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VOL. 8, ISSUE 1 (2026)
Effect of Beejamrit seed treatment on germination, seed vigour, and early growth of chickpea under field conditions
Authors
Yogeshwar Singh, Ruchi Rajput, Shiv Vendra Singh, Anil Kumar Rai, Susheel Kumar Singh
Abstract
Conventional chemical seed treatments improve germination and control
soil-borne diseases, but they leave hazardous residues and disturb native soil
microbial populations, causing environmental and health problems. A field
experiment was conducted during the Rabi season at the Natural Farming Research
Field, Rani Lakshmi Bai Central Agricultural University (RLBCAU), Jhansi, to
evaluate Beejamrit, an indigenous organic seed treatment, on chickpea (Cicer
arietinum L.) germination and early growth to provide a sustainable
alternative. T1: untreated control; T2: 25%; T3: 50%; T4: 75%; T5: 100%) were
examined in a completely randomized block design with three replications.
Beejamrit microbiological load increased from Day 1 to 5, then declined. By Day
7, T4 (Beejamrit 75%) had the highest germination (87.5%), seed vigour index-I
(1539.03), and seed vigour index-II (12.84) than the control. T5 (100%) had
longer roots (6.25 cm) but lower germination and vigour indices, presumably due
to microbial competition or nutritional imbalance. Under T4, growth metrics
like chlorophyll content (52.13 mg m-2), shoot length (17.61 cm),
and seedling dry weight (0.15 g) were optimized. Beejamrit showed promise as an
eco-friendly, cost-effective seed treatment, with 75% concentration being best.
To improve sustainable chickpea production, future study should clarify its
biochemical and microbiological mechanisms, standardize preparation techniques,
and validate performance across varied soils and agro-climatic conditions.
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Pages:175-181
How to cite this article:
Yogeshwar Singh, Ruchi Rajput, Shiv Vendra Singh, Anil Kumar Rai, Susheel Kumar Singh "Effect of Beejamrit seed treatment on germination, seed vigour, and early growth of chickpea under field conditions". International Journal of Agriculture and Plant Science, Vol 8, Issue 1, 2026, Pages 175-181
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