Indian Journal of Plant Physiology

Germination and storability of undried and dried (slow and rapid) seeds of Gmelina arborea were evaluated at various storage temperatures. The freshly mature seeds (IMC 27.3±1.58%) showed 100% germination (excised seeds). Loss of germination was discernible if seeds were slow dried below 11.3±0.4% mc. In contrast rapid drying safely allowed dehydrating the seeds up to 3.4±0.14%mc with still exhibiting 100% germination. The seed viability was reduced to minimal (5%) when slow dried for a period of 350 days to 5.6±0.6%mc. Storage experiments conducted with undried (27.3±1.58%) and rapidly dried seeds (moisture contents: 18.5±0.5, 12.4±1.5, 5.9±0.6, 3.9±0.1, 1.9±0.2%) at range of temperatures (−196, −20, 0, 15 and 25°C) exhibited maximum survival (72–95%) after rapid drying to 3.9%mc at –20, 0 and 15°C after 270 days of storage. Undried and dried seeds failed to survive at cryostorage. G. arborea seeds when rapidly dried are desiccation and chilling tolerant albeit to limited period but are extremely sensitive to LN² temperature. High phenolic content in the funicular tissue of undried seeds inhibited germination. It is suggested that the functional unit of seed (that is commonly employed for sowing purpose in case of G. arborea) be rapidly dried to 7.1%mc in order to nullify the inhibitory effect of phenolics and enhance the germination per cent.