Skip to main navigation menu Skip to main content Skip to site footer
Plant Science Today (PST)

Research Articles

Vol. 13 No. sp2 (2026): Recent Advances in Agriculture

Organic seed production in okra (Abelmoschus esculentus L.): Standardising techniques for traditional and improved varieties

DOI
https://doi.org/10.14719/pst.12548
Submitted
1 November 2025
Published
11-05-2026

Abstract

In recent years, seed production using organic nutrients has gained significant interest, with researchers aiming to enhance seed germination, crop growth and yield. The potential of organic seed production techniques in improving seed germination, seedling vigour, growth and yield of traditional and improved okra varieties was evaluated in the present study. Seeds of okra varieties were primed with different organic formulations, along with hydropriming and control and the field experiment was conducted under different organic nutrient regimes. The results revealed that organic seed priming had a significant effect on seed quality parameters in both traditional and improved bhendi varieties. Seed priming with panchagavya at 3 % (T6) emerged as the most effective treatment in both types, resulting in higher speed of
germination, emergence energy value, germination percentage, germination potential, root and shoot lengths, dry matter production, allometric coefficient and vigour index I and II. The untreated control (T0) showed the lowest values across all the physiological parameters. The interaction between variety and treatment was non-significant, suggesting that the effectiveness of panchagavya at 3 % (T6) is independent of genotypic variation, supporting its broader adoption. Studies on growth and yield parameters revealed that application of panchagavya at 3 % (T5) through soil and foliar application resulted in higher field emergence, greater plant height, increased chlorophyll content and improved fruit and seed yield traits compared to control. Therefore, seed priming with panchagavya at 3 % along with soil and foliar application is the most promising organic seed technique for enhancing seed germination, early seedling vigour, growth and yield of both traditional and improved varieties of okra.

