Effect of seed scarification on germination parameters in hairy indigo(Indigofera astragalina)

Abstract

Two seed lots, freshly harvested and one year old seed of hairy indigo (Indigofera astragalina DC) were used in the present study. Non scarified seed was used as control. Germination test of scarified and non scarified seed lots were conducted at 25 and 30°C in the dark, between the paper (BP). First observation was recorded after 24 hr and subsequent observations were recorded at 12 hr interval up to 120 hours and afterwards at 1 day interval up to 20 days. Analysis of variance indicates that germination percentage was significantly higher in the scarified seed (93.0 and 94.5%) as compared to non scarified seed (1.5 and 4.0%) in fresh and one year old seed lot, respectively. Difference was not significant between fresh (1.5 and 2.0%) and one year old seed (3.0 and 4.0%), at 25 and 30°C temperature. In scarified seed 93.5% germination achieved within 10 days, while in non scarified seed germination was only 1.5% even after 20 days. The time spread of germination was more in non scarified (17 and 6 day) than in the scarified seed (4.5 and 4 day) in fresh and one year old seed, respectively. The lower mean germination time indicates faster germination as taken by scarified seed (61–49.8 hours) while it was 296–116 hours in the non-scarified seed in fresh and one year old seed, respectively. Higher germination index was observed in scarified seed (161.8 and 136), which denotes higher percentage and rate of germination as compared in non scarified seed (6.5 and 24.3) in the fresh and one year old seed, respectively. Germination rate index was also very high (39.0 and 47.8% day−1) in scarified seed, while it was very low (0.2 and 0.7% day−1) in the non scarified seed in the fresh and one year old seed, respectively.