Nauman Hanif

Calcium Carbide Induced Ethylene Regulates Seed Dormancy and Post-Germination Growth of Sweet Pepper

Wazir Ahmed; Muhammad Naeem Akhtar; Muhammad Waseem Akhtar; Muhammad Nauman Hanif; Aiman Salah ud Din; Ahmad Mahmood
DOI: 10.17582/journal.pjar/2024/37.3.223.231
Pakistan Journal of Agricultural Research
Volume 37, Issue 3, Pages 223-231
Published: 2024-08-27

Abstract

Seed dormancy impacts seed germination success and seedling health. Ethylene plays a crucial role in facilitating the breaking of seed dormancy by initiating essential biochemical and physiological changes that are necessary for successful seed growth and development. It was hypothesized that acetylene (C2H2) from calcium carbide (CaC2) has the potential to induce an ethylene response in seed for breaking seed dormancy and better seedling growth. A study was conducted to evaluate the impacts of C2H2 released from ten CaC2 concentrations, i.e., 2, 4, 6, 8, 10, 12, 14, 16, 18, and 20 mg petri-plate-1, on seed dormancy and seedling growth in sweet pepper. Results indicated that CaC2 significantly induced 100% early seed germination, with significant improvements in post-germination variables. CaC2 applied at 14 mg petri-plate-1 was found to be an optimum dose for regulating seed dormancy and post-germination growth positively. However, CaC2 >16 mg petri-plate-1 proved lethal and suppressed the germination or growth of the seedlings. Compared to control treatment, improvements in seed sermination and growth variables, i.e., 8 to 37% in seed germination, 5 to 22% in seedling biomass, 5 to 46% in shoot length, and 3 to 37% in root length, suggest that calcium carbide, easily available on the market, can be used for seed dormancy breakage and better crop stand.

Keywords
Acetylene Calcium carbide Ethylene Germination Sweet pepper
Authors ⌄
Wazir Ahmed
  • Department of Soil & Environmental Sciences, Muhammad Nawaz Shareef University of Agriculture, Multan, Pakistan
Muhammad Naeem Akhtar
Corresponding Author
  • Pesticide Quality Control Laboratory, Multan, Pakistan
Muhammad Waseem Akhtar
  • Department of Plant Breeding and Genetics, University of Agriculture, Faisalabad. Pakistan
Muhammad Nauman Hanif
  • Department of Soil & Environmental Sciences, Muhammad Nawaz Shareef University of Agriculture, Multan, Pakistan
Aiman Salah ud Din
Affiliation: —
Ahmad Mahmood
  • Department of Soil & Environmental Sciences, Muhammad Nawaz Shareef University of Agriculture, Multan, Pakistan
Citations (0) ⌄
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Other Information ⌄

Article History

Received: May 13, 2024

Accepted: August 13, 2024

Published: August 27, 2024

How to Cite?

Ahmed, W., Akhtar, M. N., Akhtar, M. W., Hanif, M. N., Din, A. S. U., & Mahmood, A. (2024). Calcium carbide induced ethylene regulates seed dormancy and Post-Germination growth of sweet pepper. Pakistan Journal of Agricultural Research, 37(3). https://doi.org/10.17582/journal.pjar/2024/37.3.223.231

Author’s Contribution

Wazir Ahmed: Planned, supervised the study, collected data on time, and presented it in written form.
Muhammad Naeem Akhtar: Analyzed the data statistically and calculated secondary parameters from the primary data.
Muhammad Waseem Akhtar: Contributed to the results and discussion.
Muhammad Nauman Hanif: Contributed to the references, materials, and methods write-up.
Ahmad Mahmood and Aiman Salah ud Din: Conducted an overall review and analysis of the data.

Acknowledgements

We acknowledge the financial support provided by Higher Education Commission (HEC), Islamabad, Pakistan.

Novelty Statement

This highlights the importance of using calcium carbide for off-season vegetable cultivation, addressing the issue of poor tomato germination rates. The use of CaC2 as a soil amendment leads to improved crop stand, promoting better growth and yield of vegetables, especially sweet peppers.

Conflict of interest

No known competing financial interests or personal relationships could have influenced the work reported in this paper.

Funding

No funding or any specific grant from funding agencies in the public, commercial, or not-for-profit sectors was received for this work.

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