Department of Plant Physiology, Qrissa University of Agriculture and Technology, Bhubaneswar-751 003
Seeds of ten grain amaranth (Amaranthus spp.) were tested for their dormancy and viability. Freshly harvested seeds were dormant up to 2 months. Only genotype IE- 42006 and GA-1 showed relatively higher germinability at 2 months of harvest. About 50% of seeds remained dormant up to 4 months of harvest in rest of the genotypes. After 6 months of harvest, seeds of all the genotypes showed higher germinability above 70%. Seeds of all the genotypes showed more than 90% germination around 9 months of harvest except in GA-1 where decline in germination was noticed. By 18 months of harvest the seeds of all the genotypes lost their viablity considerably. In genotype AG-21 and AG-114 relatively higher germinability (60%) was noticed up to 16 months of harvest. Dormancy of seeds could be successfully broken by chemical treatments like 200 ppm of gibberellic acid, ascorbic acid, or ethylene for 24 h and by physical treatments like hot water (70°C) for one minute, high temperature (SO°C) for 12 h or stratification (4°C) for 7 days.
