Effect of seed priming on peach, plum and apricot germination and subsequent seedling growth

Seed priming was done in peach, plum and apricot using water soaking (WS), GA₃ (500, 1000, 1500 and 2000 ppm) and various combinations of GA₃ + water soaking treatments. Among various treatments highest per cent germination in peach (31.33), plum (75.33) and apricot (73.33) was obtained by soaking the seeds in water for 9 days followed by treating with GA2000 ppm for 24 h, i.e. Tand it was at par with T(WS 9D + GA1500 ppm) in 39 8 3 peach, whereas, in plum and apricot, T₈ proved to be the second best treatment. Peach, plum and apricot seeds receiving no treatment (control) recorded minimum germination (2.66, 18.00 and 15.33%, respectively). Seeds soaked in water for 9 days and treated with 2000 ppm GA₃ for 24 h recorded the maximum seedling height and girth in peach (83.96 cm, 6.63 mm), plum (90.94 cm, 8.04 mm) and apricot (93.80 cm, 8.12 mm) after 120 days of germination.