Influence of seed priming agents on germination and seedling vigour in cucumber (Cucumis sativus)

Cucumber is an important crop in the Philippines, yet poor seedling vigour from unprimed seeds often limits germination and overall productivity. Seed priming techniques such as hydropriming, gibberellic acid (GA₃), and calcium chloride (CaCl₂) have shown potential to enhance germination and seedling growth, but their effectiveness varies with cultivar. Based on this, a study was conducted to evaluate the germination and seedling vigour of cucumber after seed priming. Three priming methods (GA3, CaCl2, and hydropriming) were applied to cucumber seeds (Pegasus F1). Three concentrations (6.25, 12.50, and 25 ppm) of GA3 and two concentrations (200 and 400 ppm) of CaCl2 were used, whereas unprimed seeds served as the control. The seeds were primed for 3 h. Ambient condition was used to grow the primed and unprimed seeds. A Completely Randomized Design in 4 replicates was employed. An improved germination index and early seed germination were observed by exposing the seeds to priming. The three seed priming techniques hasten the germination with low mean germination time than the unprimed seeds. Moreover, at 8 days after sowing (DAS), hydropriming, GA₃, and CaCl₂ induced the growth of secondary root count per seedling. At DAS, 12.50 ppm GA3 produced longer roots and seedlings. Likewise, GA3 concentration produced more vigorous seedlings than the other seed priming techniques. Cucumber growers may consider using 12.50 ppm GA3 for vigorous seedlings.