Evaluate the Impact of Pre-Sowing Treatments on Seed Germination of Cassia fistula L.
Akshay Kumar Rajwade
*
Department of Forest Biology and Tree Improvement, Mahatma Gandhi University of Horticulture and Forestry, Sankara, Patan, Durg, Chhattisgarh, India.
Damini Sharma
Department of Forest Biology and Tree Improvement, Mahatma Gandhi University of Horticulture and Forestry, Sankara, Patan, Durg, Chhattisgarh, India.
Nalini
Department of Forest Biology and Tree Improvement, Mahatma Gandhi University of Horticulture and Forestry, Sankara, Patan, Durg, Chhattisgarh, India.
Shiva Sahu
Department of Forest Biology and Tree Improvement, Mahatma Gandhi University of Horticulture and Forestry, Sankara, Patan, Durg, Chhattisgarh, India.
Umashankar Netam
Department of Forest Biology and Tree Improvement, Mahatma Gandhi University of Horticulture and Forestry, Sankara, Patan, Durg, Chhattisgarh, India.
Hemant Nishad
Department of Forest Biology and Tree Improvement, Mahatma Gandhi University of Horticulture and Forestry, Sankara, Patan, Durg, Chhattisgarh, India.
*Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Abstract
Cassia fistula L., a forest species with hard seed coat-induced dormancy, was studied to assess the impact of chemical pre-sowing treatments on germination and early seedling growth. Using a Completely Randomized Design with 10 treatments, the study tested GA₃ (250, 500 and 700 ppm), H₂SO₄ (250, 500 and 700 ppm), KNO₃ (2, 4 and 6%) treatments, and a control. The highest germination rate (73.33%) was observed with GA₃ 500 ppm, followed by GA₃ 700 ppm (63.33%) and H₂SO₄ 250 ppm (60.00%), while the control showed the lowest(10%). KNO₃ (4%) led to the fastest emergence (5.67 days) but had poor survival. GA₃ 500 ppm and H₂SO₄ 250 ppm also showed better shoot, root, and leaf development at 30, 60, and 90 DAS. Overall, GA₃ 500 ppm and H₂SO₄ 250 ppm proved most effective in breaking dormancy and enhancing seedling vigor, making them suitable for large-scale propagation of Cassia fistula.
Keywords: Cassia fistula, seed dormancy, pre-sowing treatments, germination, physiological barriers