Effect of seed priming and organic manures on growth attributes of okra [Abelmoschus esculentus (L.) Moench]

Introduction

Okra [Abelmoschus esculentus (L.) Moench] is an important vegetable crop belonging to the family Malvaceae. It is an amphidiploid (allopolyploid) species with a somatic chromosome number of 2𝑛 = 130 and is believed to have originated in tropical Africa. Commonly known as lady's finger, okra or gumbo, it is widely cultivated in tropical and subtropical regions owing to its adaptability, high yield potential and economic importance. Okra is highly valued for its nutritional and medicinal properties. The tender green fruits are rich in dietary fibre, vitamins A, C and K, minerals such as calcium and potassium and antioxidants. The seeds are a good source of edible oil and high-quality protein with a balanced composition of essential amino acids, particularly lysine and tryptophan. Owing to its vigorous growth, nutritional richness and multiple uses, okra has been described as "a perfect villager's vegetable" (Kumar et al., 2010) [1] . Seed priming induces synchronized germination, improves seed vigour and promotes seedling growth under stressful conditions by increasing the rate and uniformity of germination and emergence (Bajehbaj, 2010) [2] . Organic manures such as farmyard manure, poultry manure and vermicompost are important sources of nutrients and organic matter for maintaining soil fertility. They supply a considerable proportion of macro and micronutrients and improve the physical, chemical and biological properties of soil. Organic manures also protect soil against erosion and help in conserving and improving its moisture holding capacity. The use of organic manures not only contributes to higher and sustainable crop yields but also enhances soil fertility and productivity (Sanwal et al., 2007) [3] .

Materials and Methods

Results and Discussion

Effect of seed priming (P)

The effect of seed priming was recorded significant on growth attributes during both the years of investigation i.e. 2024-25, 2025-26 and in pooled analysis. As evident from the pooled data presented in Table 1, the highest pooled values of plant height (at 45 DAS i.e. 41.73 cm), number of branches plant -1 (2.90 at 45 DAS), number of leaves plant -1 (12.28 at 45 DAS) and number of nodes plant -1 (18.88 at final harvest) were recorded under P 2 hormonal priming treatment (i.e. 200 ppm GA 3 solution for 12 hours), whereas, the minimum plant height (at 45 DAS i.e. 37.26 cm), number of branches plant -1 (2.67 at 45 DAS), number of leaves plant -1 (11.12 at 45 DAS) and number of nodes plant -1 (16.82 at final harvest) were recorded under P 0 treatment (i.e. control). Growth attributes such as plant height, number of branches, number of leaves plant -1 and number of nodes plant -1 count showed remarkable enhancement due to hormonal priming (GA 3 @ 200 ppm). This improvement can be attributed to enhanced physiological and biochemical activities in seeds during early germination. Gibberellic acid (GA 3 ) plays a pivotal role in activating hydrolytic enzymes (such as α-amylase), which accelerate the mobilization of starch and reserve food materials to the embryonic axis, thereby promoting rapid cell division and elongation. These findings are in close conformity with the observations of Farooq et al. (2012) [4] and Hussain et al. (2015) [5] , who reported that hormonal seed priming improves seedling vigor index, root-shoot development, and overall vegetative growth by regulating various metabolic pathways. Furthermore, Tahir et al. (2019) [6] also corroborated that GA 3 priming effectively enhances plant height and growth parameters in okra under varied soil conditions. Thejeshwini et al. (2019) [7] observed that seed priming with GA 3 @ 100 ppm for 6 hrs has showed better effect in improving all the growth characters over the control. These findings are also in agreement with results reported by Shah et al. (2011) [8] who stated that primed okra seeds gave higher number of branches per plant. This may be due to early emergence in primed seeds which resulted early growth and increase in number of branches.

Effect of organic manures (O)

The effect of organic manures was recorded significant on growth characters during both the years of investigation, i.e. 2024-25, 2025-26 and pooled analysis. The maximum pooled value of plant height (at 45 DAS i.e. 41.70 cm), number of branches plant -1

(2.93 at 45 DAS), number of leaves plant -1 (12.20 at 45 DAS) and number of nodes plant -1 (18.47 at final harvest) were recorded under O 2 treatment (i.e. (vermicompost @ 6t/ha), whereas, plant height (at 45 DAS i.e. 37.41 cm), number of branches plant -1

(2.57 at 45 DAS), number of leaves plant -1 (11.07 at 45 DAS) and number of nodes plant -1 (17.26 at final harvest) were recorded under O 0 treatment (i.e. control). Application of organic manures significantly influenced the vegetative growth of okra, with vermicompost @ 6 t/ha (O 2 ) recording the maximum growth attributes compared to the control. The superior performance of vermicompost is primarily due to its rich nutrient profile, presence of humic substances, and beneficial microflora that collectively improve soil physical properties, porosity, and water-holding capacity. This ensures a steady and continued availability of both macro and micronutrients throughout the crop growth period. Similar results were recognized by Kumawat et al. (2019) [9] and Sharma et al. (2010) [10] , who noted that vermicompost acts as an effective organic nutrient source that stimulates root explosion and enhances nutrient uptake. The balanced nutrient release pattern of vermicompost supports constant vegetative growth, leading to a higher number of leaves, branches, and nodes per plant.

Interaction effect of seed priming and organic manures

The combined application of hormonal priming (200 ppm GA 3 solution for 12 hours) along with organic manure (vermicompost @ 6t/ha) exhibited positive effect on plant height, number of branches plant -1 , number of leaves plant -1 and number of nodes plant -1 . The maximum pooled value of plant height (at 45 DAS i.e. 43.51 cm), number of branches plant -1 (3.10 at 45 DAS), number of leaves plant -1 (12.57 at 45 DAS) and number of nodes plant -1 (19.57 at final harvest) were recorded under P 2 O 2 (hormonal priming + vermicompost @ 6t/ha), whereas the minimum was observed in control. This dual treatment demonstrated a pronounced synergistic interaction on the growth parameters of okra, which can be attributed to a dual-phase advantage where seed priming ensures uniform early emergence and rapid early-stage establishment, while vermicompost provides a continuous, balanced nutrient supply during later vegetative growth stages. Therefore, the optimized metabolic activity driven by GA 3 combined seamlessly with the improved soil rhizosphere and nutrient availability from vermicompost. These findings align well with the work of Ali et al. (2018) [11] and Chattopadhyay et al. (2021) [12] , who emphasized that integrating seed priming techniques with integrated nutrient management (INM) maximizes resource-use efficiency, stimulates meristematic activity, and significantly boosts overall crop growth and development.

Conclusion

It can be concluded that seed priming treatments and organic manures significantly influenced the growth parameters of okra. Among individual treatments, hormonal priming with 200 ppm GA 3 (P 2 ) and vermicompost @ 6 t/ha (O 2 ) proved to be individually superior. Furthermore, the combined treatment P 2 O 2 (hormonal priming along with vermicompost @ 6 t/ha) recorded maximum growth of okra. Therefore, integrating hormonal seed priming with vermicompost is highly recommended for maximizing the vegetative growth and sustainable production of okra under field conditions.

References

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13. How to cite this article: Rathore P, Bairwa H, Mahawer L, Sharma P, Tetarwal P, Chawla G, et al. Effect of seed priming and organic manures on growth attributes of okra [Abelmoschus esculentus (L.) Moench]. International Journal of Advanced Biochemistry Research. 2026;SP-10(9):2316-2319. doi: https://w ww.doi.org/10.33545/26174693.2026.v10.i9Sac.10169