Seed germination and seedling performance of Rubus ellipticus (Smith) as influenced by various pre-treatments

Seeds of Rubus ellipticus (Smith) possess seed coat dormancy which hamper, rapid and uniform germination. To overcome this dormancy, seeds of this species were pre-treated. All pretreatments improved the germination capacity of seeds. The highest (78.33%) germination being after soaking in water at room temperature for 48 hrs. Soaking seeds in water for 24 hrs at room temperature resulted in maximum radicle length and root dry weight, whereas, increased shoot length (5.18 cm), root length (23.78), number of leaves (10.22) and survival (55.56%) of seedling was associated with water soaking at room for 48 hrs.