Influence of Different Pre-sowing Treatments on Germination and Seedling Vigour of Guava (Psedium guajava L.) Seeds

Abstract

The study aimed at investigating the effect of pre-sowing treatments on the germination and seedling vigour of Guava (Var. Allahabad Safeda) seeds. The pre- sowing treatments were made up cold and hot water soaking, manual scarification with sand paper, electronic scarification, different concentration of sulphuric acid, H2O2, CaOCl2 along with control. The treated and control seeds were placed for germination in top of the paper method. Twenty five days after sowing the result revealed that seeds soaked with CaOCl2 2% for 12 hrs. registered highest germination of 41 per cent followed by seed treated with H2SO4 200ml/kg for 15 minutes (40%). The control seeds gave only 10 per cent germination. Vigour index values shows significant differences among the treatments. The highest vigour index values of 119 were recorded in the seeds treated with H2SO4 200ml/kg for 10 minutes. The lowest vigour index value of 16 was recorded in control treatment. The results showed that treating the seeds with CaOCl2 2% for 12 hrs (or) treated with H2SO4 200ml/kg for 10 (or) 15 minutes was the most effective pre-sowing treatment for the germination and seedling vigour of Guava seeds.