EFFECT OF Moringa oleifera LEAF EXTRACT PRIMING ON SEED QUALITY, YIELD AND RELATED TRAITS OF CHICKPEA (Cicer arietinum L.) VARIETIES AT KOBO, NORTHERN ETHIOPIA

Abstract

Chickpea is one of the major pulse crops grown in Kobo district of North Wollo mainly by subsistence farmers usually under rain fed conditions, however, the yield of the crop is low due to several constraints of which lack of improvement of physiological seed quality through priming and low adoption rate of improved varieties for production. This study was conducted to assess the effect of Moringa oleifera leaf extract priming on seed quality, yield and yield related traits and estimate association of seed quality as influenced by priming treatments with yield and yield related traits of chickpea varieties at Kobo, Northern Ethiopia during 2018 /2019. The seed priming experiment consisted of three cultivars (Farmers’ cultivar, Dimtuu and Teketay) and five priming treatments viz. Moringa oleifera leaf extract (MLE) solution diluted with distilled water as 75% dilution (25ml extract: 75 ml water), 50% dilution (50:50 extract: water), 25% dilution (75 ml extract: 25 ml water), 100% extract (pure extract), distilled water and without priming of seeds in factorial combinations. The priming experiment was conducted in laboratory in completely randomized design with four replications and the field experiment was conducted in randomized complete block design with three replications. Dimtuu variety had highest pure seed (98.06%); seed moisture content (10.3%) and hundred seed weight (31.8g). Priming treatment, variety and the interaction of the two factors had significant effect on all seed quality parameters. The seeds of Dimtuu variety treated with distilled water had highest percentage of seed germination (94%), speed of germination and longest seedling shoot length, while treating the seeds of this variety with 25% MLE had longest root length, highest seedling dry weight, seedling vigor index I and II. The crop phenology, growth, yield components and seed yield were significantly influenced by seeds priming, variety and the interaction of the two except interaction of seeds priming and variety had nonsignificant effect on emergence index, days to 50% emergence and number of seeds per pod. Priming the seeds of farmers cultivar with 25% MLE significantly shortened days to 50% flowering (45.33 days) and days to 90% physiological maturity (91.3 days) and Dimtuu seeds treated with 25% MLE had the tallest plants (47.27 cm), highest number of pods per plant (39.33), number of seeds per plant (47.19), hundred seeds weight (31.8g) and seed yield (3752 kg ha-1). It was observed significant and positive correlations among all seed quality parameters as influenced by priming treatments except seedling shoot length, and the seed quality parameters had significant and positive correlation with plant height, most of yield components and seed yield. Priming of seeds with distilled water followed by 25% MLE significantly improved the seed physiological quality of cultivars as compared to other treatments, while priming of seeds with 25% MLE significantly improved the agronomic performances of the chickpea cultivars. Moreover, seeds treated with 25% MLE had average seed yield advantages of 24.08 and 17.76% over untreated seeds and treated with distilled water, respectively, while it had average seed yield advantages of 8.72, 29.58 and 36.32% over seeds treated with 50%, 75% and 100% MLE, respectively. It was concluded that priming of seeds with 25% Moringa oleifera leaf extract improved seed quality, agronomic performances and seed yield of chickpea varieties