EFFECT OF SEED PRIMING AND GROWING MEDIA ON PAPAYA (Carica papaya L.) SEED GERMINATION

Abstract

Papaya (Carica papaya L.) is a short-lived perennial plant in the genus Carica under the family of Caricaceae. Papaya is an important tropical and subtropical fruit with many nutritional, medicinal and economic values. It is a highly significant fruit crop in Ethiopia, with a dual function of being exported and consumed locally both raw and processed. Production has not kept up with demand. Papaya is mainly propagated by seeds which show wide variability in germination and seedling growth. Seed priming before sowing is well documented to enhancing seed germination and breaking dormancy. Growing media is give necessary ingredients and physical support to the seedling. This study aimed to investigate the impact of seed priming specifically using potassium nitrate and gibberllic acid in combination with different growing media compositions on germination of papaya seed from February to May 2024 at Wolkite University in horticulture libratory. A Complete Randomized Design (CRD) with nine treatments and three replications was employed to evaluate seed germination rate, seedling vigor, and other germination and growth parameters. The analysis of variance indicated that treatments had very differently responded (P