Studies on the Germination of Freshly Harvested Mature and Immature Onion Seeds

Onion seeds (Var. Punjab Selection), fully mature and one and two weeks before maturity, were given five treatments before sowing at Punjab Agricultural University, Ludhiana in 1971 and germination counts were taken 7 and 13 days after sowing. The different treatments were: seeds dried in the sun for 2 days, seeds dried in the shade for 2 days, seeds threshed and sown immediately, seeds soaked in 50 ppm G.A. for 6 hours and seeds soaked in 50 ppm. NAA for 6 hours. The germination of fully mature seeds was high, and in case of seed used one week before maturity it was satisfactory. Germination of seeds used 2 weeks before maturity was low. Seed treatments did not affect the germination of fully mature seeds. In case of seeds used one week before maturity sun-drying lowered the germination drastically and treatment with N.A.A. hastened germination.