Techniques for Breaking Seed Dormancy and its Efficacy on Seed Germination of Six Important Medicinal Plant Species
Abstract
Present study deals the effectiveness of traditional and recent techniques of seed treatment on germination of fresh and year old seed of Abelmoschus moschatus, Asparagus racemosus, Bixa orellana, Cassia angustifolia, Operculina turpethum and Psoralea corylifolia under in vitro and in vivo conditions. Result indicates that seed treatments had significant positive impact on germination; however the effectiveness of the treatments varied among different medicinal species. There was 3 to 15 folds increment in percent germination due to seed treatments. Seed treatment with H2SO4, seed coat scarification by sand paper and seed soaking in normal water for 24 h rendered maximum germination, both in in vitro and in vivo conditions in most of the species under studied. Mean seed germination increased maximum 64.28%, 1460.0%, 115.40% and 274.94% in A. moschatus, B. orellana, C. angustifolia and P. corylifolia respectively over control. Seeds treated with hot water at 70°C for 1 h rendered 365% more germination in A. racemosus under in vivo, while O. turpethum seeds germinated maximum with H2SO4 95% under both in vitro and in vivo conditions.
Scarification of seed coat with sand paper was found the most effective in breaking seed dormancy method for A. moschatus, B. orellana, C. angustifolia and in P. corylifolia.
Soaking of seeds in water for 24 h proved to be best in seed germination of A. racemosus.
Seed treatment with H2SO4 (95%) + water soaking observed best in O. turpethum.
Freshly harvested seeds rendered higher germination in A. moschatus and B. orellana while one year old stored seeds of A. racemosus and O. turpethum germinated significantly higher.
Treatment of Seeds before sowing improved percent germination in all seed of medicinal valued plant species.
Keywords
Germination, In vitro, In vivo, Medicinal plant, Seed dormancy
