Ecology, Environment and Conservation Paper

Vol 27, Nov Suppl. Issue, 2021; Page No.(253-260)

EFFECT OF PRE-SOWING TREATMENTS USING PHYTOHORMONES AND OTHER DORMANCY BREAKING CHEMICALS ON SEED GERMINATION OF DIOSCOREA DELTOIDEA WALL. EX GRISEB.: AN ENDANGERED MEDICINAL PLANT SPECIES OF NORTH WESTERN HIMALAYA

Haleema Bano, Rauoof A. Rather, Javeed I. A. Bhat, Tariq A. Bhat1, Humayun Azad, Shakeel A. Bhat1, Fozia Hamid and M. Ashraf Bhat

Abstract

The objective of the present study was to develop effective pre-sowing treatments to improve the seed germination, and to reduce mean germination time, so that protocols for commercial production of the plant could be developed and natural populations restored to ensure proper conservation of the species. In the present study phytohormones and other seed dormancy breaking chemicals were used to investigate their effect on seed germination Dioscorea deltoidea. An experiment was performed with 15 treatments and 3 replications in a completely randomized design. Germination started in different treatments on different dates. It started on day 4th in chilling treatments Ch1 (30 days chilled seeds) and Ch2 (40 days chilled seeds) and was observed till 36th day in all the treatments (Table 1). The highest mean percentage of germination was observed in chilling treatment Ch1 (92±0.577) followed by treatment GA31 (82±1.155), Ch2 (81±3.180), GA32 (77±4.041) and Ch3 (70±2.887) respectively. Potassium nitrate treated treatments, K1 (0.2 %) and K2 (0.3 %) showed more percentage germination (62±1.732 and 55±2.887) than naphthalene acid treated treatments NAA1 (25 ppm) (50±2.887) and NAA2 (50 ppm) (47±1.155). In case of combined treatments, Com 1(H2SO4/GA31) and Com. 2 (H2SO4/GA31), mean percentage of germination ± SD (35±2.887 and 30±0.577) was lower as compared to control treatment (36±1.155). Similar was the case with treatments Com 3(H2SO4/NAA1) and Com. 4 (H2SO4/NAA2) with mean percentage of germination ± SD of 27±1.155 and 26±1.155 respectively. The more effective treatment in breakinh the dormancy and enhancing the seed germination percentage are the pre chilling treatment (3-4ºC) for a period of 30 days and treatment of seeds with gibberellic acid.