Abstract:
Sorghum is the fourth most widely produced cereal in Ethiopia. Despite its coverage and
importance, the productivity remains low due to several constraints, notably the use of
poor-quality seed, limited availability of improved seed, and low adoption of pre-sowing
seed treatment technologies, which results poor field establishment, low stand uniformity,
and ultimately low yield, particularly in the lowland areas of Gondar. To address these
challenges, an experiment was conducted at Gondar City in the GARC seed laboratory,
and the field experiment at Metema and West Armachiho districts in the 2023 main
cropping season to evaluate the effects of priming and coating on seed germination and
yield of sorghum. The treatments consisted of a factorial combination of four priming
materials (control, Tap water, MLE, and cow urine) and four coating materials (Control,
Thiram, Apron Star, and Dynamic). The laboratory and field experiments were laid out in
a CRD and RCBD design with four and three replications, respectively. Data were
analyzed using R software version 4.4.2. Combined ANOVA revealed significant (p <
0.05) interaction effects of priming and coating on germination %, speed of germination,
shoot and root length, VI₁ and VI₂, head length, width and weight, dry biomass, Stover
yield, grain yield, and HI. In contrast, seedling dry weight, days to emergence, heading
and maturity, plant height, and TSW were significantly (p < 0.05) affected only by the
main effects of priming and coating. The highest germination (94.25%) and grain yield
(4,364.92 kg ha⁻¹) were obtained from seeds primed with MLE and coated with Apron
Star, followed by MLE-primed seeds coated with Thiram. The PBA also indicated that
seeds primed with MLE and coated with Apron Star had the highest NB (146,999.7 Birr
ha
-1
) with an acceptable level of MRR (116,792.1%) as compared to other treatments.
Therefore, treatment combinations of seeds primed by MLE with coated by Apron Star, as
well as seeds primed by MLE with coated by Thiram, are recommended for sorghum
growers in lowland areas of Gondar and other similar agro-ecologies. However, these
results are from a single year; extending the study across multiple seasons would help
account for seasonal variability and strengthen the final recommendation.