammonium phosphate, and a micronutrient mixture; a combined treatment (T5) comprising carbendazim (2 g/kg seed), imidacloprid (2 mL/kg seed), diammonium phosphate (30 g/kg seed), and micronutrient mixture (20 g/kg seed); and an uncoated control. Assessment covered laboratory germination and field emergence, shoot and root lengths, seedling vigour indices I and II, and the time required to attain the two-, four-, and six-leaf stages. T5 recorded the highest laboratory germination (79.3%), shoot length (9.8 cm), root length (5.5 cm), seedling vigour index I (1209.9), and seedling vigour index II (70.1). It also reached the six-leaf stage in 27.0 days, compared with 33.0 days in the untreated control. Under the conditions of this study, the integrated coating treatment improved the measured germination and early seedling performance parameters relative to the uncoated control.