**I. C. A. R., New Deihi-110001.
G. B. Pant University of Agriculture and Technology, Pantnagar, U. P.
*Present address: — ““Institute of Agriculture and Animal Science, Kathmandu, Nepal.
Dormant seeds of low chilling peach cultivars, namely Sharbati Safeda, Hopen and Gujarati were stratified after extraction and removal of pericarp for periods ranging from 0 to 30 days at 10°C under controlled condition using vermiculite as medium. One lot of seed was directly sown, while the other was dipped in solutions of GA + thiourea and ethrel for 6 hours before sowing. Stratification of seeds improved seedling stand and the seedlings obtained thereof attained normal growth without showing any signs of dwarfing. Maximum growth in terms of rate of stem growth, dry weight of shoots and roots was recorded at 30 days chilling. Treatment of stratified seeds with GA 150 ppm + thiourea 5000 ppm and ethrel 5000 ppm further stimulated growth in all the three cultivars, the increment in growth varying among the cultivars.