References

  1. 1. Kumar J, Chaurasia AK, Bara BM. Effect of organic priming on germination and vigour of cotton (Gossypium hirsutumL.) seed. J Pharmacogn Phytochem. 2017;6(3):815–19.
  2. 2. Akbar M, Aslam N, Khalil T, Akhtar S, Siddiqi EH, Iqbal MS. Effects of seed priming with plant growth-promoting rhizobacteria on wheat yield and soil properties under contrasting soils. J Plant Nutr. 2019;42(17):2080–91. https://doi.org/10.1080/01904167.2019.1655041
  3. 3. Gupta S, Kaushal R, Spehia RS, Pathania SS, Sharma V. Productivity of capsicum influenced by conjoint application of isolated indigenous PGPR and chemical fertilizers. J Plant Nutr. 2017;40(7):921–27. https://doi.org/10.1080/01904167.2015.1093139
  4. 4. Chandra MS, Naresh RK, Lavanya N, Varsha N, Chand SW, Chandana P, et al. Production and potential of ancient liquid organics panchagavya and kunapajala to improve soil health and crop productivity: A review. J Pharmacogn Phytochem. 2019;8(6):702–13.
  5. 5. Padhiyar D, Kanzaria DR, Gondaliya BR, Purohit VL. Effect of different sowing time and planting distance on growth, yield and quality of okra (Abelmoschus esculentus (L.) Moench). Plant Arch. 2025;25:54–60. https://doi.org/10.51470/PLANTARCHIVES.2025.SP.ICTPAIRS-011
  6. 6. Devi OR, Verma O, Laishram B, Anbarasan S, Debnath A, Panotra N, et al. Effect of seed priming and foliar application of organic liquid manure on germination, growth, yield and quality of late-sown wheat. Emirates J Food Agric. 2025;37:1–13. https://doi.org/10.3897/ejfa.2025.126915
  7. 7. Harris D, Breese WA, Rao JK. The improvement of crop yield in marginal environments using ‘on-farm’ seed priming: Nodulation, nitrogen fixation and disease resistance. Aust J Agric Res. 2005;56(11):1211–18. https://doi.org/10.1071/AR05079
  8. 8. Habibi N, Terada N, Sanada A, Koshio K. Alleviating salt stress in tomatoes through seed priming with polyethylene glycol and sodium chloride combination. Stresses. 2024;4(2):210–24. https://doi.org/10.3390/stresses4020012
  9. 9. Farooq M, Hussain M, Imran M, Ahmad I, Atif M, Alghamdi SS. Improving the productivity and profitability of late sown chickpea by seed priming. Int J Plant Prod. 2019;13:129–39. https://doi.org/10.1007/s42106-019-00041-z
  10. 10. Harisha SM, Tomar BS, Yadav RK, Singh N. Effect of time of planting and spacing on the quality seed production of okra cv. Pusa Bhindi-5. Veg Sci. 2022;49(1):86–90. https://doi.org/10.61180/vegsci.2022.v49.i1.13
  11. 11. Kaviyarasu P, Sujatha K, Murugesan P, Albert VA, Ragavan T, Anand G, et al. Advanced seed invigoration technologies in okra (Abelmoschus esculentus L. Moench). J Environ Biol. 2025;46(1):1–9. https://doi.org/10.22373/jeb/46/1/MRN-5297
  12. 12. Jarret RL, Wang ML, Levy IJ. Seed oil and fatty acid content in okra (Abelmoschus esculentus) and related species. J Agric Food Chem. 2011;59(8):4019–24.
  13. 13. Yuvasri EA, Anandham R, Balachandar D, Senthilkumar M, Thiyageshwari S, Vincent S. Harnessing the power of traditional organic formulations for crop growth and microbial harmony. Front Biosci Elite. 2024;16(2):14. https://doi.org/10.31083/j.fbe1602014
  14. 14. Bawa SEH, Badrie N. Nutrient profile, bioactive components and functional properties of okra (Abelmoschus esculentus (L.) Moench). In: Fruits, vegetables and herbs. London: Academic Press; 2016. p. 365–409. https://doi.org/10.1016/B978-0-12-802972-5.00018-4
  15. 15. Azarbad H. Conventional vs. organic agriculture–which one promotes better yields and microbial resilience in rapidly changing climates? Front Microbiol. 2022;13:903500. https://doi.org/10.3389/fmicb.2022.903500
  16. 16. Golijan-Pantovic J, Secanski M, Gordanic S. Seed health treatments in organic seed production. Agric For. 2022;68(4):41–57. https://doi.org/10.17707/AgricultForest.68.4.04
  17. 17. Kumar CS, Singh G. Role of organic liquid formulations in agriculture: A review. J Emerg Technol Innov Res. 2021;8:250–55.
  18. 18. ISTA. International rules for seed testing. Seed Sci Technol. 1999;27:25–30.
  19. 19. Maguire ID. Speed of germination aid in selection and evaluation for seedling emergence and vigour. Crop Sci. 1962;2:176–77.
