Comparative Efficacy of Botanical Priming Agents on Germination Kinetics and Post-transplant Performance of Brassica rapa: A Correlation Analysis

Abstract

Aims: Short-duration crops like pechay (Brassica rapa) require rapid establishment and enhanced early vigor for optimal productivity, making seed quality improvement crucial. Seed priming with plant extracts offers a sustainable alternative to conventional priming methods, but their effectiveness and optimal application parameters still need to be explored. This study evaluated the efficacy of single-application seed priming using Ficus nota water extract, banana water extract, and coconut water on pechay seed performance and subsequent crop development. Place and Duration of Study: Surigao del Norte Horticultural Garden (SNSU) on August to October, 2024. Methodology: The experiment utilized a Completely Randomized Design with four treatments (distilled water, Ficus nota extract, banana water extract, and coconut water) replicated three times, examining germination parameters, vegetative growth characteristics, and final yield metrics under Type II climate conditions. Results: Results revealed that distilled water and Ficus nota water extract emerged as the most effective priming agents. Distilled water achieved optimal germination timing (28.86 days) and emergence percentage (78.67%), while Ficus nota extract demonstrated comparable effectiveness with the highest survival rate (93.33%). Both treatments produced superior fresh weight yields, being 97.63 g and 86.40 g, respectively and dry matter content, being 37.96% and 35.31%, respectively. Correlation analyses established critical relationships between early development and final crop performance, with perfect positive correlation between germination timing and mortality (r = 1.000) and strong correlations between environmental factors and yield parameters. Conclusion: The study concludes that while distilled water provides a cost-effective priming solution, Ficus nota extract offers promise as a locally-sourced alternative. Environmental factors significantly modulated plant responses to priming treatments, with temperature showing consistent negative correlations with survival (r = -0.488) and yield parameters (r = -0.531). These findings establish a framework for optimizing seed priming protocols in short-duration crop production, particularly emphasizing the need for concentration optimization in plant extract applications and considering environmental interactions for maximizing treatment effectiveness.