Effect of Different Seed Scarification Treatments on Seed Germination Parameters of Ber (Ziziphus rotundifolia Lamk.) under Laboratory Conditions

Abstract

The study was undertaken to extrapolate the effect of different seed scarification treatments on seed germination parameters of ber (Ziziphus rotundifolia Lamk.) in the laboratory Department of Seed Science and Technology, CCS HAU, Hisar. There were 14 treatments of seed scarification i.e. sulphuric acid soaking for 5 min and 10 min, gibberellic acid soaking @ 250 ppm for 12 hrs and 24 hrs, gibberellic acid soaking @ 500 ppm for 12 hrs and 24 hrs, potassium nitrate soaking @ 1% for 12 hrs and 24 hours, potassium nitrate soaking @ 2% for 12 hrs and 24 hrs, water soaking for 24 hrs and 48 hrs, mechanical scarification and control. Among the different scarification treatments, gibberellic acid @ 250 ppm for 24 hours performed best in term of viability (74.7%), germination (15.3%), normal seedlings (15.33%), maximum stem length (12.28cm), root length (11.12cm), seedling length (23.40cm), dry weight per seedling (167.00mg), vigour index I (366.7) and vigour index II (2616.9) of ber in between paper method under lab conditions.