Effect of seed hardening through chemical treatments in induction of drought tolerance in sunflower at Bijapur, Karnataka

摘要

Sunflower is a major crop mostly grown as rainfed crop with maximum area being grown under rabi season in Northern Dry Zone of Karnataka. Obviously, crop is requried to overcome the occasional drought under the late sown situations. Though seed hardening by soaking in water before sowing is being practiced in these regions, it is not inducing the drought tolerance to the extent farmers are expecting. Seed hardening is a process of conditioning of seed to withstand adverse environment and adaptive conditions. It is imparting resistance in seed for better growth of seedling. Such physiological reorganisation is induced by hydration and dehydration process (Sundaralingam et al. 2001). There is a felt need to understand the effect of seed hardening chemicals which also act as micronutrients in boosting the sunflower seed yield and to study the physiological parameters of drought in response to these chemicals.