Archives of Current Research International

Global food security is increasingly reliant on climate-resilient nutricereals capable of thriving in water-scarce environments. This study presents a comparative physiological assessment and vigor profiling of finger millet (Eleusine coracana G.) and two sorghum varieties (Sorghum bicolor (L.) MoenchL.: White Cholam and Sen Cholam) under controlled laboratory conditions located at PGP College of Agricultural Sciences, Namakkal The investigation focused on the influence of potassium chloride (KCl) halo priming at varying concentrations (0.0%, 0.5%, 1.0%, 1.5%, 2.0%, and 3.0%) on seed quality parameters, including electrical conductivity (EC), 1000-grain weight, germination percentage, and seedling length. Results revealed that Eleusine coracana. G. maintained superior membrane integrity, exhibiting the lowest electrolyte leakage (127.93 to 154.13 μS/cm) across all treatments compared to sorghum varieties, which peaked at 163.27 μS/cm (Sen Cholam) and 159.10 μS/cm (White Cholam). While sorghum varieties showed higher absolute germination (>71%) and seedling length, finger millet demonstrated a significant, progressive increase in germination (52.67% to 56.0%) in response to increasing KCl concentrations (p < 0.01). Vigor profiling indicated that low to moderate KCl levels (1.5%) optimized 1000-grain weight and seedling elongation across species, whereas higher concentrations induced species-specific osmotic stress. These findings underscore the inherent physiological stability of finger millet and the potential of optimized halopriming to enhance the early-stage performance of millets, providing a critical foundation for selecting high-vigor genotypes in next-generation climate-smart agriculture.