ASSESSING THE IMPACT OF OSMO-PRIMING CONCENTRATION ANDDURATIONONGERMINATION PROPERTIES OF AGED SOYBEAN (GLYCINE MAX (L) MERRIL) SEEDS.

Soybean (Glycine max (L.) Merrill) seeds possess high oil and fatty acidcontent, making them susceptible to oxidative damage during storage, whichadverselyaffects seed longevity and germination potential. This study aimed to evaluatetherole of osmo-priming in improving germination characteristics of agedsoybeanseeds, focusing on the effects of sodium chloride (NaCl) concentration andprimingduration. Two laboratory experiments were conducted at the Crop PhysiologyLaboratory, Department of Soil Science, Bayero University Kano (BUK). Inthefirstexperiment, twenty soybean accessions stored for over two years wereprimedusing four NaCl concentrations (0%, 0.050%, 0.075%, and 0.10%). Thesecondexperiment employed the most effective concentration (0.075%NaCl) withfourpriming durations (2, 4, 6, and 8 hours) on five selected aged varieties, usingfreshseed as a control. Both experiments followed a two-factor Completely RandomizedDesign (CRD) with two replications (experiment 1) and three replications(experiment 2). Seeds were germinated in 9 mm petri dishes using moistenedtissuepaper for 10 days. Data collected included days to germination, number ofgerminated seeds, germination percentage, and radicle length. The data collectedwas analyzed using GENSTAT statistical package and means were separatedusingStudent Neuman Keuls. Results from the first experiment revealed that 0.075%NaCl significantly enhanced germination performance having the shortest timetogermination, highest germination percentage, and longest radicle lengths. Inthesecond experiment, 6-hour osmo-priming with 0.075% NaCl producedthebestresults, demonstrating improved seed vigor and germination in moderatelyagedseeds. These findings suggest that osmo-priming with 0.075%NaCl for 6hoursisacost effective and practical seed enhancement technique for restoring germinationpotential in aged soybean seeds.