Leachate from earthworm castings breaks seed dormancy and preferentially promotes radicle growth in jute

Abstract

Seeds of jute (Chorchorus olitorius L.) undergo a period of dormancy, which hitherto has been broken with the conventional method of steeping in boiling water. Another seed treatment procedure, which involves soaking seeds in earthworm cast leachate, was found superior to the conventional method of breaking dormancy. Furthermore, radicle growth was enhanced when seeds were irrigated with water that contained earthworm cast leachate instead of water without earthworm cast leachate. This possibly suggests that earthworms excrete substances that contain hormones or biochemically active ingredients that are capable of stimulating root growth.