  20. 20. Bahuguna VK, Pyarelal, Dhawan VK. Standardisation of nursery techniques (seed sowing methods and watering schedules) of Eucalyptus FRI–4 under North Indian moist tropical climatic conditions. Indian For. 1987;113:541–49.
  21. 21. Liu D, Yang J, Tao L, Ma Y, Sun W. Seed germination and seedling growth influenced by genetic features and drought tolerance in a critically endangered maple. Plants. 2023;12(17):3140. https://doi.org/10.3390/plants12173140
  22. 22. Abdul-Baki AA, Anderson JD. Physiological and biochemical deterioration of seeds. In: Kozlowski TT, editor. Seed biology. Vol. 2. New York: Academic Press; 1973. p. 283–315.
  23. 23. Abbasi Khalaki M, Ghorbani A, Dadjou F. Influence of nano-priming on Festuca ovina seed germination and early seedling traits under drought stress in laboratory condition. Ecopersia. 2019;7(3):133–39.
  24. 24. Panse VC, Sukhatme PV. Statistical methods for agricultural workers. In: Rev ed. New Delhi: ICAR; 1978. p. 361.
  25. 25. Rehman H, Iqbal H, Basra SM, Afzal I, Farooq M, Wakeel A, et al. Seed priming improves early seedling vigor, growth and productivity of spring maize. J Integr Agric. 2015;14(9):1745–54. https://doi.org/10.1016/S2095-3119(14)61000-5
  26. 26. Yesmin MS, Sikder MSI, Hossain MS, Hasan MM, Howlader NC. Effect of organic seed priming on yield and yield attributing traits of chickpea (Cicer arietinum L.) in drought prone area. Agric Ext Dev Ctries. 2023;1(1):38–42. https://doi.org/10.26480/aedc.01.2023.38.42
  27. 27. Kumar S, Hariprabha S, Kamalakannan S, Sudhagar R, Sanjeevkumar K. Effect of panchagavya on germination and seedling growth of balsam (Impatiens balsamina). Plant Arch. 2020;20(1):3735–37.
  28. 28. Srimathi P, Mariappan N, Sundaramoorthy L, Paramathma M. Efficacy of panchagavya on seed invigoration of biofuel crops. Sci Res Essays. 2013;8(41):2031–37. https://doi.org/10.5897/SRE2013.5629
  29. 29. Ramesh AS, Rai PK, Nagar S. Influence of chemicals, botanicals and growth regulator treatments on plant growth and yield attributing traits of lentil (Lens culinaris L.) variety K-75. Int J Plant Soil Sci. 2021;33(19):124–29.
  30. 30. Gajjela S, Chatterjee R. Effect of foliar application of panchagavya and vermiwash on yield and quality of bitter gourd (Momordica charantia L.). Int J Chem Stud. 2019;7(3):218–24.
  31. 31. Kumar P, Khan N, Singh PD, Singh A, Yadav V. Panchagavya: A lowcost organic input in organic farming—A review. Int J Chem Stud. 2018;6(6):575–77.
  32. 32. Bhavyasree RK, Vinothini N. Enhancement of seed quality through orgopriming in brinjal (Solanum melongena L.). Int J Chem Stud. 2019;7:242–44.
  33. 33. Ankad GM, Hiremath J, Patil RT, Pramod HJ, Hedge HV. Nutrient analysis of kunapajala and panchagavya and their evaluation on germination of ashwagandha and kalamegha seeds: A comparative study. J Ayurveda Integr Med. 2017;9(1):13–19. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jaim.2017.01.011
  34. 34. Kala BK, Eswari REA. Effect of panchagavya on seed germination, seedling growth and nutrient content of some leafy vegetables. Int J Sci Res Biol Sci. 2019;6(6):56–60.
  35. 35. World Flora Online. Zea mays subsp. mays [Internet]. WFO; 2025 [cited 2026 Mar 27]. Available from: http://www.worldfloraonline.org/taxon/wfo-0001096778
  36. 36. Gouesnard B, Diaw Y, Gay L, Ronfort J, David J. Seed management and selection in ancient maize landraces from the French Pyrenees: Ethnobotanical survey and selection experiment. Genet Resour Crop Evol. 2025:1–21. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10722-025-02555-0
  37. 37. Dube P, Struik PC. Seed germination and morphological characterization of traditional leafy vegetables. Afr J Agric Res. 2021;17(4):598–603. https://doi.org/10.5897/AJAR2018.13173
  38. 38. Vivekanandhan S, Karuppanan T, Ashokkumar K. Evaluation of salinity tolerance in Tamil Nadu and Keralas’ popular traditional rice varieties during germination and early growth stages. J Curr Opin Crop Sci. 2024;5(1):41–47. https://doi.org/10.62773/jcocs.v5i1.232

Downloads

Download data is not yet available.