Influence of pre-sowing treatment with hydrogen peroxide on alleviation salinity stress impacts on cow pea germination and early seedling development

The aim of the present study was to investigate the effects of hydrogen peroxide in germination and early seedling growth of cowpea (Vigna uniguiculata (L.) Walp.) under different salinity levels induced by priming seeds in NaCl solutions. Data were recorded for final germination percentage, mean time to germination, germination rate and seedling dry weight. Results revealed that germination characteristics and early seedling growth attributes of cowpea significantly (p ≤ 0.05) affected by all salinity levels imposed by NaCl and soaking treatments in an oxidant H2O2 solution. Increasing NaCl concentration without soaking in H2O2 significantly (p ≤ 0.05) decreased germination percentage and seedling dry weight and delayed germination. However soaking in H2O2 treatments substantially increased the final germination and accelerated the germination for cowpea seeds which soaked in different NaCl concentrations. This effect is obvious at high concentration of NaCl