Effect of pre sowing herbal hardening treatment on initial seed quality parameters in sesame (Sesamum indicum L.) cv. TMV 3

In vitro evaluation was carried out to study the effect of various herbal leaf extract seed hardening treatments on seed quality of sesame. The sesame seeds were soaked at 4, 6, 8, 10 and 12 hours of duration at 5, 10, 15 and 20 % concentrations of aqueous leaf extract of chicory, aswagantha, ocimum and sarpagandha plants. The study revealed that, the 20% concentration with 4 hours of all herbal extracts showed high increase in seed germination and vigour index. Best treatment from each herbal hardened seeds was confirmed in confirmative trials of laboratory with three different vigour lots of sesame. Significant activity was also observed in 20 % chicory leaf extract hardened with 4 hours of treatment, when compared to other treatments and control, which have recorded higher germination percentage in all the vigour lots (93 % in high vigour, 84 % in medium vigour and 73 % in low vigour seeds) and lower Electrical conductivity (0.075 dSm-1 in high vigour, 0.089 dSm-1 in medium vigour and 0.095 dSm-1 in low vigour seeds). But control recorded lower germination (81 % in high vigour, 67 % in medium vigour and 55 % in low vigour lots) and higher electrical conductivity (0.093 dSm-1 in high vigour, 0.124 dSm-1 in medium vigour, 0.146 dSm-1 in low vigour seeds).